Monday:

Why don’t you plant an entire garden, a big garden, mind you, with all varieties of salad greens? I did this yesterday, and I simply cannot wait to harvest big bowls full of arugula and weird lettuces and endive and all sorts of greens. I’ll toss them with my favorite vinaigrette and goat cheese and rustic bread, then I will gorge, I will feast on salad and I will be content.

Tuesday:

Why don’t you commission a large oil painting of yourself to hang above your mantel? Ever since my beloved cat, Tiger, passed away, I have been a bit obsessed with the idea of having this done. I want it to look like one of those regal paintings you see at the National Portrait Gallery, where I’d be dressed resplendently like a member of the royal family. I’d hold Tiger in my arms and outside the windows in the paintings would be stunning Haussmanian buildings. Both my eyes and Tiger’s would pierce into the viewer, and the painting would assuredly go into a museum upon my death. Get painted, reader.

Wednesday:

Why don’t you give your front door a new coat of paint in a striking color…or not…it’s up to you? Either way, a freshly painted door is an unexpectedly handsome thing. I painted the inside of my door with Tiffany blue and it is one of my favorite features of the house. I’ve not yet decided what color to paint the front, but I have a gallon of glossy black that has been tempting me.

Thursday:

Why don’t you spend an entire day in contemplative silence without any technology to distract you? I’m the last person to bedevil technology, for I am tremendously in love with my iPhone and iPad and MacBook and all my other devices. Still, though, there are times when I have an almost instinctive need to pull away from it all, like a recluse, and just try to enjoy a walk without an audiobook, gardening without music, laying in bed without scrolling through social media. I’m thinking that next week I may do this for a day or two.

Friday:

Why don’t you procure some beautiful antique mason jars and fill them up with premixed cocktails? It’d be so chic and awfully convenient to pour out a readymade Negroni or whatever cocktail you like best. Toss it right in the shaker, no need for measuring. Elegance comes from simplicity and simplicity comes from just a touch of foresight.