Nothing better than spending the day with my son, Patrick. Last week my son called me complaining about his work load at school. Exhausted, he said “Mom, I just want to spend the day with you. Just you and me.” What an easy one. I cleared my schedule and we spent the day hiking at Tyler Park in Bucks, County, PA. Both of us stayed completely prese …
Some of you may know that my daughter has accepted a new job for the fall. She will be working at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor doing health economics policy research. We are all super excited -- but that is not the purpose of this blog. I am a pretty regular poster on Facebook about my children but for some reason, this news hasn’t …
Fred posted a picture on Instagram that made me smile. It was a picture of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka from the original film, “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.” “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” definitely stands out, for me, as one of my favorite films of all time. It is one of those films that I am guaranteed to stop at if I am aim …
A good number of us gather with family this weekend. Some gathered today for Easter. Others including members of my family gathered Friday and Saturday eves for Passover. Usually we host one night and visit with family or friends (Appreciate the invites). Periodically, if find ourselves out of town, we participate in communal seders. This year, …
Do you remember Natalie "Nadia" Suleman? I didn't until I ran across a follow up news story. She is the Octomom, giving birth to 8 babies from one pregnancy. Well, they just celebrated their 10th birthday and all are seemingly healthy and well adjusted. She no dout has her hands full as her 14 children (she already had 6 older children) get big …
I’ve come to the realization that there are three stages of life: Youth, Middle Age and “You Look Good!” I can’t resist that line when someone tells me I look good. Actually, in my case, the third stage is what I call my Afterlife. No matter how long I live I will never retire. Rather, I will revel in this stage as a sort of enjoyable, no hold …
This is a continuation of Nancy’s blog on Tuesday. The vision was familiar. Flames from an iconic building in the City’s skyline. As I watched, the feelings of 9/11 percolated through me. I then remembered. The visits. Walking through the massive doors. The beauty. The history. And I remembered visiting Paris in December after 9/11. It was c …
Never have I ever witnessed harmony in nature like the National Park in Pointe Reyes, California with this special girl named Christie. What a treat to have toured some of the most beautiful terrain in the United States, by foot. Elk, cow, chickens, sheep, oysters, wild birds, redwoods, cyprus, eucalyptus and the ocean all co-exist together, in one …
It took more than 8 1/2 hours but the fire at Notre Dame is finally out. I’ve never been to Paris, but I’ve always wanted to go. A bucket list kind of thing. People who have visited speak with such excitement about the Cathedral of Notre Dame, its beauty and history and the amazing artwork. The video coverage was horrifying. Through the sc …
Admittedly, I am writing this blog on Saturday afternoon, but I have only one thought running through my head. And I can’t seem to think about, or write, about any other topic today. My preoccupation is what will the final season of Game of Thrones bring? I don’t recall being so eager to watch the final season of any other television series than t …
Knowing a few folks often becomes a calling card in doing business. The proverbial “large” rolodex (Anyone still use one – I once had two!) became a resource often helpful in developing business prospects, securing introductions, accessing experts and more. At a recent non-profit board meeting, several matters came up. A board member I had recru …
What do you do with oil that can't be refined or used for commercial purposes? Apparently you tell people that it's great for your health. In Azerbaijan's north-western city of Naftalan there is a spa that believes a crude oil bath can cure you of a bunch of things. The local oil is used to treat to cure muscular, skin and bone conditions as we …
I saw The Killer rip it up atop his piano in 1957 to close the show at Alan Freed’s Brooklyn Paramount after Screaming Jay Hawkins rose from his coffin to put an eternal spell on me. That same year I saw Althea Gibson make everlasting history by winning the Women’s Tennis Singles Final at the old Forest Hills. I was alone with my idol Elvis at a …
It was a small innocuous message in a plastic stand on the restaurant table. It could have easily been confused with an invitation to try the breakfast special. But the message was different. It informed the patron that the restaurant was “cashless”. No further explanation…. just information. I have mixed feelings about cashless. On the one hand …
Last week, I was inspired by a Nike video showing unabashed confidence women display in sports. As a little girl, both of my parents encouraged us to take risk and rarely applied gender roles. Mom was a “burn the bra” type and Dad gave us his full support. Rarely did I question my ability to at least TRY something new. At times there were quirky st …
