The president of a house of worship in Connecticut told me that a congregant, well past retirement age, who said he had been a very successful marketing executive, stood up at its annual meeting to comment on the need for a better marketing plan to attract more members. His remarks were not received well by the president. It had nothing to do with the merit of his ideas. “That’s great” she replied, at first. “Can you take charge of putting a plan together and managing it?” His reply is what rankled her: ...

I can’t seem to slow this holiday season down! There is still so much to do and I try to savor every day, every experience and memory. Today, there are five days until Christmas and I’m about to embark on an epic mom and daughter holiday weekend in the city.  I think we have every quintessential New York experience on our agenda. I can’t wait to share that diversion. There are many moving parts and personalities to consider so its best left to full disclosure next week.  What I’m thinking about right now is ...

Who doesn’t love dessert? It’s the special bite at the end of a sumptuous meal, the much needed friend on a lonely day, and perhaps a meal all by itself. The itch begins slowly at the end of summer, and gains an  urgency as each day goes by.  By mid-September, my husband and daughter begin sprinkling their conversations with questions like, “So, have you thought about dessert for the holidays?” and, “I can’t wait for Christmas dessert!” My in-laws are a bit more subtle, writing small notes ...

I’m not an expert on insects, but one day as I was on my way down to the basement with a big basket of laundry, something jumped out from under the stairs that was definitely not one of our pets or my children. Being a calm, suburban mom who can take most things in stride, I naturally shrieked, stumbled, and hurled the basket of laundry down the stairs. “Aaaahhhh!” I yelled from behind the heap o’ laundry that separated me from the monster insect thing. My husband came running down the stairs. “What is ...

Already, really dumb things are happening in 2019, so I had better get through covering 2018. Here are the rest of the news items from last year that you swore you didn’t have anything to do with, and no one believed you. ELON MUSK LAUNCHES TESLA INTO SPACE When I first read this headline I assumed he launched his Tesla into a parking space, which seemed a bit of overkill, but Musk is kind of a nutty guy. In fact, he launched the Tesla into outer space on top of a SpaceX rocket that was headed there anyway. Once out of the Solar ...

I go through this every month: “Clean up, company’s coming!”  I run around the house in a panic, picking up all my projects and spend hours just putting away my stuff before I can clean the house or my husband can clean, whose fault it is anyway for inviting people over!  What’s the matter with him?! Every month, my husband invites people over for wine and cheese. I hate it and I love it. It forces me to “pick up the house,” as my mother says, and get things put away.  If my husband ...

It was a Saturday before Christmas and, after feeding Pyewacket and Stanley (my cats) at 6 a.m., I decided to go back to bed and sleep in.  I had nothing on my calendar and before I knew it, it was 11:30 a.m. and my doorbell was ringing.  Sleepy eyed, I opened the door to find Santa Claus, accompanied by three of his helpers, and my grandson Brian.  They were all members of the Somers Fire Department, bringing candy canes to some of us Seasoned Citizens. What a nice way to be awakened!  My son-in-law, Curtis, an EMT, is ...

While at a restaurant, I often find myself observing other diners: those who are clearly enjoying the whole experience, those who are quietly eating, folks who enjoy their companions and of course, much to my disappointment, those who are texting. This is a story—based on my observations—of two mothers and two very different daughters. One long-ago winter day, Mom and I were enjoying a delightful breakfast at one of her favorite restaurants.  Enter daughter number one:  I watched as a young, well-dressed woman came ...