I’m a huge fan of the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books. If you read these brilliant stories as a child, you should re-read them now; so much of the humor is pitched at grown-ups — marriage, friendship, theories of child-rearing.

After I’d re-read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for the fiftieth time, I decided to try Betty MacDonald’s adult work. In her memoir, Onions in the Stew, she remarked, “Going down to the beach after a storm is the only time in my adult life when I experience that wonderful, joyous, childhood feeling of expectancy.”

This observation struck me, because I’ve noticed that I too rarely experience a “sense of expectancy.” The fact is, I don’t have a very joyful spirit. I rarely look forward even to fun events or activities.

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