meaningless minutiae

73 Questions

I’m so grateful that Brettne pointed me to the Vogue video of Anna Wintour answering the 73 question challenge.  She’s hilarious, and, as Brettne said to me, I totally covet her office.  I was also fascinated by how the specific questions come together to provide a compelling portrait of a person.  I’ve often written about this, about how small details can tell us a lot.  In this case each question reveals a singular facet of a person and the 73 come together into a revealing kaleisdoscope.  I thought it would be fun to answer them.  I’d love it if you wanted to too!  (I’m going to change New York to Boston for my purposes).

1. How long have you been in the area?

I was born here, but we moved around a lot, and I came back for good when I graduated from college in 1996.

2. What’s your favorite season in Boston?

Spring

3. What’s your favorite activity in Boston?

Running along the Charles at sunrise

4. Would you ever leave Boston?

I don’t think so

5. What are three words to describe living in Boston?

Seasonal, bookish, manageable

6. What’s your favorite movie?

Hard to say – not a huge movie person.  But first reactions are: Stealing Home, all the Harry Potter movies, Old School.

7. Favorite movie in past five years?

Truthfully I have barely been to the movies in the past 5 years.  Maybe Where the Wild Things Are.  Though that may have been more than 5 years ago!

8. Favorite Hitchcock film?

I haven’t ever seen one!

9. Favorite TV show that’s currently on?

House of Cards

10. What’s a book you plan on reading?

Frankenstein

11. A book you read in school that positively shaped you?

To the Lighthouse

12. A book you read in school that you never think of?

Vanity Fair

13. On a scale of one to ten how excited are you about life right now?

Nine

14. iPhone or Android?

iPhone

15. Twitter or Instagram?

Close call, but Twitter

16. Vine or Snapchat?

Neither

17. Who should EVERYONE be following right now?

On Instagram, my friend @averdiroach, whose shots of where she lives take my breath away with their beauty.  On Twitter, Book Quotes (@ao_BookQuotes) and Mary Oliver Poetry (@MaOlPoetry) for beautiful snippets of prose and poetry.

18. What’s the coolest thing in this room?

The view out of the window

19. What’s your favorite Boston restaurant?

Probably the bar at the Harvest

20. What’s your favorite food?

French fries, chocolate chip cookies, a perfectly ripe peach, brie with fig jam

21. Least favorite food?

Any shellfish

22. What do you love on your pizza?

White pizza with arugula

23. Favorite drink?

Coffee in the morning

24. Favorite dessert?

Gooey chocolate chip cookies

25. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Dark

26. Weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Brain, maybe – as a baby I was looked after by a French woman who fed us very authentic foods

27. What’s the hardest part about being a mom?

Not doing anything well enough

28. What’s your favorite band?

Literally, this stumps me.  Pathetic.  Cool about music, I’m not.

29. Favorite solo artist?

James Taylor

30. Favorite lyrics?

Waiting for my Real Life to Begin by Colin Hay

31. If your life were a song, what would the title be?

Be Here Now

32. If you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be?

James Taylor

33. If you could master one instrument, what would it be?

Guitar

34. If you had a tattoo, where would it be?

On the inside of my wrist

35. To be or not to be?

To be

36. What’s Oprah like in person?

I wish I knew

37. What number of question was this?

37

38. Dogs or cats?

Dogs

39. Kittens or puppies?

Puppies

40. Dolphins or koalas?

Koalas

41. Bird-watching or whale-watching?

Bird-watching

42. What’s your spirit animal?

A bird

43. Best gift you’ve ever received?

My engagement ring, from my husband

44. Last gift you gave a friend?

A book

45. A person you want to have coffee with?

Mary Oliver

46. A historical figure you’d love to have coffee with?

Joan of Arc

47. How do you like your coffee?

With milk and sugar

48. Can I play a note on this piano?

Sure

49. What’s your favorite curse word?

Shit

50. What’s your favorite board game?

Sorry

51. What’s your favorite country to visit?

Africa

52. What’s the last country you visited?

Ecuador

53. What country do you wish to visit?

Chile – Patagonia

54. What do you see in this image right here?

?

55. Can you write down your favorite word that starts and ends with the same vowel?

alluvia

56. What’s your favorite color?

Orange

57. Least favorite color?

Don’t have one

58. What color dress did you wear to your prom?

Black

59. Diamonds or pearls?

Diamonds

60. Cheap shampoo or expensive?

Cheap

61. Blow-dry or air-dry?

Blow-dry

62. Heels or flats?

Sneakers

63. Can you give an impersonation of someone?

Not well

64. Can you do the same impersonation with a British accent?

No

65. My friend outside this window would love to ask you a question?

Sure

66. [Holding two different colored dresses] Which should I give my girlfriend?

The one on the right

67. Pilates or yoga?

Yoga

68. Jogging or swimming?

Jogging

69. Best way to decompress?

Read in bed

70. If you had one superpower, what would it be?

Time travel

71. Can you describe an experience you felt most nervous?

Speaking in front of a group (giving a toast or reading at my grandfather’s funeral)

72. What’s the weirdest word in the English language?

I don’t know why, but “ooze” and “unctuous” come to mind – clearly I have onomotaepia on the brain.

