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Knowledge is power. Who said that? Francis Bacon. Who was he? A philosopher. At the very least … know yourself so that you can have the power over yourself, your life, your choices and your interactions with those who surround you. Me? I’m passionate, caring, hot, cold, a planner, committed, proud and honest. The last one: honesty — which means telling the truth. The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. Who said that? Garfield. That’s very true. It will make you miserable… but I am okay with that because I know in my heart that I’m free.

Here’s the truth: you can’t force someone to love or accept you. That can only happen when they really get to know you — I’ve just realized this. I guess maybe I am a little wiser being 3-0 and all…

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

… and equally hard to keep. You know, like that little cafe/restaurant/mom-n-pop place in your neighborhood you would never tell anyone about for the fear of it being spoiled. That is how I feel about my current list of blog reads. That said, some of them are too good to keep to myself and I’ve decided to share.

My mission is of course to raise Sophia such that she knows about travel, food, style, etc., and I figure it would be best if she were surrounded by likeminded people… So… a portion of my short food list is below. It is incomplete and I also have a style list, events, home decoration, remodeling, traveling and parenting lists. I figure I wouldn’t need to overwhelm my readers with everything. Feel free to ask me privately about my short lists on anything and I may just share :-).

Food-related blogs: Living the Sweet Life in Paris and The Kitchn.

You’re welcome 🙂

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

As you have read my history, here are some core values and beliefs that have defined me as a result of living my life. And of these, I have many. I’ll trickle them out to you share them  — slowly — one at a time.

I believe in mermaids. And that magic takes place in the most unlikely circumstances like across the dining table, with family and good friends sharing uncomplicated food and great wine. I believe that these kinds of treasures will stand the test of time, always dazzling.

Hard to believe, but today is the first anniversary of this blog. It doesn’t seem like it and it has been an immensely gratifying experience to share insights, thoughts, ideas and in turn learn from those who message (privately and publicly). I’m looking forward to the next year and learning, doing and of course sharing more.

We all know that familial pecking order is established early in on most families — even before kids come along. Our family is egalitarian except now… Sophia has established a firm pecking order as evident in her morning wake-up routine.

When we hear that she is waking up, we rush downstairs to get a bottle of warm milk ready. Who wouldn’t want to wake up with a bottle of warm milk every day and lounge in your pajamas for a little bit?

She woke up this morning while I was getting ready for work. Hubby ran down the stairs to get the bottle and as it was warming up, he could hear Sophia clearly announce her perception of the pecking order

"Maaaaammmmaaa

<wait 5 seconds>

Paaaaaaaappppaaaa

<wait 5 seconds>

[nanny's name]

 <wait 5 seconds>

Pop [hubby's dad]

 <wait 5 seconds>

Baaaabbbaaaa [my mom]

PaaaaMaaaaa

This must be an indication of Sophia’s perception of the pecking order in our family.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

It has been almost five years since our wedding and if you can believe it, I have had the top tier of our wedding cake stashed in my parents freezer. My mother all but evicted it several times already and each time, I had managed to convince her to keep it just a little longer.

Traditionally, you’re supposed to eat it on your first wedding anniversary. We spent that anniversary blissfully in love celebrating in Italy. And so… my in-laws were visiting with us while we visited with my parents in Delaware. It seemed like the perfect time to try the cake — with all the people who supported us to the chuppah and since then too. Hubby and my mom (the pharmacist) were both curious about the goodness of the cake since it had been frozen for well… four and a half years.

Drumroll ….

It tasted… dry-ish and sweet. It wasn’t like I remembered it to be at the wedding. But then again, when you’re in love and celebrating, everything tastes like manna from heaven. I like tradition, but some things are best re-invented. We’ll celebrate our next anniversary with fresh culinary delights.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.