Columbus Day is here, giving us a chance to celebrate exploration, discovery, and the courage to sail off into the unknown. Of course, these days, most of us consider it an adventure just to drive somewhere without GPS. I am not the adventurous type.  I even have the GPS on every morning on my way to work, just in case. . . .

My daughter provided another proud parent moment -- perhaps two in one day this past Wednesday, 16 days after her last one, chronicled here two Sundays ago.

When I was growing up, political candidates seemed proud to tell you which party they represented. Their campaign signs displayed their name, the office they wanted, and their party.These days, I look around and see lots of names. Plenty of red, white, and blue (and some yellow). But most signs don't mention a political party.Apparently, there’s room for “Leadership,” “Experience,” and “A Better Tomorrow.” Just no room for “Democrat” or “Republican.”

We all have support systems and, after Family, if we are fortunate, we have friends.  Be they best friends, old friends, new friends, good friends or just plain ordinary friends.  To be sure, one is fortunate if he or she has a good sprinkling of each!I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, you know who you are, and I thank you for your invaluable friendship and support!

To save or not to save. Daylight. That is the question. As the day to turn back the clocks to standard time approaches, the powers that be once again have us wondering whether this will be the last time we lose an hour.With a few exceptions, I’ve gone through the DST ritual twice a year for my entire life. Notwithstanding the references to the effect of changing the clocks on the human body, it seems that, within a day or two, my body adjusted.I like waking up as the sun comes through the window and don’t mind it getting dark early.

Rushashuna and Yom Kippur. Every Sept/October are the high holidays. Over the years the jewish population has migrated to different parts of the country, leaving New York/New Jersey mostly south for better weather and lower expenses. It has become very noticable. Synagogue 25 years ago they had multiple services going on at the same time to accomadate the crowds as well as childrens services. The holidays a few weeks after 9/11 are burned into my mind. 10 years ago it was noticably a smaller crowd. This years it was so noticable it was depresing.

I just can’t go to sleep with a sink full of dishes. Even if the rest of the kitchen is clean, those plates, pots and pans, silverware, etc. feel unfinished—and somehow disruptive, even chaotic. To me, they disturb the order of the world.  Taking ten minutes to load the dishwasher, wipe the counters, and reset the room makes the whole house – and me -- feel calmer.

I am definitely a procrastinator. I decided, however, that procrastination is not a bad thing, it really just my brain’s way of asking for more time to think.  In a courtroom if I am asked a question that I am uncertain of the answer, I will generally ask the judge to repeat the question, pretending I have not heard it. That gives me a few seconds to think.