Bonni Brodnick Blog

Truman: The President. The Author. The Cat.

Millions mourn the passing of  Maya Angelou , a brilliant writer and activist who brought light to the world with her fearlessness, grace and teachings of life.  Said President Obama, " Over the course of her remarkable life, Maya was many things -  an author, poet, civil rights activist, playwright, actress, director, composer, singer and dancer. But above all, she was a storyteller - and her greatest stories were true. A childhood of suffering and abuse actually drove her to stop speaking - but the voice she found helped generations of Americans find their rainbow amidst the clouds, and inspired the rest of us to be our best selves." Still I Rise Maya Angelou ,  1928  -  2014 You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just lik...

You've been waiting all 2014 for this moment. Now that Memorial Day weekend is behind us, nothing says summertime more than a honkin' pair of big white shoes.  Work it, baby.

With gratitude to all of the brave men and women who serve our country and for all of their sacrifices in the name of freedom. On Memorial Day, I particularly honor my uncle, Stanley George Hubsher (November 6, 1925-April 7, 1945; PVT 363 Infantry), who was killed in the last major battle of World War II in Okinawa. At 20 years old, his life was just beginning.  

Pandora sends you a summer play list. Lather on the sun lotion and listen to their selected hits that remind us of days at the beach, strolls on the boardwalk, and having summer crushes. Stoke up the BBQ and serve the G&Ts. Summer 2014 is finally here!

Loved hearing Don Draper say the name " Bonni " on tonight's ( excellent ) episode of " Mad Men ."         "If you don't like what's being said, change the conversation."                                                                         ~  Don Draper                         "Nostalgia - it's delicate, but potent. "  ~  Don Draper               "Bonni ..." ~ Don Draper

I got a new iPhone that tripped cyberspace and downloaded contacts from eons ago ... contacts from old media tours for clients (limo driver in Dallas??), defunct yoga studios, school nurses at Pound Ridge Elementary School, Fox Lane Middle and High School, Siberia (was that a restaurant from when I lived in NYC?), a skywriting contact, the host of a sports show in Pittsburgh (who ARE these people??!) , 4 addresses for the same person, tile guys, plumbers, different long-gone sydicates. Oh, and here's a really good long-lost contact:  http://dmarie.com/timecap/ . This time capsule site has data from 1800 through 2002, "although data for the years 1800-1875 is probably spotty."  Where has this stuff been floating around for the past 10-15 years? There is more junk stuffed in the clouds than we will ever know. Until we get a new phone and all hell breaks loose with syncing. 

  "You've been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped. Yes, capable adults with other things to do have held you, kissed you, fed you, wiped your mouth, wiped your bottom, trained you, taught you, tutored you, coached you, listened to you, counseled you, encouraged you, consoled you and encouraged you again … But do not get the idea you're anything special. Because you're not,' remarked   David   McCullough ,  Jr . in his 2012 commencement speech at Wellesley High School. A father of four, as well as a high school English teacher for 26 years, he is a self-proclaimed "vanilla kind of guy." With smoldering good looks, he has a tweedy leaning (though I couldn't see from my seat at Wilton Library whether his blazer had suede elbows) and for those wondering, yes, he is the son of Pullitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough, whose mellifluous voice in literature and Ken Burns' documentaries has helped bring the past to life...

It's college graduation season! Thought you'd enjoy ... College Grads: Go Forth With Your Future (But First Clean Out the Refrigerator) www.huffingtonpost.com After the festivities of the celebration I looked forward to helping my daughter pack up her room in the house she had lived in with four other women during their senior year at college. "I'll help clean up," I 

Emily Shaw's Inn menu circa 1960s  (Baba au Rhum, anyone?)  and  The Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean-Georges  menu circa now.

I received the above from my daughter, who is a corps member of Teach for America at Wheeler Air Force Base on Oahu. The top photo -- one of my all-time most treasured shots -- was taken at South Street Seaport when she was 3-years old. My darling son has promised me an afternoon of sailing in New York harbor next weekend. And below is my beautiful and spirited Mom, with me and my sister:   I'd say it was a pretty wonderful Mother's Day 2014.

I'm so thrilled ... my Mother's Day blog on Huffington Post made it to "Top Stories" banner. Click here for " 'Conscious Uncoupling' Is Wimping Out ..." *  Click here to c reate an email alert for bonni brodnick helpful tips

I've learned a few life lessons along the way. Signal when making a turn. Secure the lid on the blender before turning the dial to purée. Don't put your iPhone in your back pocket. Never eat an Oreo before a dental appointment. To read,   click here  ... * Happy Mother's Day to all of my friends who are wonderful and loving mothers!

While at Lord & Taylor, caught this in the shoe department.     ** NOTE: Make sure your daughter takes a nap before you take her shoe shopping for the prom.

This is the simple part. We moved from New York to Connecticut. We need to get our station wagon registered in the State of Connecticut. I brought the documents necessary to do this. My Vent: I have been to the DMV four, count FOUR, times ... each time someone else telling me that additional out-of-state documentation is necessary in order to sanction our car in The Nutmeg State. When on this visit Phyllis M. told me that there is yet another document needed, my eyes bulged. "You're not serious, are you ?" Dead serious. There is no joking around at the DMV. If everyone got on the same page there and told me the first time what documents were needed I wouldn't be going back a FIFTH time. Thank you for sharing my pain.

At check-out at the neighborhood Stop & Shop today, the cashier asked if I'd like to make a contribution to support pediatric cancer care and resear ch. (From now until July 10, Stop & Shop will donate 100% of the money raised to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.)  Yes, of course I'd like to participate. The cashier handed me a scratch card. I took out a nickel, scratched the card, handed it back to the cashier and asked if I was an instant Triple Winner. He scanned the card and said, "You get a $1 off on your next jumbo-size bag of Cheetos." Whoopeee! But isn't it an ironic connection between Cheetos -- which are made of artificial flavor, monosodium glutamate, artifical colors including Yellow 6 -- and the cause for which Shop & Stop is raising money? (And BTW, the use of Yellow 6 is banned in Norway and Finland.) In this link ( click here) , it says "... there is some concern that Yellow 6 may be contaminated with cancer-causing subs...

Last summer my garden was absolutely flourishing. The 22-years of loving care had come to glorious fruition as we moved from our beloved home in Pound Ridge. This spring I am starting a new garden. Along with determining my sunlight and soil, other considerations include what palette I am seeking, design, balance and how the selection of varieties -- their height, blooms and leaf shapes -- will "talk" to one another. Hopefully plants are timed so that when one finishes flowering, another begins. It's like directing a symphony. In life, it is important to have a garden -- literally and metaphorically -- wherever you are. Plant it, nurture it, watch it grow. Get rid of the weeds that threaten to thwart growth and blooming. Continue the quest for beautfy and harmony and you will be rewarded with a garden that gives both solace, inspiration and gratitude for the simple things in life ... like the brilliant symmetry of a new bloom.

There is something uniquely bonding about having matching slippers with your close friends.

Happiest of May Days to all! What's the biggie about this day? It marks the start of the season of warmth and light, and is the exact mid-point between spring and summer (alas!). (The other midpoint is November 1, which lands between fall and winter.) Pick a pocket full of posies. Dance around the maypole. Do a jig. Celebrate springtime!