Happy Thanksgiving!

November 22nd, 2012
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Today is a day Americans set aside to gather with family, friends or both, bow our heads and give thanks for the blessings God has given us.

It is wonderful to have the day off from work and I am busy this morning making my part of the Thanksgiving dinner: homemade mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.  Because these two dishes are so important to the classic Thanksgiving dinner, I take a lot of care in preparing them and enjoy watching people gobble them up.
I started making homemade cranberry sauce years ago after I was served this particular cranberry sauce … Read More

A Cartful of Gratitude

November 19th, 2012
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Photo Courtesy of Williams Sonoma Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you and to give thanks continuously.  And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Just like most Americans, I went to the grocery store this weekend to buy food to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner. The store was crowded and the shelves were stocked with all of the things that I buy at this particular time of year: pumpkin, cream cheese, spices, nuts and cranberries.  Depending on the aisle I… Read More

Happy, Feliz, Joyeux,

September 27th, 2012
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Photo By Carla Culbertson Cranston If only we could live our lives just as these two beautiful children are! Spontaneously and happily! But here’s the thing: WE CAN!!! Surpringly, we have more control over our happiness than you would think. Current research shows that part of our happiness is determined by our temperament or personality.  Many people believe our personalities are locked in from birth because it comes from our DNA.  That’s great if you have a bright, sunny personality.  But if you have a sour, negative personality, and you want to be happier, there is are some things that… Read More

Simple Summer Pleasures

June 20th, 2012
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In yesterday’s post, I wrote about being grateful for being able to take taking time off this summer. That got me thinking about other things that make summer wonderful.  Here are a simple pleasures that I look forward to: 1.  Summer Heat I know I am in the minority on this one but I love it when it’s hot.  I think I’m safe in saying that most people do not like the summer heat in Washington, DC.  BUT I LOVE IT!  If the temperature drops below 70 degrees, I need a sweater or a shawl or a jacket of some… Read More

Summer’s Journey

June 19th, 2012
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Usually by this time of the year, I have committed to the dates for taking a vacation with my son.  But this year is different. Now that my son has graduated from college and started his new paying job (love to be able to say paying job), we both are pretty sure that the rest of the summer will be different from other summers.  Since he isn’t living at home and his job requires him to work on Saturdays, it’s a pretty good bet that our usual August vacation isn’t going to happen. But we are trying hard to make… 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

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

Gratitude

August 26th, 2011
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In her best-selling book Simple Abundance, author Sarah Ban Breathnach recommends spending a few minutes each morning and evening listing five things for which you are grateful. Once a day is good enough for me but at the end of a particularly great or horrendous day you might want to think again about some of the unexpected things that happened to you. Focusing on the positive aspects of life is what’s it’s all about.  After a week that started with me taking my son back to college for his senior year in New York City, then an unprecedented 5.8 earthquake… Read More