Rocking chairs belong in baby nurseries. I hadn't given this much thought until last weekend when we were baby-sitting for our grandson Jackson and he needed to take a nap. It wouldn't have happened without the rocking chair in his room. As I sat holding Jackson and rocked, I was soothed with memories of rocking my children in the rocking chai …
It is something I've never experienced before. I am a problem solver. When something bothers me, I obsess on it. I devour it like a starved lion until it is resolved. But I have never experienced grieving before. It has now been 5 days since my father's funeral and not only have I not solved this, but I don't even know the problem. I am l …
Instead of calling the police, an Ohio coffee shop held a food drive for a man who stole from the tip jar. A few weeks ago, a man came into the coffee shop, helped himself to the tips and promptly ran out the door. The staff of the coffee shop was moved by the plight of the thief. So, rather than turn him in, in the holiday spirit they started a f …
Every year, at the end of the year, most magazines and newspapers start publishing lists. These lists have included the top earners for the year, the most googled people for the year, top news stories of the year, best movies of the year, etc. One list that caught my eye this year was a list published by Google entitled, "The Top Ten Recip …
I have always enjoyed games that challenge the mind. Like chess. And then comes along Candy Crush and it ruins everything and I have become addicted to it. It is hard to comprehend the allure of this game. It is always the same. Put three together. That's it. Over and over again. And it is very anxiety producing, especially when the chocol …
A name you probably never heard of but I'm betting you will during next years basketball season. No this is not another sports blog but one of inspiration. To really understand what I'm writing about, please watch this video first...it's amazing. (it's only 1 minute) Zach Hodskins He was born without a left hand and forearm and this 6' 4" young …
I'm sure you know O'Henry's story of The gift of the Magi wherein a husband-and-wife sacrifice for each other to buy then unusable holiday presents for each other. The closest that I have come to such a scenario occurred when i was very young on a long ago Christmas Day. As I remember it these many years later, on Christmas morning Santa brought …
Unless it touches us directly, we are generally immune to crime. It is something that happens "out there" and “to someone else”. From that perspective, we follow the news and accept crime as part of the landscape. But every once in a while, a crime -- even “out there”-- touches us and gives us pause. Such was the recent car-jacking and murder …
The moral in the story is that dreams can come true. I am speechless -- not a state I find myself in often. As parents, we watch our children work towards their goals. Sometimes they struggle and fall down. We are proud of their accomplishments but also of the path they took to their achievements. It hasn’t always been an easy or even a straigh …
I changed my last name twice in my life. When I married my first husband, I happily gave up the last name “Just” for “Kaplan.” While Just may seem a great name for a lawyer, as a kid it lent itself to a lot of teasing. I also liked the name Kaplan as it put forth my Jewish identity more so than Just. When I divorced my first husband I had the optio …
Coming this week is my holiday drink with Fred. We do it every year in December. We have to meet at 5 pm, I am told, even though it is a bit on the early side. I am not sure if Joanne expects him to be home at a certain time, or if he just needs to get to bed early. Either way it is fine with me and I show up at the appointed hour. We tal …
In a recent study more than half of the population (62%) shop online at least once a month. The most common items we buy are electronics, books, clothing, household goods and office supplies. Retail sales in brick and mortar stores are up by only a small percentage but shopping online is growing at 10-15%. I enjoy buying online. It's so easy an …
During the course of the year I write down qoutes which are inspirational, right on or educational. Here is my latest list: Winners don't always win because they're better than everybody else, but frequently because they outlast everybody, there are a fewer competitors down the road. (Bob Lefsetz – my Oracle) I've always thought it was …
We were in Miami last weekend for Art Miami and got to visit the new Perez Art Museum which opened last Wednesday. If you're in Miami, don't miss the Museum. And try to get there while the "Ai Weiwei- According to What?" exhibit is on. At a time when we contemplate the life of Nelson Mandela, the art of this Chinese dissident/artist is especial …
I have to be honest, when I first heard about it, I just assumed he needed the money...so he got a job (let's be honest, between bad management and bad marriages, this wouldn't exactly require a Sherlock Holmes deduction). In fact, I thought he got one over on the scalpers which to me was even better. The way I heard it, after announcing a ser …
