On a positive note …

Whew! We survived 2017 and that’s all I’ll say about that. We’re being positive, right? So Happy New Year to you, to us, to all those we hold dear.

When I was thinking about what I’d write today, I remembered something my mother used to say (and do) every time I moved into a new house or apartment.

“Fransi,” she’d say, “remember to bring a piece of bread, some salt, some sugar and a new broom with you the first time you go in. And make sure you enter with your right foot first.” It wasn’t enough she’d

Day 102. Be Ruthless

Today has brought with it an over-abundance of choices.  And, as a result, I find myself in a quandary.  There are so many “P”-words I could have chosen to write about this morning.  Passion.  Persuasion.  Paris.  Pashminas.  Parrots.  Photography.  And that’s just for starters.

But, in the end, I’ve decided to talk about packing.  At first blush, not nearly as sexy a topic as the others.  But I think I’ve got a serious case of wanderlust going on; and that’s probably why I’ve got luggage on my mind.

Over the years I’ve become quite good at editing out the things I know I really don’t need to take.  I’ve learned how to be brutal.  Why not share, then, I thought to myself.

So packing it is.

I wasn’t always a good packer.  When I first started travelling (as an adult), I essentially didn’t want to leave anything at