A Love Note from Meg

The Girl Next Door 10/27/25

The Girl Next Door 10/27/25

She isn't the one in a mink coat or on magazine cover.  She's the one who smiles and waves while pulling in the garbage cans, who listens intently, who shows up, who makes the most of what she has.    She's Mary Tyler Moore tossing her hat in the air, a little uncertain, a little brave, and completely herself. 

The girl next door is the gold standard, not because she shines the brightest, but because her light is real.  She is warmth.  She too sometimes has wobbly mornings, but she draws a breath, adjusts her shoulders, and steps forward anyway.

And Mary Tyler Moore remains, for many of us, the gold standard of the girl next door.  (Before her, it was Antonia Shimerda, in this writer's opinion).   READ MORE

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Little Treasures 10/20/25

Little Treasures 10/20/25

Good things come in small boxes.  And sometimes with small price tags too.  Today, we're looking at little treasures.

Are you familiar with the lover's eye?

It all began in the late 1700s, when King George IV (then the rakish Prince of Wales) went to the opera and that evening fell madly in love with Maria Fitzherbert.   She was a Catholic, a widow and a commoner; he was heir to the throne.  Marriage was thrice forbidden.   While this deterred Mrs. Fitzherbert, George was relentless in his pursuit of passion, and in a gesture as secret as it was romantic, he sent her a tiny portrait of his own eye, painted in watercolor on ivory.   READ MORE

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Party Time 10/13/25

Party Time 10/13/25

Welcome my loves, to the *Love Note* party, where together each Monday, we celebrate little drops of beauty ... in flowers, food, fashion and fun (and travel too).   And today, it's party time!

We have another birthday to celebrate (which I actually missed, it was September 28th) ... drumroll please... the Love Note just turned 5!   I can hardly believe it - and its all thanks to YOU.   What if I had tried pilates with the same commitment five years ago?  What if - what if - what if?!  But the point is, I kept at it - this weekly writing thing, and YOU supported me, and it all took flight.   See for yourself how far we've come, here  - ouch ouch ouch that first note was downright pitiful, and I'm embarrassed to share it, but that's exactly my point.  We've come a long way baby.   Just for balance, here are a few of my favorite notes - here and hereREAD MORE

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