For those of you who have never attended a 100th birthday party (And who among us has?) here are a few pictures of the one we had for my mother, Josephine, who was born 100 years ago, on May 24, 1914.   Mom was overwhelmed at first, but became used to the fuss pretty quickly and got into the swing of things. She stayed up longer than usual before...

 When Did Everything Change? Some say it was the Vietnam War, when we stopped believing a single word our government said,* including “and” and “the.” Maybe it was when we started calling love affairs “relationships,” thereby sanitizing the romance right out of our sex lives. Or was it the rise of political correctness, when...

Ain’t email grand?  The words of wisdom that appeared in my inbox today were written by Regina Brett, a columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer who’s a mere 90 years old. (The italics below are mine.)  If you’re in a hurry, go directly to #10. It sums it all up.   1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s good. Or as that great...

What can you say about the  Academy Awards Show this year? It was nice. Ellen was nice. Except for the semi-snarky bit pretending that Lisa Minnelli (in the flesh) was actually the best female impersonator ever. Lisa did not look amused. The dresses were tasteful, mostly pastel or bright, and that was . . . nice. Although I do feel the need to point out that if...

. . . Meets The  Book of Mormon  Is there room for a hit show on Broadway that doesn’t involve jokes about fucking babies as a cure for AIDS? Thank the lord there is! It’s The Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder and I’d swear on the actual Book of Mormon itself that it’s as funny as its English cousin, the great classic...

    As readers of   I Can’t Believe I’m Not Bitter   know by now . . . Valentine’s Day Is Tricky. Sure, a guy can get something sweet for her. A gal can get something “hot” for him.  Something cute for the kids, anyone?     But what if you don’t have a her,  a him or a them? What if you...

 Well, folks, it’s that time of year again. When you promise yourself you’ll do all those things that will allow you to become a better person and make the world safe for democracy. Actually, it’s 14 days past that time of year, which leads me to: Never Put Off Tomorrow What You Can Put Off Today Resolution #1: I will not procrastinate any...

If you fell for the title, you’ve come to the wrong place. You want the Martha Stewart Christmas web site. But wait! Don’t leave, because, through the haphazard magic of the Internet, you’ve stumbled on a way to gain wisdom, peace of mind, and, possibly, a mild hangover. Yes, Virginia, there is a perfect Christmas tree. And yet, there isn’t....