Christmas Sighting Of A Loved One

December 26th, 2011
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In the hustle and bustle of eating, talking and being with my wonderful family yesterday on Christmas Day, I received a unexpected present that I think others who have lost loved ones will be able to identify with.  Maybe this has happened to you but you didn’t tell anyone else about it because you figured they would give you that look that says, “Okayyyyy. Rigghhhttttt.”

My son and I were at my parents house and all of my siblings, nieces, nephews were gathered to celebrate Christmas.  There was lots of activity — electronic and human — and everyone was enjoying … Read More

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

December 15th, 2011
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Songs can be powerful time machines.  Sometimes all it takes is hearing the first few notes or strands of a melody and YOU ARE THERE. It is amazing to me how a song has the uncanny ability to mentally fast track you to a place you haven’t thought about in years. Recently, I was driving my car home in the oh so unpleasant nightly commute of bumper to bumper traffic on Connecticut Avenue. I found myself pushing the radio buttons over and over because there were so many commercials playing and I was getting annoyed.  Yada, yada, yada. I was… Read More

Holiday Tips For Families

December 10th, 2011
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I say perfect timing to a story that was published in The Washington Post this week!  I thought it was soooo timely and helpful that I wanted to share with you: Michael Hershon/For The Washington Post   Holiday advice for families By Janice D’Arcy/The Washington Post Published: December 7, 2011 Celebrating the holidays with children can be magical, sometimes. Other times, it can be a season of migraine-inducing family problems. We asked a few experts to sort out some of the most vexing, such as navigating expectations, handling family drama, teaching children gratitude and figuring out how to explain Santa.… Read More

A Healing Circle of Life

December 7th, 2011
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It’s the holiday season and wreaths are everywhere.  Doors, windows, large buildings and small, I see them indoors and outdoors, even on trucks and cars.  Evergreens, berries, pinecones, and magnolia leaves, the materials that wreaths are made of today seem endless.  If they’re not chock full of tacky plastic stuff, wreaths are welcoming signs, hopeful signs and even peaceful signs. Wreaths are also a sign of faith in humanity and its circular shape represents eternity, for a wreath has no beginning and no end.   Wreaths have been with us since the ancient Greeks and Romans when wreaths were awarded to… Read More

Hanging Out in the ‘Hood

November 26th, 2011
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I saved a lot of money today.  I didn’t do any shopping.  Even though today was Black Friday, I didn’t walk into one store or visit any websites to shop or buy anything. I just wasn’t up for being sucked into the great vortex of shopping madness that now occurs on the day after Thanksgiving.  To me it’s just a marketing ploy.  There may be 42-inch flat screen televisions that cost $199 but there’s probably only four of them in the store and standing in line or camping out in a tent to take advantage of that price just isn’t… Read More

Mucho Thanks!!

November 24th, 2011
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Happy Thanksgiving!! The classy and world famous Rockettes Are you watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade yet?  To me, it’s not truly Thanksgiving until I watch The Rockettes perform their incredibly precise dance numbers and their infamous kickline.  Then, of course, there are the numerous marching bands, celebrities lip syncing popular tunes and the huge balloon animals. Maybe you’re peeling potatoes or putting the turkey in the oven.  Whatever you are doing and wherever you are, I hope your day is full of great food, family and friends! Today I want to send a big thank you to all of… Read More

The Month of Thanks

November 18th, 2011
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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

Workshop For Grieving Teens — Friday, Nov. 14

November 3rd, 2011
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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
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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