Issue No. 5 December 2019

December is the time of year for partying and decorating, for gift-giving and holiday guests. Yet it’s also a time of stress and over-indulgence, shopping madness, traffic jams and winter blues. How do we manage to enjoy the season and keep our spirits bright?  Valerie Andrews reports on the latest neuroscience studies that show why our best prescription is to hunker down at home.

 “If I had clean clothes,” said a homeless man, “people would treat me like a human being.”  Laundry Love does the wash for displaced and low-income families. Deborah Wright tells  how you can help.

“When reality didn’t measure up to my mother’s idea of a Currier and Ives Christmas, she made our lives miserable.” Christopher Sikes talks about creating his own sense of belonging for the holidays.

Cliff Hakim describes the soulful mission of The Restoration Project  — training those with emotional and neurological challenges in the art of furniture restoration. 

 

Andrew Hornick finds his Polish ancestors in a crumb of  chocolate cake and talks about the memories we can recover through the medium of taste. He shares a recipe, too.

Sara Evans reviews a new book about New York literati who love their libraries, bookstores, bars, and reading nooks. 

 The Slow Housekeeping movement is about making a nourishing home. Here’s how to create your own domestic rituals.   

Buying a Spanish Ruin

The Spanish countryside is full of old abandoned buildings. Meet the hardy souls who are restoring them and some artists who are living simply among the olive groves as they hone their creativity.

photo by Peter Hansen unsplash

Living on a Cruise Ship.

Long voyages are becoming an alternative to condo living for restless boomers. But if you're concerned about your carbon footprint, try arm-chair cruising with our classic books and films.

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