As a staunch Yankee, I firmly believe that snow should fall in winter. Global warming has been hard on me. I feel for the folks who were hit this past weekend in the areas not equipped for it, but in New England, winter feels barren without a really great blizzard.   When I was a kid, snow days were only given if there was a dire threat of death. Seriously. We gathered for the bus at the top of a hill with the Robinson and Downing kids (because we’re Gen X and could walk down

I’ve found a show I love. No. I adore  it. I have watched every season, and I fantasize about being on the show. Now granted, I will never, ever be on the show, or even qualified to send in an audition tape, because it’s for wilderness survivalists, and I am not one of those. I have shot a gun (with my son at a range, very fun, and I was a surprisingly good shot for someone who had never, until that day, held a gun). I have drunk from a stream and caught a few fish in my life

This year, we’re doing something different for the holidays. We’re passing the Christmas Eve torch to the Princess. This is a big deal. Long ago, when McIrish and I were newlyweds and lived in a tiny apartment with a view of the Manhattan skyline (and a family of cockroaches living under the fridge), we invited my mom and sister to come for Christmas Eve dinner. We had been married all of ten days, and we were eager to showcase our teeny home (and Joe, our cat, who drooled wi

For the past few days, I’ve been admiring kangaroos. This is because I’ve been alone in my house, on crutches after surgery on my left foot, where three bones were cut and spliced and plated and screwed. The OR looked like McIrish’s workshop, I swear. I can sort of weight-bear on my heel, but I’m really good at crutches, thanks to a lifetime of clumsiness. This is my fifth or sixth time needing crutches. So on the second day, I told McIrish he could go to the Cape, where he’s

Or "Kveðjur frá Íslandi," as they say (and as I can't pronounce). The Princess and I went to Iceland for six days recently, and I thought...

Seriously, Higgins? Another story about your feet?   Yes, dear readers. Yes.   I turned sixty this year, and despite all commands not to...

A few months ago, an old friend came to stay with us for a couple of nights. She loved the bed in the guest room and said she woke up...

This past Mother’s Day, both my children were out of state; Dearest Son in Colorado, the Princess and her wee bairns in Florida with...

The face on the guy to the left… I’ve been putting off a pedicure for, oh, about a year now. I hate pedicures. I’m always embarrassed at...

When I was a little kid (and even today), I was drawn to small spaces. When I was seven, we moved into the house my parents built and my...

You remember I wrote about taking a hot yoga class last year? How it felt like a near-death experience and was one of the most...

When my kids were little, they would write their letters to Santa on Thanksgiving weekend. They were allowed to ask for one gift...

When we were kids, my mom would generally prepare dinner in, ah, a hasty manner. She was very involved with her siblings and friends and...

There are certain iconic lines from movies that my family uses whenever possible. My son-in-law has a freakishly good memory for...

You’ve seen the “massage parlors” or “spas.” You’re just smart enough not to go to them. There’s a place like this near me. Once, a...

Luther Bubby Wooper James Higgins-Keenan, a very good dog, went on to his great reward this past weekend. He is survived by his human...

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE (out next week, order it now, go on, I have a minute) features one of my all-time favorite tropes: the fake...

I have a somewhat odd affectation, readers. I can’t really drink water that doesn’t have some kind of flavor. I need…infused water. It...

Having a son who doesn’t love to read fiction is something of a blow, I admit. All those years of me reading aloud, from Frog and Toad to...

Like any good grandparent, I am obsessed with my two-year-old grandson, whom I call the Peeper. And like a good toddler, he worships me....