Bonni Brodnick Blog

As you know from a previous blog, I am in love with pencils and my swanky, new electric pencil sharpener. ( Click here for my post published on MEDIUM, "My New Pencil Sharpener: What a Tool!") So imagine my glee when my writing pal, Kathryn Haydon (co-author of Creativity for Everybody ) shot me an email about CW Pencil Enterprises . They've got #2 Ticonderoga (yes ... these are the ones you used for the SATs), along with vintage, specialty, colored, jumbo-size and pencil sets. The point is ... this place is heaven for a pencil freak like me. CW Pencils, located at 100a Forsyth Street in NYC, is about to re-instate a Pencil-of-the-Month Club. Not only will these magnificent tools of the trade inspire your writing, but when you sharpen the pencils loudly, it will make others think you are working hard in your office. Class trip, anyone?

                                                                                                                                           Photo: Palmer Davis On the day after the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States, I (the one in the weird black hat) was proud to be among the millions participating globally in the Women's March. Why? I stand together with other individuals and organizations committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion ... and with those who understand that women's rights are human rights; that climate change is real; that U.S. public schools are not a "dead end." I stand against defunding Planned Pa...

On Saturday, January 21, hundreds of thousands of sisters across the country will unite for women's rights. Amidst the flurry, be sure to also remember the furry. Saturday, January 21 is also "Squirrel Appreciation Day." Go ahead ... giggle, guffaw ... because now, more than ever, we need to uphold humor. Click here for my Huffington Post  or ... read on. Squirrel Appreciation Day:  Don’t Miss Celebrating! Just when you thought we had some down time between New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day, here’s something worth putting on your Google calendar: on Saturday, January 21, it’s Squirrel Appreciation Day. I’m thankful for many things and my list runneth over, but I’ve never thought squirrels could be counted among them. Until now. Squirrel Appreciation Day, founded by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator, gives a moment to reflect on the wonders of the family  Sciuridae . Be they a shade of gray, pale orange, deep reddish-brown or black, on January 21...

"We are going to have an unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout for the inauguration, and there will be plenty of movie and entertainment stars,” Mr. Trump said. “All the dress shops are sold out in Washington. It’s hard to find a great dress for this inauguration.”   Obviously, the point of a boast like this is Trump’s way of trying to hype himself and his inauguration. DC dress shops no  longer have an inventory, the president-elect believes, because so many women are so excited about his inauguration that they’ve flocked to Washington, buying up formal attire and cleaning dress shops out.  Except, that’s not all true. The Washington Post checked with stores in the area and found plenty of dresses on racks. The general manager of a Neiman Marcus store literally laughed when told about Trump’s claim. People  magazine spoke to the owner of DC-area boutique, who said, “There’s never been less demand for inaugural ballgowns in my 38 years.” - As repor...

Want to go to a place of enchantment ... far from what our country is going through right now?  Buy a ticket and go straight to "La La Land," with Emmy Stone and Ryan Gosling.The film is absolutely intoxicating. Soaring and romantic. It is the perfect Trump-tidote in these troubling times. The song, dance, liveliness, fantasy, cinematography, and storyline bring back Hollywood films -- like "American in Paris" (1951), "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), "Guys and Dolls" (1951), "High Society" (1956), "West Side Story" (1961), "My Fair Lady" (1964), "Mary Poppins" (1964), "The Sound of Music" (1965), "Grease" (1978) -- that lift our spirits. Click here  for the "La La Land" trailer. Here's the score: "Another Day of Sun"  ( Click here ) "A Lovely Night" ( Click here ) "City of Stars"  ( Click here ) "The Audition" ( Click h...

We are only into the first days of January 2017, and I have already blown my New Year’s resolutions. Here is the list I vowed to finalize before the ball dropped in Times Square: December 2016 1. When they go high-fat, I go low-cholesterol. 2. Get up from my desk and do 10 push-ups every 45 minutes. 3 . Finish sending holiday cards.  4. Be more patient with the sound of people gnawing popcorn at the movies. 5. Get to bed an hour earlier. 6.  Wake up a half hour earlier. 7.  Do not wait for houseplants to die before watering them. And ... here is how my “Top 7 List of Resolutions” is out the window within days of the holiday revelry: January 2017 1A: Who am I kidding? For lunch on New Year’s Day, we had grilled cheese sandwiches (with two different cheeses).  How to outdo this mid-day entrée? Did someone say “Crème Brûlée”?  The Silver Palate  recipe called for three whole eggs, three yolks, and two-and-a-thir...