What’s For Dinner?
"The biggest challenge is, for me, figuring out what to cook for dinner. Nightly, you know, just night after night. What is it gonna be tonight? ... I did that last night. That's the hardest thing right there.” Aretha Franklin
That Gut Feeling
Have you ever sensed that something just wasn’t right with a tightness in your chest?
Old-Fashioned Letters
Do you still write letters? Fold them neatly into an envelope, put a stamp in the corner, address, and mail?
Do Your Children Know Your Passwords?
Have you ever known a family left in the dark after a beloved parent has passed away? I don't mean the darkness of grief; I mean the bleak feeling of helplessness that overcomes the children when no one knows what Mom or Dad’s wishes were.
The Bees Knees
Do your knees make noises when going up steps? Do you devise a game plan for sitting down? Does it take a village to hoist you up from a chair? If so, you may need a new knee.
The Beauty Project
I’m not talking about Grace Kelly beauty or about getting a hair and make-up makeover, but a very different kind of beauty. Life isn’t always pretty. Every day we are bombarded with images that are dark, depressing, bleak and ugly. It seems that ugliness is slowly taking over our lives. So, years ago, my sister and I decided to take a photo of just anything we found particularly beautiful during our hectic day, and then text each other our ‘beauty’ photo at the end of the day.
My Dad’s Slippers
After Dad died, my mom felt it was important to give each of her ten children a little something that belonged to him. My parents spent their lives raising children, working hard, and enjoying grandchildren and retirement.
I Only Know
Don’t mistake the beginning for the end,
the guardian for your keeper,
or the apogee for the soothing beauty of the trek.
A Recipe for Macs and Life
In 1978, I was nineteen and had the cooking education of a lifetime. My Mom and I experienced how to make homemade macs with Auntie Rose. Macs are what my Italian family calls pasta.
Erma Bombeck: The Master of Words, Wit, and Whimsy
Do you remember Erma Bombeck, the witty, wise writer of personal essays for mainstream magazines and bestselling books? She was an inspiration for me, not only for life, but also for writing.
The Name Game
I got to thinking about why a parent chooses a name and if it has any bearing on the trajectory of the child’s life.
Have you reached your tipping point?
The tipping dilemma is on everyone’s mind these days. Do I tip when I drive through a Starbucks? Do I tip when I pick up a pizza I ordered over the phone? So, when did we become so tip crazy in America? Have we reached our tipping point?
Putting the World on Notice
As we welcome another New Year, most of us engage in self-reflection.
