Yearly Archives:: 2011

Owen Danoff Covers Lonely Boy by the Black Keys

November 21st, 2011
Posted By:

Just for fun, please check out the latest recording from the very talented Owen Danoff who is on his way to being recognized as a major singer/songwriter.  The below YouTube video Lonely Boy by the Black Keys is covered by Owen Danoff.

Love his energy and his voice!!!!  Click below and enjoy:

The Month of Thanks

November 18th, 2011
Posted By:

A Bowl of Hot Smashed Spuds…YUMMMM As we ready for that time of year when we traditionally pause and give thanks, this year may be hard for some to find a reason to be thankful. If you recently lost a loved one, a holiday celebration can exacerbate all the jumbled up feelings you are experiencing and trying to understand. Thanksgiving was the first holiday that my son and I experienced following my husband’s death.  Our son was thirteen at the time and he and I decided to stay with our usual Thanksgiving routine of having dinner at my parent’s house… Read More

Changing Up Thanksgiving?

November 14th, 2011
Posted By:

A Thanksgiving Cookout? Most people don’t want to try something new for Thanksgiving dinner.  They usually want the same food that has been served to them at every Thanksgiving dinner since they were a child because it’s comforting and to them, it defines Thanksgiving dinner. It’s all about tradition. Not that there is anything wrong with tradition.  But life can also be about surprises and choices.  Maybe you have some Thanksgiving or other holiday ritual you’d like to eliminate or introduce.  That’s why I like the following column…. Make Your Own Thanksgiving Is it time to make your own Thanksgiving… Read More

Bridge of Love

November 11th, 2011
Posted By:

Photograph by Philippe GaravelIn Paris, lovers fasten padlocks to the railings of the Pont des Arts bridge.  The couple then tosses  the keys into the Seine river below, symbolizing their eternal love. Happy Friday everyone!  The following quote is from the last paragraph of the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thorton Wilder. I’m sharing it because I think it captures the essence of what we all strive to do while we are trying rebuilding our lives after the loss of a person near and dear to us: “We ourselves shall be loved for a while and forgotten. … Read More

One Special Date; Two Memories

November 9th, 2011
Posted By:

My niece is getting married this Saturday and everyone in my large boisterous family is looking forward to getting together and celebrating this wonderful occasion.  Months and months of preparation have gone into planning this special day and I think my sister will absolutely have a fit if it doesn’t all go off perfectly! No matter what happens, I know it will be a beautiful day, a day filled with great memories.  For me, it will be another reason why Nov. 12 stands out on the calendar.  My niece’s wedding will also be sharing the date of the day my… Read More

Step By Baby Step

November 7th, 2011
Posted By:

When life deals you a blow, your first reaction is to withdraw and protect yourself.  You want to crawl under the covers, lock the doors and wait for the bad stuff to go away. But guess what?  In the long run, that doesn’t work.  Denial usually makes a situation a whole helluva lot worse. There are lots of theories about why things get worse when they are ignored, but I think it happens because when you don’t pay attention to your thoughts and feelings they build up like a pressure cooker and at some point, that ole pot is going… Read More

Workshop For Grieving Teens — Friday, Nov. 14

November 3rd, 2011
Posted By:

One in nine Americans has experienced the death of a parent before the age of 20, according to the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing in Washington, DC. The first time I read that statistic, it made me pause.  I thought about what that number meant; the human consequences of one in nine. That’s a lot of children having their households turned upside down at a time when they need lots of love and stability.  Being a teenager is tumultuous enough.  Imagine the range of conflicting emotions the death of a parent, relative or close friend brings to them.  It’s… Read More

October Snowfall in NYC

November 1st, 2011
Posted By:

This past weekend I visited some people I love, in a city I love, even though the weather forecasters were predicting snowfall in October.  Despite the drumbeat of weather predictions, I didn’t believe it would actually happen.  I thought it might be cold enough to snow but I never thought it would actually stick to the streets and accumulate. Obviously, I was wrong.  By Sunday morning, CNN said New York City’s Central Park received 2.9 inches of snow and thousands of dollars in tree damage. Saturday morning, on the way to New York, it was heavy pounding rain.  Thank goodness… Read More

Laughing Enriches Your Life

October 28th, 2011
Posted By:

Laughing can make you relax and breathe. It’s really true, according to The Washington Post story below.   When times are tough, a sense of humor can help us cope.  I think it always makes you feel better if you can make fun of the person who is stressing you out or make a joke about the awful situation you’re in! KHAM/Reuters Laughing may help ease blood pressure, boost mood and enrich health in other ways By Carolyn Butler, Published: October 24 The Washington Post Whenever I took a tumble or scraped my knee as a child, my mother typically assessed… Read More