Hello,

Recently, I was lucky to get to go to Canyon Ranch Lenox to talk about Life in Five Senses for the 92NY’s “Spark Your Health” immersion experience. (FWIW anything billed as “immersive” immediately grabs my attention). I had a great time talking about the power of the five senses—plus I got to invite a group to share in the magic of ketchup.

My sister Elizabeth came with me, and for the first time in a long time, we slept in the same room. There’s a particular kind of comfort that I feel with my sister (and parents) that I don’t feel with anyone else, not even my husband or daughters. I can’t quite define what that element is…I must ponder. Reflecting on this question led me to re-read Robert Frost’s poem “The Death of the Hired Man,” which left me overwhelmed. If you’ve never read it—or if you have read it—it’s worth your time.

“Home is the place where, when you have to go there,
They have to take you in.”

“I should have called it
Something you somehow haven’t to deserve.”

Onward,

5 Things Making Me Happy

Are there songs that always make you happy? At Tanglewood, the famous music center, Elizabeth and I went to the “Two Pianos: Who Could Ask for Anything More?” concert—a celebration of Gershwin. I loved it, especially the end, which featured Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” As I write about in Life in Five Senses, “Rhapsody in Blue” is one of the songs in my “Audio Apothecary.” I note, “It’s the final two minutes that I love—it’s a song with a big ending.” You can listen here.

I didn’t know dandelions could ever grow this tall. Nature!

Cold plunge—have you tried this extreme sensory experience? I went from a hot tub into a cold plunge, then back again. It took me a few attempts, but I did manage fully to submerge and stay in for a while (i.e., about 20 seconds). I’m someone who is always cold, so this took a lot of effort. It felt invigorating in the moment, but when I got out of the water and went back to the locker room, my legs felt extraordinarily heavy. Is that common?

The way the deep purple of the shutters reflected the color of the tree leaves (what type of tree is that?) was spectacular.

This scene reminds me of the line from Wallace Stevens’s poem “Description Without Place”: “Her green mind made the world around her green.”

Updates

• One of my favorite things to do when I go outside? Spend time with my sister Elizabeth. Join us live from outside where we’ll dive deep into the happiness-boosting benefits we’ve discovered through the “Go Outside 23 for 2023” challenge. But be warned: It’s very likely that a barking corgi (or two) will interrupt the conversation. We’ll be on Instagram Live Monday, July 31, at 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT.

Featured

PODCAST

More Happier: The Silver Lining of Summer Camp, a Happiness Bully for Writing, and Not Getting Choked Up

PODCAST

Bonus: Commencement Address Given by Gretchen Rubin: Five Essential Paradoxes for a Happy Life