From the Editors

Phone a Friend Strong friendships are good for your health. These are some of the ways our staff stay connected with long-distance buddies.

1I make phone dates phone dates with out- with out-of-state of-state friends, and friends, and we do a we do a walk together walk together while we while we catch up. catch up.
JESSICA THOMAS, style and  design director
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2My best friend of 20 years, whom I walked with every day after work and had dinner with every Friday night, moved to Arizona a few months ago. But we’ve kept up our Friday night tradition by hopping on Zoom or FaceTime with a glass of wine to talk about our week (good or bad) and what’s new with each other.
CINDY MURPHY, production editor

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3Five of my friends from high school get together for a girls weekend every year. We rotate locations, and whoever is local hosts a weekend of eating, chatting, more eating, and more chatting. We always take a group photo at the end of the weekend, and one extra-organized friend keeps them all, so we have a little history of where we were each year. It’s fun (and I’ll admit, a little scary) to see how we have changed (OK, aged) over the years. Even if we haven’t really talked between visits, we always pick up right where we left off. It fills my bucket every time. Old friends are gold.
AMY PANOS, home editor

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4I have a book club with my college friends who live across the country. Every month we rotate who chooses the book then have a virtual meetup to discuss.
EMILY VANSCHMUS, home editor
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I recently started challenging myself to send a handwritten note to a different friend each week to let them know I’m thinking of them and to give them something interesting in the mail other than ads and bills. I’m curious to see how many will write me back.
VIVEKA NEVELN, senior editor, garden
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