Halloween is an interesting holiday. I bought a bunch of candy to give out and sat on the porch, and only three kids and two dogs came by. Yet two blocks away, there were hundreds. What gives? When my kids and I went trick or treating, we strolled down every block, filling their pillowcases until they couldn't carry them anymore. We were on a …
The Yankees, my boyhood favorite team, imploded Wednesday night and lost the World Series :(The loss caused me to suffer exquisite agony. Exquisite Agony is a turn of phrase I rarely use, but when I do I really feel it!It describes pain I experience in an extremely raw and gnawing way. I feel it down to my very core. It is a feeling which border …
It’s a small sheet of thin aged paper. The faded typed words are in Polish. The notation on the upper right is “Krakow, dnia 9.VII.1945”. The words acknowledge my grandmother’s ownership of property in Krakow, Poland.The paper was among papers that I found in my mother’s files when I was cleaning out her apartment. It was among papers that I kept — …
In life, we all have regrets...things we should have done / anticipated that we did not. We all have the ability to make the life of someone else brighter just by a kind word, just by reaching out when you know they are down. Never let an opportunity to show concern for others pass you by. You never know when one contact from anyone will make …
We did on Sunday. Early voting in New York has made it so much more convenient to get out and vote. This year in my town, they added more locations to make it even easier. We stuck to our standard early voting location and waited on line for a while. The line wasn’t really a surprise. We had planned for the wait but that gave us the chance to …
Last weekend, my son, Ryan, got married. This is my third child that has gotten married. So, one would think that I would be used to the impact of emotions you feel watching a child get married. But I wasn’t. Watching my son get married felt so surreal, like being in a television show, only I had a starring role as "the emotional tearful mom." Al …
Last year this time I blogged about a Halloween bash. Also last week it occurred to me review my Halloween playlist that I (finally) created last year. Turned out there was a song that belonged that I did not include then; so 40 tunes grew to 41. Since there are a few more days for those with children or grandchildren who might trick or treat, I sh …
I encountered some new feelings the other day. They were fascinating and changed my perspective. I was driving a loaner electric vehicle while my car was being serviced, and as I passed gas station after gas station, I couldn't help but feel differently about them as I smiled. The car was extremely quiet yet took off like a rocket ship from a …
One of my favorite motivational sayings is "Dare to be Great!", which is the catch phrase for my oft told advice to my children and grand children, ie, It's not enough to be the best you can be, you must Dare to be Great and if you fail 99 out of 100 times, you develop crucial resiliency and character by trying and that one time, you achieve Greatn …
I’m a Mets fan and I’m disappointed that they are not playing the Yankees in the World Series.I’ll root for the Yankees against the Dodgers.Although I’m a Mets fan, somehow - I’m not sure how - I’ve collected a few Yankees hats.I’ll root for the Yankees but I don’t think I’ll be wearing a Yankees hat.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been somewhat obsessive compulsive. Mix it with some superstition and it can make for some stress in my life and may be partially why I have high blood pressure. This is something I am keenly aware of yet, no matter how hard I try, I can’t quite stop it completely. When I get back from a trip (nearly mon …
In the course of making a new business acquaintance, I was asked to describe my practice philosophy. What a great question, I thought to myself. I don’t recall having ever been asked that question in a networking context. The answer, I quickly concluded, revealed more about me professionally than my answer to the standard, “what do you do?” …
This past week, I have spent a lot of time with my grandchildren, Jordan age 3 and Taylor, 18 months. Having grandchildren is like signing up for a circus you didn’t know you were hosting. They show up, turn your house totally upside down, eat one bite of what you offer them and then ask for something else, deciding for some reason that they no l …
Building on the vibe in last week's commentary in this space, many I know root for a subway series. The Bronx "tenants" did their part. We'll know soon enough the outcome involving the Queens "tenants" I root for and who I brought my very appreciative daughter to a game also attended by my brother Jeff and Friday's blogger and sons and grandson l …
Had a thought the other day while driving...(how unusual:). It occurred to me while driving next to someone who was talking on her phone through the car, in an incredibly animated conversation. I guess she was screaming because she didn't look happy I wonder what would be THE list of all the things people do in their car while driving. Here's my …
