Chiswick Book Festival - Opening Night
Red eye flights get significantly harder as we age. I departed NYC at 9pm, arrived in London at 9am having slept a total of 90 minutes. Even so — I’m thrilled I got to attend this event! Even if I was a zombie. Local authors got 2 minutes to pitch their book in front of a packed crowd at George IV. And no - I didn’t have anything to pitch! But I’m hoping to next year…
La rentrée vibes
In France, la rentrée is the collective return to everyday life after the long summer holidays. The sentiment goes way beyond back-to-school shopping for kids. Adults also think of this time as a new beginning and reset.
Now, more than ever, I’m feeling a sense of urgency to complete my 2026 goals.
i think i found my photographer
She’s got a great eye - and she’s a midwesterner! xo introductions forthcoming.
Swiss Alps, on the trail
I no longer have a sense of time. I don’t know what day it is and I don’t know which mountains these are. I just walk.
Swiss Alps, Warm up Hike
Lake Brienzersee
No biggie. Just 8.8km, 300m up, 300m down. Getting ready for an early start tomorrow!
As of… Monday, August 17
I survived my big Swiss hike! It was incredible. Death defying and life affirming! I’m currently sorting through hundreds of photos and thousands of memories in order share the experience in a digestible way.
I’m in London at the moment, helping my daughters unpack from their summers and repack for college.
Reading The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett and I love it!
Posted my first video update last week, which was both fun and terrifying. I want to grow my creative circles, so I’m experimenting with ways to do that. Thoughts?
Heading to the US next week, but have SO MUCH to do between now that I’m a little intimidated.
xo, L
This week’s book haul
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Actually, these two books I already owned - but I pulled them out because I’m trying to find other poetry chapbooks… let me know if you have any suggestions?
Your Tears Fall Like Pearls by Adukeh the Poet
Every House Needs a Ghost by Timothy Fox
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Accidental Devotions by Kelli Russell Agodon - I pre-ordered this so long ago that it was a complete surprise when I received it! Like a little poetry gift from my past self. xo
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My World of Books haul came in saturday morning, just in time for the weekend! you’ll find me on the couch for the next two days…
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - A grandmother and her granddaughter spend spend the summer on an island in Finland.
How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher - A cookbook written during and for those living under rations during the second world war. (Wolf refers to hunger.)
An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David - A collection of essays about travel, food and the occasional recipe.
The Measure of her Powers, an MFK FIsher Reader edited by Dominique Gioia - An anthology of Fisher’s writing on food, hunger and appetite.
Savoie: the Land, People and Food of the French Alps by Madeleine Kammam - French alpine culture and history as told through food.
Savoie: The Land, People and Food of the French Alps
I found this out of print GEM and so glad I picked it up! Less of a recipe source, and more of a history of the regions as told through the food.
It’s dense, and not for everyone! But for my current projects, it’s been an absolute goldmine of information and inspiration.