Our full Rome itinerary, a miraculous stain remover, and finding joy in the "friction" of 2026

Plus, a modernist take on the Kleenex box

Due to an architectural quirk in our bedroom, when a full moon coincides with clear weather, as it did this morning, I’m woken up by a rectangular shaft of moonlight that shines like a floodlight on my side of the bed, aligned exactly with the size and shape of my pillow. Initially, this irritated me beyond belief; I’d roll over to see my husband blissfully slumbering in a cocoon of darkness while my side of the bed was as bright as day.

Over time, however, I’ve come to love these moonlit wake-ups, especially in the winter, when the ethereal snow-gilt hills give me a new sense of a once-familiar landscape. Argus, my loyal companion, is up with me, and we’re listening to a 17-minute Van Morrison jam session on YouTube, which I discovered thanks to Kathryn Jezer-Morton’s excellent essay In 2026, We Are Friction-Maxxing. The whole essay is worth reading and re-reading.

Friction-maxxing is not simply a matter of reducing your screen time, or whatever. It’s the process of building up tole…