I’ve long had an attachment to hard copy books, of all sorts. With limited space in New York City, I have been reluctantly exchanging my books into digital versions on my Kindle. It’s not the same as being surrounded by books, but it’s a good alternative for folks like me, with little room to shelve books. And, obviously, it’s convenient …
Many are now familiar with the heartwarming moment, last week, when Governor Cuomo described how he drew strength from the goodness of folks who offered support and encouragement, during the pandemic. He read a simple—but moving—letter from a Kansas farmer, as an illustrative example. The elderly farmer, from the northeast part of the state sent a note of support commending …
I’m not sure when the trend started, but around the country, all kinds of landmarks are equipped to serve as “temporary art installations” through the use of intentional lighting, of various colors. Here in New York, the Empire State Building, for example, changes colors regularly to honor everything from religious and secular holidays (Easter, Valentine’s Day, Hanukah, and Christmas, etc.), …
Over the last couple of years, I’ve become a big fan of Glennon Doyle, the author and activist. A writer for years, she became one of Oprah’s acolytes with her captivating books on relationships. She recently released Untamed about the demise of her marriage and the re-creation of her family with her subsequent marriage to Abby Wambach, the now retired …
I’ve been surprised that despite my resistance, there have been some little points of light to our “Shelter in Place” order here in New York. I’m not ready to take the Gwyneth Paltrow line about how social isolation is a good time to learn a new language or skill, like knitting. However, I have been pleased about some good things …
I’ve been having a challenging time sorting out my soup of emotions experienced during this pandemic. Sitting squarely in America’s epicenter, New York City, the empty streets in my FiDi neighborhood are punctuated by the ambulances racing towards New York Presbyterian hospital’s “Trinity” outpost. My news-addiction, stoked by the earlier impeachment proceedings, is full blown as MSNBC plays day and …
One of the reasons I became a Celebrant is because my family of origin didn’t spend much time marking occasions, happy or sad. I’ve mentioned many times that we struggled with illness and my own father’s departure when we were wee tots. So, there were practical and emotional reasons that not much was made of the holidays. My grandmother did …
I’ve been a City gal for a long time, but I live by the expression, “You can take the girl out of Oklahoma, but you can’t take the Oklahoma out of the girl.” In my most optimistic orientation, I’d like to think I combine the generosity of spirit of folks from the Sooner State with the worldly approach of New …
I’m a political junkie, but I’ve also been a vagabond over these last several years, living in more Manhattan neighborhoods that I would care to admit. I’ve used the address of my ex-, the Hungarian psychiatrist, with whom I lived for many years, as my “permanent address” for things like my voter registration. We are on very good terms, and …
The other day, I was picking up a wedding cake at the ever-popular Two Little Red Hens Bakery on the Upper East Side. As I waited in line (there is ALWAYS a line), I overheard a conversation between two twenty-something women about the holidays. One said to the other, “I wish my family would stop exchanging Christmas presents, but I …