Mindful Driving

May 10th, 2018
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bicycle girl

 

Driving down 95.

Windows down.

Fresh air swirling.

Alicia Keys full volume.

Girl is bomb.

Breathing deeply.

Deeply breathing.

Mind wandering.

Discarding negative.

Embracing change for warmer times.

T-shirts, shorts & flip-flops.

Welcoming new season.

Staying in moment.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Feeling healthy.

Feeling stronger.

Feeling ready.

Grateful.Read More

Having A Thankful Heart

November 20th, 2017
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As we slide into this holiday week of Thanksgiving, my thoughts turn to the simple idea of setting aside a day to show gratitude. Yes life is crazy, messy and unpredictable. Yes the holiday season can be painful and a stinging reminder of a terrible loss or a difficult family situation. But you can sit yourself down and listen to your heart and acknowledge your limits.  Be aware of what you need before you join family and friends for any holiday event.  Express your thoughts and feelings to a trusted person.  Change up your expectations and instead focus on one… Read More

Nico To The Rescue

June 17th, 2014
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Wow! Sometimes all you need is an unscheduled block of time and the patience of a friend to hold your hand while you learn something new. Whether we are ready or not, life brings us changes every day.  Some put us on a new road and others can be annoying potholes and puddles.  And then there are the exciting and fun changes that also come into our lives.  I don’t mind a certain amount of change.  But the stress-o-meter goes out of control for me when too much change happens at the same time  Still, I tell myself: change is… Read More

Nothing More — The Alternate Routes

November 29th, 2013
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After a day spent counting our blessings and giving thanks, today we are full of gratitude right? To keep that warm and fuzzy and wonderful feeling of kindness going, here is a song introduced to me by Hannah Donnelly (a Jesuit Volunteer Corps alumni & my son’s girlfriend) that I know I will be singing or humming to myself today or whenever I feel my patience starting to wear.  It is a beautiful song, offering hope and I think it fosters the spirit of giving. The song, “Nothing More” was written specifically for Newtown Kindness (www.newtownkindness.org) and is performed by… Read More

Star Night Star Bright

November 21st, 2013
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I am one of those old school people who still have a daily newspapers delivered to my house.  During the work week when I go outside to get the newspaper, it is dark and the moon and the stars are still shining in the sky. It’s a great time to collect my thoughts for the day. This morning I took a moment to stand still on the sidewalk, take a deep breath, and say a prayer of gratitude for a new day and whatever it might bring.  As I gazed at the quiet beauty of the moon hanging in the… Read More

Holiday Mash-Up

November 18th, 2013
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In music, mashups are when a performer or group combines the instrumentals of one song with the vocals of another song and then the mashup, or blending if you will, is played as a new song.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it flops. In retail, this is the time of year for practicing what I think of as a huge marketing mash-up.  Stores no longer wait for one holiday to almost happen and then stock the shelves with the decorations or products for the next holiday.  There is no longer any retail restraint with regard to holidays; it’s just throw… Read More

Turn Around Solitary Man

September 9th, 2013
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I felt very lucky and very blessed to be sitting in my worn and comfortable beach chair early yesterday morning, breathing in the soft air of Bethany Beach and watching the tide come in as the waves pounded the sand. For me, sun, sand and ocean are the essential elements for getting rid of worrisome and stressful thoughts and filling my inner reserves with hope and gratitude.  It’s a winning combination every time I need it.  The beach has never let me down.  Ever. I was in Bethany Beach this past weekend to help a very good friend sell her… Read More

Freedom & Bravery on Memorial Day

May 27th, 2013
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The smell of charcoal lighter fluid has been heavy in the air in my neighborhood this weekend which means that the grilling season is now officially open. Cookouts and parades are just two of the many ways we Americans mark the holiday of Memorial Day, a day when we pause and remember the bravery of the Americans soldiers who are thankfully still with us and those who are sadly deceased because without them we would not have the freedom to enjoy such leisure and peace. American flag displayed at Vietnam Veterans Memorial I recall as a teenager when the draft… Read More

Forgiveness

April 5th, 2013
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Someone close to me is emotionally stuck on certain negative events that happened in her life decades ago.  She talks about them in great detail and tells others how she felt when these things happened to her.  Listening over and over again to her retelling of these events doesn’t seem to help her move forward and get past what happened. It’s as though she has a list in her head and she mentally checks these things off every day to remind herself that someone did something wrong to her.  It is sad and frustrating to watch someone concentrate on the… Read More