73. Last question: Is this the strangest interview you’ve ever had?

No

2013: the alphabet

IMG_3368

In 2009 and 2011 I wrote posts titled The Alphabet of Right Now.  It seems fitting to do so for 2013, with both reflection and anticipation in my mind, from a place of both gratitude and hope.

Aquaphor.  It’s my duct tape, the solution to everything, and can hold the universe together if necessary.  Chapped lips, dry skin, scabs or scrapes: put some aquaphor on it.

Books. Reading them is a central preoccupation of mine and writing one remains a dearly-held dream.  I love the community I’m a part of at Great New Books and look forward to our sharing our favorite books of 2013 soon.  I’ll keep my favorite a surprise until then!

Coffee.  I drink it in the morning with coconut milk and sugar.  I make it the night before by about 6, and set it to brew in the morning.  It’s one of the highlights of my day.

Divergent.  Adored this series by Veronica Roth and can’t wait to see the movie of the first book, which is out in March.

Eleven and Eight. How is it even possible that Grace is eleven and Whit is eight?

Family. The one I came from and the one I made.  The family that taught me how to fly and the family that taught me how to land.  I love you all.

Galapagos. We are going for spring break and I cannot wait.  It’s all part of my newfound commitment to helping Grace and Whit see the world.

Harry Potter.  I’m in the midst of my third complete reading of the series, and I’m as enchanted as ever.  I love Harry, Hermione, and, most of all, Dumbledore, as well as everything about the world JK Rowling created .

Instagram. Love, love, love.

Juice. I make green juice most mornings, but my favorite combination is ginger and grapefruit.

Kids. (I actually dislike the word “kids,” and prefer “children,” but seemed like a good one for K!). I am without words in the face of all I cannot express.  There’s no question that my subject chose me.

Light.  Every year I’m more aware of the light.  I notice the shifting texture and specific characteristics of each season’s light, and take endless photographs trying to capture it. I never can.

Morning.  I’ve always been a morning person, and this is just becoming more and more true as I get older.  I’m pretty sure that soon I’ll be regularly waking up at dawn.  I like to run then, and read, and watch the sun come up.

Nut allergy. Whit is allergic to tree nuts.  It’s not something we choose to dwell on, and most of the time it’s frankly not a big deal.  But now and then (this summer) we receive a reminder that his allergy is serious and can be life-threatening.

Organ transplantation.  My father-in-law had a kidney transplant on October 27th.  This followed a heart transplant on November 26, 2002.  He is extraordinary and we are all immensely grateful.  When I stop to think about the outrageous miracle that is the fact of someone else’s heart beating in his chest I am without words. Please consider being an organ donor.  There is no greater gift.

Pals. (“F” was taken).  Near and far, old and newer, I’m more grateful than I can express for those people who support, love, and endure me.  I’m no picnic to be close to, I know that. Thank you.  You enrich my life more than I can express.

Quotes. Since sixth grade I have been filling in quote books, writing down lines and images and phrases that touch something deep and often inchoate inside of me.  I share some of my favorites here on Fridays.

Running. I have been a runner since high school, and as long as my joints permit, I’ll be out there, preferably as dawn breaks across the horizon, on the path that runs alongside the Charles River, watching my beloved Boston wake up.

Sports.  I did not play team sports as a child.  I was therefore unfamiliar with all the benefits of being on a team.  It’s a joy to watch Grace and Whit be a part of their respective soccer and hockey teams.

Teachers.  Dani.  Katrina. Brettne.  Mr. Valhouli.  I have been richly blessed with teachers, and I am hugely thankful for those named here and those not, whose wisdom, gentleness, and guidance have helped light my path.

Unable. to come up with “U.”

Vegetables.  Pity Matt, because a standard meal around these parts consists of creamed leeks and a baked sweet potato.  Or a tray of roasted root vegetables that were in the vegetable drawer.  Or half an avocado mashed on toast. A fancy cook I am not.  Further evidence that children are who they are from day one: Grace wants to be a vegetarian and eats everything under the sun (though very little meat and almost no dairy).  Whit will only eat meat, carbs, dairy, and greens.  Kale, spinach, lettuce: great.  Any other vegetable or fruit: no thank you.  He’s peculiar, my boy.

Worry.  I do it.  Way too much.

Xylem. We did a cool science experiment this year where we put white flowers in water with food coloring and watched the different colors spread across the petals.  I believe the xylem were involved here.

Years. Flying by too quickly. In my mind lately, I’ve been hearing: “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” – Zora Neale Hurston.

Zinnia. Flowers that remind me of my grandmother Nana and of my dear friend Hadley.

