I don't even like firing people. I don't think I've ever said, 'You're fired' to anybody.

I have cotton or flannel sheets, depending on the weather. They have to be ironed, and I get my bed changed nearly every day.

You have to focus on what's important to you and go for it. But don't stab people in the back. It poisons your whole life if you're like that.

Everywhere I go, I always look for creative entrepreneurs, whether it's artisans and craftsmen, small farmers and gardeners, or restaurateurs who use fresh, locally sourced ingredients. I admire the courage and self-reliance it takes to start your own business and make it succeed.

I think I may be a better person for having given serious time and thought and effort to gardening.

That's reality, it's accessibility. People are used to seeing me like that for the last year, I think, ... To avoid it is avoidance. We're not going to avoid things.

Over the years, I learned so much from mom. She taught me about the importance of home and history and family and tradition. She also taught me that aging need not mean narrowing the scope of your activities and interests or a diminution of the great pleasures to be had in the everyday.