Feeling pressed to get everything done at this time of year? Many people think the answer is to put their nose to the grindstone and put pleasure aside. Recent research from my laboratory challenges ...

Fully vaccinated, I returned to the gym this month and lowered myself in the pool — a thrilling sensation. As other patrons did laps, I delighted in the gravity-defying buoyancy of water. I had ...

The sun was ruthless, but the music was light. On the way home from work, I stepped into my neighborhood corner store, grabbed a bag of chips and something cold to drink. As I sipped a Cherry Coke ...

The simple act of working the soil with my hands for planting is a tactile pleasure in itself. Hand-watering may be frowned on by the gurus of gardening, but I enjoy emulating Mother Nature by gently ...

I don’t know how on earth I wrote a whole column last week about spring being sprung … and failed to mention the blooming of flowers and trees. Always, I’ve noticed them. Ever since I read a poem by A ...

Simple Pleasures Cafe owners Diana Riggio and Ahmed Riad flanked by employees Hailey Korff (left), Ava Cohen and Alisa Massery (right) March 2 2026. Photo by Nicholas David. I’m not sure I made the ...