I was inspired to revisit my own Alphabet by the list on The Quivering Pen that Dani Shapiro shared last week.

charms

IMG_1272

These charms are all strung onto a long chain that I wear often around my neck.  There are the shells, which I had before (Grace’s birth announcement and early stationery all had a starfish on it, and Whit’s was identical but it had a sand dollar), an enamel heart that Grace made at camp, a shrinky dink of some binoculars that she made and sent to me “because I love to notice things,” and a charm that my sister gave me with a compass on one side and a Whitman (her middle name and my son’s) quote that reads “Now voyager, sail thou forth to seek and find.”

Alphabet

Marion20134

A photo from this weekend that has nothing to do with this post. I just love it. Grace, Whit, and their cousins, my sister’s two daughters.  Looking out towards the horizon.  

I loved this meme when I saw it for the first time on Writing, Wishing.  It reminded me of my own Alphabet of Right Now, whose reprisal may be called for soon.  But, for now, here we go with Old School Blogging: Alphabet Edition (and thanks to Alison, whose blog is where I found it).

A: Attached or single?  Attached.

B: Best friend?  One of two or three, from college.

C: Cake or pie?  Cake.  Hands down.  I don’t do fruit desserts of any kind.

D: Day of choice? Friday.

E: Essential item? Probably, my iphone, because it’s also my camera. Or my quote books.

F: Favorite color?  Orange.

G: Gummy bears of worms?  Bears, but I’m not a huge fan.  I prefer Swedish fish, though right now am in a huge jellybean phase.  Not Jelly Belly beans, but the larger, generic ones from CVS or Rite Aid.

H: Hometown?  Cambridge, MA.

I: Favorite indulgence? I love massages.

J: January or July?  July all the way.

K: Kids?  Two.  I may have mentioned them here.

L: Life isn’t complete without?  Those two kids. My morning coffee. Mary Oliver. James Taylor. My running shoes.

M: Marriage date? September 9, 2000

N: Number of siblings? One sister, the famous HWM.

O: Oranges or apples?  Apples.  To be specific, Pink Lady are my favorite right now.

P: Phobias? I don’t love roller coasters, though I wouldn’t call it a phobia.  I guess I’m phobic about time passing?

Q: Quotes? Heck, yes. I have been collecting them in notebooks since 1985. I cherish each of my 4 (almost finished with 4) quote books, filled with my handwriting on both sides of each page.

R: Reasons to smile? Oh, so many. The sky. Peonies. Poetry. Grace. Whit. Cold Diet Coke. Hydrangeas. The ocean.

S: Season of choice? Spring.

T: Tag 5 people. Instead I’ll just say: I hope some of you will share this alphabet, and link to it in the comments!

U: Unknown fact about me. I asked my husband. His answer: “you’re actually surprisingly funny.”

V: Vegetable? Asparagus, artichokes, sweet potatoes, summer tomatoes – impossible to choose one.

W: Worst habit? Biting my nails.  Diet Coke.

X: x-ray or ultrasound? Not sure I understand the question.  I’ve had lots of both.  I don’t have a preference.

Y: Your favorite food? French fries. Chocolate chip cookies. Good macaroni & cheese. My food tastes are stuck circa 1978.

Z: Zodiac sign? Leo

 

 

More things I love lately

photo

Seashells: Grace’s birth announcement had a starfish on it, and Whit’s was identical other than being written in blue and featuring a sand dollar. I have starfish and sand dollar stationery for them, and I have starfish and sand dollar charms on a charm bracelet. And now I have them on this necklace, which I can’t stop wearing.

Frances and Bernard: Oh, this book, by Carlene Bauer.  Just so, so marvelous.  I loved it.

Love purely, and take it easy: I can’t stop thinking about this essay by Emily Rapp.  Here, now: this is all there is.  Love purely, and take it easy.  Chaos overtakes all of us.  This weekend I devoured her memoir, The Still Point of the Turning World, and I still can’t take a full breath.  And I can’t stop crying.  And I want to hold my children all day every day.  More thoughts on that luminous, honest, heartbreaking book soon.

Three years ago I went to New York to see Marina Abramovic’s extraordinary piece of performance art, The Artist is Present.  I was hugely moved by what I experienced, and wrote about the tangible holiness that exists in authentic presence.  I had not seen this video before, which I discovered on Anthony Lawlor’s marvelous blog, Dwelling Here Now.  In it, Marina’s former lover and collaborator, whom she hasn’t seen in decades, sits down across from her at the MOMA.  In two short minutes, we witness humanity incarnate.

International Women’s Day: These photographs gave me goosebumps.  Especially, for some reason, #17 and #34.  I read so many appalling and terrifying statistics on Friday.  And I realized that my primary reaction has nothing to do with me.  It’s all about Grace.

MoscowMule

Moscow Mules: I am not much of a cocktail drinker.  But at my dear friend’s wedding in January, I discovered the Moscow Mule.  Part of it is surely the fantastic brass mug.  And part of it is surely that I was drinking them in the company of a few of my very, very favorite people.  But: yum.

It seems I’m writing these Things I Love posts approximately monthly.  If you want to see the others, they are here.

What’s on your mind, your screen, and your night table lately?