Eight-year-old Carly, my granddaughter, stood somewhat in awe, somewhat in puzzlement in front of the floor-to-ceiling display cabinet at the end of the room. “You sure do like skeletons, Neeny,” she observed. I do. I do collect skeletons or skulls. I no longer collect jewelry of any kind—I have a guy in my life that likes to do that for me. But recently, I could not resist a tiny skull crafted from coral, the color of ripe peaches. Tisi, the very talented jeweler aat Lost Cities Beads in Old...

I can’t say that it ruins my day, but it definitely frustrates me and affects my overall performance. It’s just a small failure, but not a good way to begin. I have a routine. First checking my emails, then messages, and then I open the New York Times. Methodically, I scroll down reading as little of the national news as possible, skimming the world news, opening a sports piece only if it pertains to one of my teams, save any recipe that sounds appealing—and easy, and finally get to the...

As our journey to the Midwest, the East Coast, and the South comes to an end, I have reflections and resolutions. I began my current trip preparation—one filled with special occasions—vowing, “It’s official. I’m done with trying to get everything I own for eleven days into a carry-on the size of a lunchbox. I am not in a contest to see who can travel the smallest, lightest, or most efficient! I don’t care if all three wrinkle-free pants go with all three easily 'rinsed out' tops for nine...