Any show that has 'party non-invite' as its central conflict drums up the operatic high drama of a good Russian novel. It's the 'Real Housewives' Crime and Punishment:' first the horror of a non-invitation, and then the shattering aftermath.

We're all the stories we tell ourselves.

I always think if I'd had kids that I'd manage them like I do my dog Margaret: camps, playdates, naps, and lots of snacks. They'd all be fat.

In the grownup world an apology tour is just for show.

I'm good in an emergency.

The number one rule of fishing is be quiet. Don't scare the fish!

What is your favorite 'Housewife' line? Mine is, 'Who does that?' We all say it. Every Housewife in every city has said it at least 17 times during her reign.

I think every girl needs a good lip split story, I have one. I fell onto my front door doorknob coming back from the mailbox, once.

If there's anything more popular on 'Housewives' than a fight over hair, it's a housewife diving into water. It's a prerequisite for the show, you have to know how to dive, preferably in a monokini.

I spent my summers as a kid in an upstate New York hippie town called Saugerties.

There's nothing more riveting than a contractually obligated 'Housewife' sit-down.

No one can make you feel anything you don't already feel.

Family habits die hard.

My Grandpa Tony was a legend in our family, and also in his own mind. There's no end to the tales of his exploits.

Perhaps I'm old-fashioned but I don't think mothers want their 25-year-old daughters to marry 85-year-old men, except maybe for the money. Money, at least, makes some sense.

The Women' is one of my all-time favorite movies, you really should watch. It's based on a play by Clare Booth Luce about a group of high society women (one is a Countess!) in 1939 New York.

My threshold for mean gossip is nearly intolerable.

The thing about rumors is that everyone believes something about them, even if they are completely unfounded.

On my real vacations, I meet up with friends and we go for walks on the beach. We stroll through old cities, swim in the sea, and take afternoon naps. We shop, lunch, and, yeah, drink.

As hard as I try I cannot get myself to three museums in any one city. The only museum I've ever really enjoyed was the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and I think that's because it's small and you can touch things.

I've been told I'm a good guest. I don't take up much space, I don't eat a lot, and I keep my complaints to a minimum.

I do hate air conditioning and early mornings, but my friends all know this and plan accordingly.

Having to walk and talk and hit a mark and open a door proved nearly impossible for me. I suppose that's why we're on a reality show and not 'Mad Men.' Because we don't act.

I'm a writer and I've had some success.

People like to gossip about people who are successful.

The publishing industry is not immune to gossips.

I'm not ever getting a Pulitzer prize and my books aren't on high school reading lists, but for better or worse I'm a working writer.

Friends have each other's backs.

This is America. In our country it doesn't matter a lick where you are from, it only matters where you're going.

I've met people from all walks of life.

I spent time in refugee camps in Southeast Asia, and in the projects of Chicago. I've been to State dinners with Presidents. I met the Queen of England on a beach in Anguilla. No one is any more valuable or important than you are. No one is more important than your family and your friends.

No, I'm not a woman who overshares.

The best advice I can give a girl is to keep new relationships private. There is nothing like a handful of well-intentioned 'girlfriend advice' to derail a blooming romance.

I'm cautious in matters of the heart.

I, like many young widows, have very well developed gallows humor.

When you own an apartment in NewYork, it's important to know what's happening in your building. Each building runs as its own little municipal town. Much like you might be interested in knowing what is happening in your town because it has a direct effect on the value of your property.

Laughter cures everything.

I try to keep it as honest and real as I can with television crews following me around.

I do not create events for the sake of television.

I do not chase silly drama for the sake of storylines, though it sometimes seems to find me.

My late husband's family is not something I sit around and discuss at cocktail parties.

The best bloggers have tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Facts make you face stuff about yourself you'd rather not see.

I'm a reporter by nature and training. I like things that make sense.

I've been underweight my entire life but not so much that I didn't get my period.

I'm used to people commenting on my body, even women I have just met.

Yes, I'm a carb junkie. No, I don't workout.

Moving on' is a concept invented by Housewives. Housewives who behave so appallingly all they can do is say they are moving on, preferably in a place where everyone can hear them. To stay put and acknowledge that their actions have consequences and to accept responsibility is simply too painful for this particular brand of narcissist.

Delusion and denial does not equal an apology.

I paid my own bills even when I was married and my husband could have easily paid them.