Author: Stacy Horn

My camera battery always dies at the most inconvenient times. I was meeting some friends for dinner and I was a little early, but I was in the mood to walk around and take pictures of the night life and boom. My camera battery dies. Stupid battery.

Right now I’m deciding what to do today. Be a slug, or go to one of the Open House New York things. Of course many of the ones I would have liked to have gone to are booked or were only open yesterday. But not all.

On the weekends, the rescue organization Mighty Mutts sets up in front of the greenmarket. I can never resist taking a look. There was a chihuahua there recently, too.

I finished The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain.

Here’s what we can do now for our brains, even in middle age and beyond. You’ve heard them all before, but I’m really sold after reading just what it’s doing in the brain (generating brain cells, increasing white matter in the brain, and building something called “brain reserve”).

1. Exercise. 2. Nutrition/eat well. 3. Continue education (those of us who went to college are going to fair better in the end, the more education the better).  4. Socialize. 5. Volunteer.  6. Be positive and cheery.

Being in a choir is as perfect as can be because it involves socializing, learning, a little exercise, and in my case volunteering (I do work in the Grace Church archives). Also, whatever mood you are in when you walk into rehearsal, you come out feeling very positive.

I am now on the look out for another weekly group activity that has similar benefits.

Here is Finney in the sunlight. When I catch my cats in the sunlight I sing the sunlight song. “Finney in the sunlight. Do-da-do-da-do. Finney in the sunlight. I’m so in love with you.” (I am the ultimate cat dork.)

But he zoomed right by and out of my life! Look at this little guy!! (Or girl.) Aren’t you just dying?? Everybody stopped to watch him go by.

I should leash train Finney and take him on walks. That would help him lose weight. It would probably help with his arthritis, too.

The sky was buzz, buzz, buzzing with helicopters out there. What’s going on out there? Is someone in town? Is there a bomb threat or something? When they sentenced the Times Square wanna-be-bomber he said something big was coming. I mean, of course he’s going to say that, but still. I should stock up on bottled water and cat meds.

I’m practically hyperventilating!! I sent the chapters to my editor. It’s out of my hands! Onto the next chapter. In the meantime, a portrait of my life!

– The papers under my glasses are the notes I’ve started making for the current chapter.
– To the left of that are library books relating to this chapter.
– To the left of that are books not immediately related, but might be.
– Underneath are articles about the science of singing.
– Behind that are projects I’m working on for my book Unbelievable, which is still new-ish.
– And to the right of that are books I plan to read, and occasionally refer to.