Here’s your assignment: Make a list of your advantages. We always see other people’s advantages: this one’s rich, this one’s gorgeous, this one’s brilliant, that one’s all of the above. Good for them. Now, stand outside your life and look at your own advantages. In looking at mine for 30 days of super-charmed living (and hopefully creating a more comfortable and beautiful home for William when he gets back), here are some advantages I have:

(1) I’ve been at this awhile

(2) I have a flexible schedule

(3) I live in a magnificent city

(4) I know some amazing people

(5) I know how to find things — services, bargains, whatever is necessary

Make your own list. You don’t have to stop at five. You can have fifty if you want.

So here’s my report on my charming day. It actually started twenty-four hours ago when William and I had a lovely evening together before his trip. We saw two movies, An Education (I loved it: it took me back to when I was very young, lived in London, and fell for an older man), and A Serious 

Man, a Coen Brothers’ modern retelling of the story of Job. In it, a sweet, sweet man goes through every kind of trial and tries to find answers within his Jewish faith. It’s touching and funny and wonderful. I was at the concession stand to get a refill of hot water for my herbal tea and a lady in her 70s who was also standing there said, “I’m so proud of you for going to two movies: I’ve always wanted to do that.” Afterwards, we stopped in an Irish pub at the very moment the Yankees won a playoff game in extra innings. It was pretty sweet.

Today, the official Day 1, I spent in a food prep class at the Natural Gourmet Institute. Jennifer Cornbleet, author of two of my favorite recipe books, Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People and Raw for Dessert: Easy Delights for Everyone. We made green juice, a green smoothie, raw granola, zucchini “pasta” and marinara sauce, marinated kale, vegetarian sushi (that was really fun: I’d never made sushi before), and the most amazing chocolate tart with a mousse filling made creamy with avocado — who’d have thought? (All these recipes are in Raw Food Made Easy…).

My lovely friend, Maggie, was there and we traded girl talk. Then I came home and started the warm-season to cold-season clothing switch. Now I’m resting and writing to you and feeling very excited about the next 29 days. Wanna join me? Let me know some of your advantages and what you’re going to do with them. On Monday, we’ll talk about some the basic practices that are simple and free and pretty much required to living a charmed life every day.