a little roundup of things that inspired me this week

In addition to the loss of our beloved Eagle/Nest/Tree this week, I am mourning the death of Nora Ephron. For years she has been one of those famous people in the orbit of my life with whom I secretly pretend to have a personal relationship. It’s as if we just had lunch and once again discussed my obsession with finding exactly the right doctor to take care of those little (HA!) scowl lines between my eyebrows.

Oh for goodness sake, Nora says to me over Arugula Salad with Watermelon and a Balsamic Reduction*. Just get the injections so you can MOVE ON to think about something important. Like what you’re going to do about the stuff that requires surgery.

Oh my dear, honest, funny Nora.

Do put her on your list. Anything. All of it. Brilliant.

1. I Feel Bad About My Neck, by Nora Ephron
Every essay in this collection is classic. I have had the book for years (thank you, Suzann) and also love the audiobook version. Read by Nora herself, it is a joy to hear those smart, witty, brutally honest stories delivered in her voice. You will laugh out loud, I promise.

2. Sleepless in Seattle (Available via Instant Streaming on Netflix. Bonus.)
Of course you have already seen this Nora Ephron film so many times you have every line memorized. Me, too. And still I gathered a group of friends for a girls’ movie night and watched it again, complete with oil-popped popcorn and a vast selection of movie candy. Yes, there were raisinets. We ranged in age from 12 to 53 and I swear, watching it together was a brand new experience. Love.

movie night with the girls

3. Julie and Julia
As much as I love movies, I’ve never been a movie-buyer. In all these years I have only purchased four:
Amadeus
Out of Africa (my favorite movie of all times)
Mama Mia!
Julie and Julia

This weekend, I plan another viewing of Julie and Julia. It is a film (like Mama Mia!) that just makes me happy.

4. And I haven’t even mentioned my favorite of Nora’s films, When Harry Met Sally.

5. *An actual recipe for Watermelon and Arugula Salad, from the fantastic blog of party planner Camille Styles. This post has 10 great summer salads, and I plan to try them all.

I will miss you, my dear friend Nora. I will miss our imaginary lunches, and our walks through the park, and the long telephone conversations during which we discussed Very Important Things. I will miss seeing you across the room at a swanky cocktail party and rushing over to tell you about the great book I am reading, the one you must buy on the way home.

And let me say this one final thing, the big lesson I shall take with me as I make my way through a crazy world that seems to be getting crazier by the minute. You were right about this, too:

Real life never lets you down. Why would anyone write fiction when what actually happens is so amazing?

xxoo to you, my dear, dear friend