Monday Morning Mojo

A few years ago I started writing reviews on Yelp. Restaurants. Local spots. Experiences that mattered. Not because I had to. Because it was fun. Just recently, I was invited into Yelp Elite. This means I’ll get invites to tastings and meet other reviewers. Something unexpected happened. I began to enjoy the practice more deeply. […]

Today, we honor the shared birthday legacy of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. They led in different centuries, through different storms. Yet they had striking qualities in common. Both carried immense responsibility without theatrics. Both endured criticism without surrendering to it. Both held a long view when others were trapped in the moment. Both understood

I want to lift up an interview that is both urgent and enduring: “Bryan Stevenson on why Black history is under attack,” a powerful interview sponsored by The Grio (whose mission is to inform, amplify, entertain, and empower Black America. Let me say as a white person, they are informing and empowering me as well.)

I was flying across the country when Mount Rainier came into view. Rising above everything around it, unmistakable. You don’t have to know its name to recognize its presence. It commands the landscape simply by being fully what it is. It reminded me of something I’ve learned about leaders who make an out-sized impact on

Here on the East Coast of the USA, we are in the middle of a serious snow and ice storm, the kind that slows everything down and makes the world feel smaller and quieter. Yesterday afternoon, with the sleet coming down, I looked out through our deck and saw a bright red cardinal perched beside

This week, I want to shine a light on my wife, Laura, an award-winning songwriter whose music quite literally lights up my life. Her work has earned top honors from the Washington Area Music Awards and the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. This year, her music is up for consideration for multiple Wammie Awards, which is both

We welcomed the New Year in the best way I know: with music, friends, and a little bit of magic. New Year’s Day, my wife, Laura Baron, joined Dave Ylvisaker at Zinnia’s downstairs bar to sing in 2026. For an hour or so, the room hung suspended in that inimitable space where time slows, and

This is the last Monday Morning Mojo of the year, and I always feel a great invitation at this moment. The year does not end with fireworks for me. It ends with cleanup. This week I am creating a clear financial overview, business and personal, so I know exactly where I stand and what I

Last week, I was in the kitchen cooking vegan Malai Kofta. In the pic, I am holding the pan with the kaftas There was flour on the counter, cashews soaking, spices blooming in hot EarthBalance, and at one point, I realized I was smiling and just cooking. Slowly. With care. For people I love. That

I was recently faced with three different sizes of Tootsie Rolls on my counter. It got me to thinking. Same recipe. Same flavor, same soul. The question is, how much Tootsie Roll? These are the kinds of questions that stir the heart. Christmas is ten days away, and here in the States, that’s a big