In these Black Swan times I have a long long ago connection. When I was a young boy my mother told me that her father died in the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. I mentioned it to Nancy and, of course, it was news to her and her first impulse was to Google him. Later she told me she found nothing. Yet, it was Nancy’s impulse to probe Google that r …
Our local supermarket follows the guidelines for masks and social distancing. In addition to monitoring the number of people inside, masks, and providing disinfecting wipes when you enter, the supermarket has imposed “one-way” aisles. A good idea from my perspective.It is annoying to me that some people don’t respect the designated direction of the …
Here’s one for you! Have you ever wondered why chickens became such a hot source for the use of idioms? Thought we might have fun with chickens today. Write down a chicken idiom and encourage a friend to do the same. I’ll go first. Cock And Bull Story Meaning: a story that has been made up or extremely exaggerated. Example in a sentence: I didn …
You walked into a bank – even pre-COVID. When I was probably 7 or 8 years old my parents took me to the local Citibank and we opened my first savings account. I remember the passbook. I probably still have it somewhere. I deposited birthday gifts, babysitting earnings, first paychecks (I always learned to save half) and more. I watched the en …
This year my husband and I celebrate birthday milestones. My husband's birthday is in October 2020 and mine is July 2021. To celebrate, we had planned two big trips, the first in October, 2020 and the second in October 2021. The first trip was for my husband’s birthday, ten days in Hawaii. The trip in 2012 would have been for mine, a week in Tuscan …
The other day one of my young (yes young) basketball (Our school gym has been closed since schools closed in March and we remain without any word on a possible re-start.) players texted he is part of an outdoor summer “free, socially distant” concert in downtown Jamaica. I responded there were plans that eve to see one of my all-time faves in the S …
A giant art mural located in Warsaw, Poland is helping people breathe a little easier. Made up of sun-activated, smog-cleaning pigments, the mural attracts airborne pollutants and converts them into harmless nitrates that purify the surrounding air equal to 720 trees using photocatalytic paint with titanium dioxide. The campaign was organized by …
This blog is inspired by my wife Joanne who I overheard riffing “I used to hug my grandchildren” (see photo) and on and on and on...I asked her to Guest Blog, but if you know Jo you know that was not in the cards. So here I go: I used to fear something bad was just around the corner I used to be a commuter I used to be a softball pitcher for the Ba …
I was waiting in line for the farmer’s market in Great Barrington when a woman nearby said that she liked my T Shirt. I was wearing a T Shirt from Hawaii featuring the Rainbow Drive-In Diner in Honolulu. A big smile appeared on her face as she told me that her grandmother lived a few blocks from the Diner. I often vacillate between wearing t-shirt …
One of my favorite broadway musicals is Mary Poppins. An enchanting story about a nanny to an English family, who creates fun through structure and imagination. Practically perfect in every way. As I go through the painstaking efforts of moving into our new home, I’m reminded to find the fun in all of this chaos, “In the most delightful way”. “In …
I really did not enjoy walking – but now I do. When COVID started, like all of us we tried to find activities that checked off a few boxes – safe, out of the house, healthy. For a long time, checking those boxes was not easy. Then we started walking. First, I walked every day with my daughter while she was home. When she moved out, a close fri …
We spent my entire Weight Watcher meeting this morning discussing one topic, breakfast. We discussed the facts and the reality regarding the adage, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” We also discussed the pros and cons concerning the different ways people choose to eat breakfast. I believe in breakfast. I make a concerted effor …
President Obama, during the DNC, tweeted his “summer” playlist see pic at left). Since this blog falls on the weekend between the DNC and the RNC, it seems a good time to re-share my “State of Our Union playlist; I created it before the 2019 annual presidential speech. Some people create playlists all the time. It predates streaming. People would m …
More observations from my unexpected COVID life... I'm so used to my mask that sometimes I wear it while driving alone in my car. Most of the customers in Whole Foolds are now Prime buisness people shopping to deliver. I'm getting better at reading people even though I only see their eyes. Supporting the small buinesses in my neighborhood i …
I came up when Mayor LaGuardia read the comics on the radio, before TV test patterns and Uncle Miltie and listened in on a telephone Party Line. So a lot of communication progress has occurred in my life span, but I was never so much in the dark as I have been since the August 4th storm. First we lost power and we soldiered through it, but the nast …
