Political hate. Religious hate. Racial hate. Gay hate. The past few days have laid bare what few of us like to acknowledge. For all the bounty and blessings of living in this country — and there are many — there is also a river of hate that runs throug… Continue reading
Back in the days before Halloween became an industry — it’s now an occasion to plant “gravestones” in the front yard or a giant inflatable vampire in the driveway, all to frighten trick-or-treaters — my father was achieving the same goal with a simple … Continue reading
Mom’s terminal cancer diagnosis took her by surprise. “I always thought I would just fall over dead while I was walking across the backyard,” she told me. “Not me,” I responded. “I’m planning to go out like Uncle Ernest: Go to bed healthy and wake up d… Continue reading
On Primary Day in September, I met my friend Jane for lunch at our favorite place for burgers. She was proudly wearing an “I Voted” sticker, so we eagerly shared our thoughts and ideas about the candidates. Then Jane mentioned that upon returning from… Continue reading
On Saturday, Oct. 27, a hate-spewing 46-year-old man stormed a Pittsburgh synagogue and made a cruel mockery of its very name — the Tree of Life — by unleashing a volley of gunfire that extinguished 11 lives. The savage attack, the third on a house of … Continue reading
We were watching the evening news when my husband, Bob, noticed the date and gasped. “August 16th? Oh, my God. Yesterday was Leslie’s and my wedding anniversary,” he said, referring to his late wife. “I can’t believe I missed it.” “Thank you for sharin… Continue reading
The late musician and composer Frank Zappa got it right when he said, “So many books, so little time.” More than ever, many avid readers have transformed the solitary act of reading into an opportunity for socialization by joining book clubs. The New Y… Continue reading
Life transitions demand that we change more than our roles or outer activities. They demand that we change from the inside out. With retirement, this shift happens when the obvious roles and responsibilities fall away, the structure of our days dissolv… Continue reading
Yoshi is sitting on the table next to me with his head on my arm, which makes it challenging to type. He’s all about proximity these days as he wants a steady stream of affection and warmth from his humans. I can’t imagine that he’s cold — it’s 95 degr… Continue reading
For miniaturists Bradley Meinke, Joan McKenzie and Joan Warren, a love for collecting small treasures started when they were small children, and as they grew, their devotion to this pastime grew right along with them. Miniatures are definitely big. PBS… Continue reading