I love stars. On a good night they seem to be procreating in front of our eyes. There is nothing like the free entertainment of laying on a beach, or a deck, or a backyard lounge chair and staring upward at a million sparkly natural diamonds. I went to Mauna Kea, the dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii once, where there is an observatory. The stars feel so close to you that it seems quite possible  you could reach your hand out and grab a bunch and stick them in your pocket to take home. The only way to get to the top is by car, and it’s all hairpin turns and fog, without the benefit of even one street light. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. So, naturally when I was star gazing, as beautiful as it was, I was also wishing on every one of those damn sparklers that we’d get back down that massive mountain alive.

I have an old tin star I got at the Brimfield flea market lots of years ago, and it’s been living on a shelf in my living room ever since. I also scored some rusty old stars there, which I love for their dirty elegance.

When I was like 9, my sister’s college roommate Liz, was an art major and when I visited their off-campus house, painted on the wall was “Starry, Starry Night.” I had never seen it before and I was blown away. I didn’t know that it was a rip-off of a famous artist, so I was little-kid impressed and I stayed that way until I learned it was really Van Gogh’s, and even then I thought she was some sort of God.

My mom used to do the wish-upon-a-star ditty with me all the time when I was little. “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.” I spent a lot of my childhood making wishes with my mom.

There’s something really hopeful about a night sky filled with glittery gems because it means the weather will likely be good the next day. You can only see stars when it’s clear enough to view them. So, being the fair weathered girl you know i am, you can only imagine how fucking excited I get when I see a sky filled with stars. In fact, I’m wishing for one tonight.