This week I have been thinking a lot about, and discussing, trust and forgiveness. My good friend’s significant other, whom she has been with for a very long time, did something that violated her trust (no he did not cheat on her). Since then he has shown genuine remorse and significant introspection about the nature of his actions and why they were wrong.     Now he is looking to my friend to forgive him. And that’s why the interplay of trust and forgiveness have dominat...

Last week I needed to prefile my blog. Simple reason. A flight from Edinburgh, Scotland to JFK. One might call it a classical trip. It involved an awful lot of rock.   My daughter and I landed a week ago Monday and promptly visited two castles, Hampton Court and Windsor.   Tuesday involved the musical variety: a classic rock/ Beatles tour (See pic at left) and a Squeeze concert at the most beautiful venue I ever took in a show, Royal Albert Hall.  Of course on way way to the...

Winter is upon us. The leaves have turned and are falling off. The cold is invading and I'm cleaning out my fireplace today to start the burn.   Until yesteday, I had forgotten how the cold knifes through your clothes and brings a chill. For those in warmer parts of the planet, you probably don't miss that.   However, it is a sign and although it may be unpleasant for a bit, I welcome it. I love the changing seasons. I know that my favorite holiday is right around the corner ...

Last weekend we went for lunch in Huntington and when the check came the server explain that the Internet was down and asked me to write my phone number and credit card info on the check. I did so and in all the unusual hurly-burly I forgot to take back my credit card. This is one of the most annoying things I do. It is a failure of concentration which plagues me about once a year.  I hate it!On the way home we stopped in nearby Cold Spring Harbor for fancy coffee and a delis...

“Vote early and often”….a joke that I heard many years ago. Beginning this year, New York allows early voting. Last week we voted early. It was convenient, quick and gave us flexibility. Early voting was open over several days. We weren't restricted to making time on Election Day. I am pleased that early voting has come to New York and wonder how others feel about it. ...

  Microsoft recently tried an experiment. This past summer at its campus in Japan,  the workweek was cut from five to four days. Not four extended days – four regular workdays. Along with the cut in days came a new focus on time management. Meetings were restricted to 30 minutes and standard attendance at those meeting was cut. Other strategies were put in place too. The result? A 40% increase in productivity. Forty percent. Microsoft apparently wasn’t the first com...

  Sleep was the topic of discussion this morning in my Weight Watchers meeting. I was surprised to learn about the importance of sleep with respect to weight loss. But the discussion went way beyond that. We discussed the importance of a good night’s sleep for stress relief as well as basic productivity.     I was hardly the only one in the meeting to talk about my difficulties with getting a good night’s sleep. Recently, I find myself having trouble falling asleep and, the...

As you read this, you may be voting in less than 48 hours – unless you voted already.  Yup early voting in New York started last weekend.  So maybe you did. It may prove convenient and most certainly expect it to help juice voter participation. In past years, early voting here involved absentee balloting by permanent absentees and those who apply for them.  As regular readers of this blog may recall I make a point of promoting voting as Election Day nears. Certainly, You Mak...

What would you do to get an internship...   Gursimran Singh, who studies computer science at Georgia Tech, used sticky notes to spell out "HIRE ME" on a window in his apartment that faces the headquarters of the tech company NCR. The next morning the folks at NCR responded with their own sticky note: "EMAIL?"   Singh said "I never expected them to continue the conversation, but they did, so it was pretty amazing for me," Singh told CNN He said he started email correspondenc...

28,333 days into my life span I have been experiencing some turbulence. I suppose it’s my silver hair, eg, suddenly people regularly offer me their subway seats. Then last week I was walking to my car after a Gotham breakfast meeting and I saw two gardners making a deafening racket with leaf blowers.  As I got closer, I thought someone had cried out to me and looked around to no avail.  I walked on and distinctly heard someone screaming “Help, help me!”  I looked in the direc...

The line for the "by invitation members-only” preview of the reopening of the renovated Museum of Modern Art was around the block as we found our way to its. As we took our place in line, the woman ahead of us was complaining to a MOMA representative that she was canceling her membership because waiting on such a line was no way to be treated as a Member for so many years. I waited, noted the time - the doors would open in ten minutes - and felt assured that the line woul...

Last night I was successfully inducted into The Union League. The process was deliberate and the ceremony meaningful. The Union League was established by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War as “a last attempt at saving the Union”. While this organization is known for its beautiful golf courses, fancy restaurants, yacht clubs, fine dining, fancy parties, book clubs, political discussions and the list goes on....the closing argument for me was the values the League continues t...

  We are big fans of regional theatre. We have seen a full range of shows, some better than others, but all home grown and fun. This past weekend we saw Sunset Boulevard at the Engeman Theatre in Northport. I had never seen the show before, although Bill claims to have known the music and my mom insists she has seen the show before. I thought the performance was Broadway quality and of course, there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. A few months ago, we saw Pippin at a...

  My husband and I are finding ourselves with a shortage of good television to watch. We are still mourning the loss of Game of Thrones. We generally DVR the programs we want to watch and, lately, the DVR is relatively empty.     We both look to television to help us, momentarily, forget the tension in our lives and destress. I enjoy programs like Grey’s Anatomy (been watching it from the beginning) and Shark Tank. My husband, on the other hand, is still enjoying The Black...

Yesterday my father in law told me I'm his fave son-in-law.   Really an unfair question.  I am the only son-in-law!  It happened at his 90th birthday.  The immediate family with one exception gathered together to celebrate.  Four generations.  Two Daughters.  One of two grandsons. Three granddaughters, one with husband (thus explaining). A great-granddaughter and a great-grandson. Elder daughter Shelly toasted her dad once all arrived.   Marisa procured a beautful Strawberr...