The grassy knoll

Just steps from my apartment is a promenade along the Hudson River. There is a perfect spot I like to call the Grassy Knoll. It's a great place to take a chair and read or meditate. There are even some trees, so there's a choice of sun or shade.

Today, around 5 p.m., I brought my portable chair in a sack down there to hang with friends. I was equipped with my own, in-progress book manuscript, A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson, a bottle of water, watermelon, Milano cookies and a bag of tortilla chips. The weather was sunny and breezy. It was delightful.

We watched two cruise ships go by. We snacked. We each did our own thing, only occasionally interacting. I treasure the kind of relationship where people can just be with each other.

I worked on my book and even had a breakthrough. While going through my manuscript, I noticed a scene that I felt ended too abruptly. It was a kissing scene that escalated into near sex. I was shy about writing it, truth be told. Even at age 43, it's weird to reveal your sexual knowledge to the world at large. (It's not like you can stick a disclaimer in there -- Note to Mom and Dad: Please don't read the next two pages of this book. Ha!) But I wrote the scene in some detail and was happy with the way it came out.

I love the Grassy Knoll. Maybe tomorrow it'll be me and The New York Times ...