Pat Conroy

March 11th, 2016
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 pat-conroy-getty-horizontal-large-galleryPhoto Courtesy of CNN

The most powerful words in English are ‘Tell me a story’ 

~ Pat Conroy

In the midst of all the hurly burly reporting of election politics that’s boldly been crowding our daily headlines,  there was a sad piece of human news last weekend that I felt got lost in the shuffle: Pat Conroy, a courageous man and super talented writer, lost his battle to cancer and died at the age of 70.

I say courageous because that’s the first word that comes to my mind when I think of him and his unusual ability to intimately … Read More

Dreamy Monday Music

March 7th, 2016
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  I was cleaning out my car over the weekend and found a Vanessa Williams CD under one of the car seats that I used to play all the time.  Don’t you love it when you unexpectedly find things that you forgot about?  I think the best surprise is when you put on a jacket or a coat you haven’t worn in awhile and you find money in the pockets.  Yes! Isn’t that a great feeling? In any case, getting back to my newly found CD, music is always a great friend.  Every morning as I drive to work, I… Read More

Let Them Eat Cake

February 29th, 2016
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A Variety of Wedding Cakes Weddings are the ultimate in family celebrations and June 11 is the big day for my son and his wonderful fiancé! As many of you already know, wedding planning is made up of hundred of decisions, large and small and as with most things life, the process is so different from when I got married decades ago. I mean this in a good way because now there are more choices about invitations, places to get married and of course, the cake which makes the wedding feel that much more personal, reflecting the styles of the… Read More

Do I Have To Go?

February 19th, 2016
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      When I was a young child, maybe eight or nine years old, my Mom said something to me about the meaning of paying your last respects to those people whom you care about that has stayed with me my whole life. She was talking to me about a family funeral that she and my Dad were getting ready to attend. I remember it as one of those conversations where I followed her from room to room as she talked.  This was not unusual given that she had six children to keep track of so if you wanted… Read More

Thinking about Cupid

February 12th, 2016
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  In Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love and this coming weekend is all about Cupid, a funny and fickle little guy associated with the warm and fuzzy feelings of desire, affection and love! What is this thing called love?  Well, it’s one big powerful field of unbelievable emotion that practically knocks you over the first time you experience it.  Being in love and giving love are some of the most exhilarating feelings in the whole world and if I had my way we would all be feeling it as much as possible on… Read More

Mermaid — A Memoir

January 8th, 2016
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My wonderful son and I share a love of reading all kinds of books.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, or biography. A good story always grabs us and we like to share books that we discover and enjoy so much that we can’t put them down until we arrive at the last word. As a Christmas present, he gave me a memoir titled, Mermaid, a book that neither of us had read but still his instincts told him that this would probably be a book I would enjoy. He was right!  I loved it and whipped right through… Read More

Happy New Year 2016

December 31st, 2015
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And now let us welcome the New Year Full of things that have never been.                                    ~ Rainer Maria Rilke On this last day of 2015, I find myself reflecting, probably just as you are, on how the year went by so quickly, on some of the good and bad things that happened and what I have might learned from all of these amazing experiences. It seems like the natural thing to do. 2015 has been quite a year, bringing all sorts of surprises, but it also brought me a renewed sense of discovery.  A sense of appreciating instead of just… Read More

Experiencing The Holiday Spirit

December 28th, 2015
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Don’t you find that every Christmas has its own vibe and dynamic? I reminisce about Christmases past and there are things that stand out that I will never ever forget. From childhood Christmases, there is always the cozy sounds of Johnny Mathis while running around in my pajamas getting ready to put out cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve.  Adult Christmases bring back loving memories of my late husband and those first Christmases with our young son.  I remember those Christmases as being simple in decorations and gifts and always having a feeling of innocence. And then there… Read More

You Are Merrily Appreciated

December 24th, 2015
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  I pause today to extend my best wishes to all no matter what holiday you may celebrate this time of year. Throughout this holiday season, may peace and joy be with you and your families. Holidays are great opportunities to celebrate life but I find they are also difficult to manage because we bring so many emotions and expectations to them each and every year.  Don’t think I am being a Scrooge when I say that the decorations, the music, the food, and the rituals are important, but I am of the mindset these days that if something doesn’t… Read More