At times, the political system seems inhabited by 4th graders angling for playground supremacy. The children (based on maturity, not chronology) bully and name-call to establish dominance. Reflecting back on this year’s activities with our West Point class, I noticed the R identifier after our Congressman classmate’s name. What is the party designation needed post-election?…
Whatever your religious preference, year-end offers a cornucopia of celebrations. Perhaps your family tradition includes feasting on turkey or Tofurky, followed by exercising credit cards on Black Friday morn. Maybe you display an Advent wreath and light candles as a way to prepare for the Nativity. Or, perhaps you’re a historian who mourns the attack…
I’m on my two hundred and twenty-sixth try. I’ve heard its the charm. I have gotten a lot of great feedback from the many readers who read my Advance Review Copy of Flirtation on the Hudson. The feedback has all been positive, and I am ecstatic. Surrounded by that good feeling, I have listened to the…
authors / Book Signing / Community / literacy
Book clubs around the Northeast have responded to my invitation to read my book and discuss it with me through my “Chat with the Author” program. So far, two Q&A sessions stand out — one in Boston and one in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The Book Club in Boston was my first ‘in person’ Book Club Author…
While we would like to pretend otherwise, death will come to all. Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, originated in Mexico. The festivities honor those who have gone before and marks life’s end as an occasion for hope and cheer. Celebrated annually from 31 October to 2 November, the holiday corresponds to Halloween,…
In a mandatory writing class, my professor emphasized proper citation of sources. She gave an example of what NOT to do based on her membership on the university’s board that investigates alleged lapses of academic integrity. One accused student defended himself by throwing his mother under the bus: “It wasn’t my fault. My mother wrote…
I was recently in a chain store in the middle of Manhattan with a long line of customers waiting to check out. When the person paying had finished gathering their belongings and left the register, the clerk called, “The following customer?” Woah! I thought. Don’t we say,’next customer’ in English? I thought perhaps this was just an…
Too bad… It’s likely that no one else wants your furniture, china, or collectibles. At a presentation called “Keep the best and get rid of the rest” sponsored by the Arlington County, VA 55+ program, presenter Matthew Quinn of Quinn’s Auction Galleries gave a “State of the stuff” status report. Shift happens The 20th century Great…
Last night it was Ossining Historical Society Museum. Last week the venue was Scattered Books Bookstore in Chappaqua. I’m on a roll — meeting fans of history and avid readers in two of my haunts close to home. THANK YOU to all friends and fans who joined me in celebrating my book launch last week.…
The antidote is grace; the action is prayer; the solution is community Do you crave an experience of the sacred? Are you aware of a God-shaped hole that you spend your life trying to fill? There’s much that we don’t understand, which draws us to people or organizations that can guide us. Religions are institutions…
Come to a Wine and Cheese ReceptionPlease join me to celebrate the launch of my book! Scattered Books in Chappaqua New York is the first bookstore to carry the paperback version! I know the book is selling well already online. Thank you readers for contacting me and telling me how much you enjoyed it! Come…
I get eye exams conscientiously. Apparently, I’m at risk for glaucoma and retinal detachment. I’d rather monitor my eye health than wait for a problem to ambush me. So, each year, I go through a comprehensive exam with visual fields screening and dilation. The visual fields test diagrams each eye’s blind spot, a segment without…
