Bonni Brodnick Blog

The other day I was in a mentholated steam sauna. Another person swathed in a white towel soon followed after me and took a seat on the white tiles. As the steam blasted, the air got foggier and thicker with eucalyptus mist. While I tried to focus  a c u t e l y  on relaxing, the person across from me swore for the entire 10 minutes that she was in the steam room. "*#!%#?*!! I hate this. Why am I here?" GROAN. "This mentholated air stings my eyes. Uggh ... I can't stand it. *#!%#?*!! What do people like about this?" AS IF. Point being:  Stop complaining. It's annoying ... especially in a steam room setting. If the mist is too hot, get the *#!%#?*!! out. Peace.

Many thanks to Pound Ridge Authors Society for sharing this audacious, hilariously spell-binding, crispy orgiastic, superbly poignant, spell-binding yet spare, blog by Katy Waldman . Click here  (or see below) for a giggle, guffaw, chuckle or laugh-out-loud look at blurbs used to describe the works of National Book Award nominees. National Book Awards Jesse Ball,  A Cure for Suicide Jesse Ball,  A Cure for Suicide beguiling  elegant, spellbinding subtle and breathtaking magnetic, suspenseful, occasionally heart-rending full, satiating richly adorned with sensuous scenes Karen E. Bender,  Refund fine, crisp crackling with energy and wit vivid, believable poignant, absorbing superb both lean and expansive absolutely masterful Bill Clegg,  Did You Ever Have a Family brilliantly constructed propulsive but tightly crafted polished, quietly captivating delicately lyrical an...

A source of major solace during the cold weather months is coming home and slipping my frozen feet into my beloved UGGs. Tonight's temperature is 53-degrees. It is the chilliest night for weeks and I fear the weather has changed from summer to autumn in the past 24 hours. Where did I pack my UGGs last winter when we moved? Are they in the box with mittens and gloves, socks and stockings, boots and shoes? Uggggh. And argggghhhh. I will search tirelessly until my toujours favorite slippers swath my feet, once again, in the lusciousness and bliss of their twinface sheepskin. UGG, I wuv u.

An old friend of mine touched base on Facebook and asked ... "Does anyone remember getting a new pair of shoes for first day of school?" Hell, yeah!! For eons, my father was an exec with Brown Shoe Company in St. Louis. (They even named a sporty shoe after him called "The Kogey.") In our household, it was boo-hiss on Stride Rite shoes. When I was in first grade, my foot happened to have been "model size." In lay terms that means that shoe samples were in my size !! This lucky turn, at age 7, bequeathed me with a bounty of shoes that lined up nicely on the floor of my closet. I had: * Red pigskin-leather loafers. * Leather loafers with a kilt on the vamp. * Green leather loafers. *  Brown leather loafer-style shoes with a buckled strap. Black leather ties.  ... and their twin for later in the week: blue leather ties. Black patent Maryjanes. White patent Maryjanes. Blue leather Maryjanes. Black/white saddle shoes. Brown/white saddle ...

Catch them while they are still hanging in there.  This winter, your dried hydrangea arrangement will bring back memories of summer 2015 ... and this glorious spell of beautiful weather. Click here   for the hows and whats of harvesting hydrangea.

Take a moment to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

To all of those experiencing a quiet house after dropping off your progeny at college, have a look at my Huffington Post , "Empty Nest, New Beginnings." Although you might not have an immediate house-wide celebration, be patient. After 18 years of raising your child, it's natural to take some time before you appreciate not having to worry about their post-party driving. Bid adieu to the feeling of guilt that the refrigerator is running on low. Adios to nagging about deadlines and homework. Take a back seat. (Helicopter parents, note: it doesn't do your child well to hover too closely.) There is something liberating about not shopping for dinner and feeling the angst of "What should we eat tonight?" No more worrying, "Did they not make their bed in the morning?" Feh. "Do I care if they're late for class?" Meh. On one of our first nights as empty nesters, for dinner, my husband and I feasted on two cocktails. And a bowl of pea...

Here was my Labor Day weekend ... one of the best of the summer:  Aperol Spritz with friends on the patio.  Brunch with my beautiful Mom. Boating with friends on Lilly-No-No Lake. One last dance to the Bee Gees "How Deep Is Your Love"  before putting away these honkin' white shoes for the season. 

I'm afraid to say this is "very" funny so will just leave it as, "This is solemnly brilliant."