I am browning butter with one hand while writing a list of things I need to accomplish with the other. In four hours, twelve guests will arrive for a Christmas party. I still need to finish dessert, dice potatoes, do the dishes, set the table, walk the dog, and take a shower.   A knock on the door. I ignore it. Not on the schedule.   “Hey – you in there?”   I recognize my neighbor’s voice.   No, no, no. Not now. I don’t have a second to spare.   Before I can stop her, she’s in my kitchen....

Several years ago, my husband and I decided to fulfill our daughters’ long time wish of owning a dog. “They won’t take care of it,” my parents warned. “They’ll lose interest,” my friends predicted. I was having none of it. I had faith in my girls. They were older, responsible, and so very good with other people’s dogs.   After secretly scouring the internet and various shelters, I chose a friendly, mixed-breed female. On December 24th, I concocted a story about last-minute shopping and drove...

My long-time yoga teacher began every class by saying How you do one thing is how you do everything. He was encouraging us to put our...