Friday Update 4/ 2

If ever there was a spring that felt like a rebirth, this is it. That's my hope, at least. We surely need some new beginnings here.

The kids have been home this week, so not much is happening writing-wise, but here are some highlights ...

• We had our Passover seder here on Monday night, and it was pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself. Everyone participated in our seder, which was a super-abbreviated version--just enough for the kids to taste tradition. Food and company were divine, and my brother didn't send a single text message during dinner. I call that a success.

• Shout-out to the kids, who were especially well-behaved and got along magnificently.

• Found out almost by accident that a film agent is repping FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER. This is great news, as I think it's shaping up to be a pretty cinematic book, so fingers crossed. But in terms of timing, I'm more focused on the film rights for THE OTHER LIFE, which is repped by the same Hollywood agent.

And since I have no one to say this to, I'll post it here: Movie actresses always complain that there are no good roles for women. Well my dears, here it is ... a story with two kickass female roles--Quinn, the young mother who has to choose between two lives, and Nan, her powerful artist mother who suffers from bipolar disorder. (Read more about the story here.)

In my spare time (ahem) I daydream about casting this mother daughter duo. Some ideas include Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand (I know they're close in age, but Jennifer can play younger and Frances can play anything), Sandra Bullock and Cher, Kate Winslet and Susan Sarandon, Reese Witherspoon and Sharon Stone, Laura Linney and Meryl Streep. I could go on ...

• Took the kids to the Atlantis aquarium in Riverhead this week. It was a lot of fun. And yesterday we took advantage of the bright sunny weather and headed to Jones Beach. It was sweatshirt weather and we walked the boardwalk. Well, I ran one day and walked back. It was great to get the kids outside and breathing fresh air off the ocean.

Have I mentioned that I love the beach?

• Only other big plan for this spring break is a trip into Manhattan to tour NBC studios at Rockefeller Center. That should be fun.

Jewish Mama signing off, wishing her Christian friends a happy Easter and everyone a wonderful weekend ...