Mary Jo Putney quotes:

A witty vicar once said that a good marriage is like a pair of scissors with the couple inseparable joined, often moving in opposite directions, yet always destroying anyone who comes between them. The trick is for the blades to learn to work smoothly together, so as not to cut each other.

Enigmatic - the quality of keeping silent and making people wonder if one is stupid rather than opening one's mouth and removing all doubt.

I've always thought of this city as Disneyland for adults. ... There's no danger of Las Vegas expiring from an excess of good taste.

Samuel Johnson said a second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience,Kirkland said.

Jack was unexpectedly moved when he swore allegiance to the king and country. He had served both for years, could easily have laid down his life. Yet it was different to pledge his loyalty and best efforts toward governing this nation. Dying was easier than making good laws.

I love Christmas. A time to slow down and enjoy life and be with my family and friends. In busy years, it keeps me sane. In bad years, it makes me feel whole again.

Europeans condemned Chinese foot binding, but any society that had invented the corset had a lot to answer for.

Once you can fake sincerity, you can fake anything.

What one loves in childhood stays in the heart forever.

My brother said that at Eton, students were told caning builds character. I suppose girls are caned less because we aren't thought to have much character." "Which is the sort of thing males say when they don't know any women.

Like cats and ice cream, showers were among life's simple, uncomplicated pleasures.

we all grow up thinking our parents found us under cabbage leaves and that sex didn't exist before our personal coming-of-age.

[On New York City:] From a dating point of view, it's like a really large rummage sale - lots of strange items, but darned little that you'd want to take home.

But why, she thought wryly, did a man seem more attractive as he became less available? How humbling to think one had so much in common with a cow stretching its neck through a gate for better grass.

Competence is a great creator of confidence.

If death is inevitable, one should try to die well.

Principles are sometimes an unaffordable luxury.

But gratitude would not have me love you as I do. Love was inspired by what you are - the good, the bad, and even the foolish, which is what you're being right now.

Life is a good deal more comfortable if one doesn't expect it to be fair.

Parents and children were put on earth to give each other grief. You were my punishment for how I behaved to my own father. And I'll have my revenge when you have children of your own.

You don't have to be crazy to be a writer, but it certainly does help