60
- 0
Beyond The Obvious Risks of Covid-19
This novel virus has caused widespread panic and fear. When people react in fear they often become robots by losing the ability to think for themselves.
- 0
Visiting Aunt Do
We all have to die.But while we are still living, we need to connect with the people we love and have loved during our lifetimes. It's important to let them know what they meant to us and how they impacted our lives. We are all the sum parts of everyone we have ever known in this life.
- 2
Christmas In the Fifties
I have THE best memory of certain parts of my childhood. The good, the bad and even the ugly. But at Christmas, its the good I love to drag out and remember.
- 3
The Magic of Christmas and Where It Came From
Christmas magic isn't just about Santa Clause. Think back to the people in your lives who helped make Christmas what it was for you.
- 0
The Miracle That Is Zoey Kate
Just when you think your heart cannot hold more love, along comes grandchildren
- 0
God Grant Me
The Serenity Prayer has, I believe, saved lives. It is, after all, the lifeline for millions of alcoholics. My own mother being one of them.
- 2
Auld Lyne Syne
Celebrating New Year's is when we reflect on the year before. This year was also a time to look back over a decade.
- 0
Ageing And Acceptance
Youth really is wasted on the young. Yes, as the song goes, regrets, I've had a few.
- 0
Music and It's Power
Music spans the decades of our lives and connects us to the past and people in it.
- 0
The Best New Year's Resolution
Having cancer is scary. I don't care who you are or what type of cancer you have, it's a daunting, frightening thing to hear the words no one ever wants to hear.
- 0
The Lane Cedar Chest
Lane Cedar Chests have most likely fallen out of favor in today's world. But in my mother's era they were the modern answer to a young girl's hope chest.
- 1
I Named Her Shannon
It never dawned on my husband and I to not take our newborn Down Syndrome baby home with us. I credit faith in God for that. It wasn't ever a choice. It just was.
- 0
Responsibility: It Should Apply To Our Country's Leaders
Party affiliation is one thing. But doing the right thing should always supercede being a Democrat or a Republican. These days it's hard to find that responsibility.
- 0
Her Heart Is Pure Love
If you've never been lucky enough to meet a Down Syndrome person you are missing one of life's greatest joys. My daughter, Shannon, has impacted so many lives with her smile, her laugh, her unabashed love for life and mostly, her ability to love unconditionally
- 0
Neighborhood Kids and Growing Up: The Age of Innocence
The lessons we learn as children carry us into adulthood and last well into old age. Growing up around other kids was a lesson in learning to get along, play fair, laugh, and generally have fun. I won't ever forget those days of carefree childhood.
- 0
My Back Pages: 50 Years Later Memories of High School
They say you can't go back. But I think there are some occasions where you can go back. Such is a high school reunion, especially a 50th reunion. Going back to those long ago days was a reminder of who I was, where I've been and yes, who I am today. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.
- 0
Things I Learned From My Father
Our Father's are tasked with many responsibilities. Learning from them as they go about their daily lives, is a lesson in living for a lifetime.
- 0
Fix The Ramen
Perfect parenting isn't and shouldn't be about perfection. It should only be about the things that really matter. Spending good time with each other at dinner each night is one of those things that matter. And years from now, your kids won't remember that some nights were spent eating ramen. Promise
- 0
My Dad and The Flying Scooters
Memories are a funny thing. We think it's the big moments in life that are easily remembered. When in fact, it's often the small, seemingly inconsequential, day to day things that grab our hearts and return us to a time we had all but forgotten.
- 0
Another Mother's Day Remembrance
Mother's come in all shapes and sizes. Some are the stuff TV sitcoms are made of. Some are not. Mine made my life a merry hell well into my adult years. But I turned a corner after her death and began understanding. I don't believe that anyone wants to be a bad Mom. Some just cant help themselves.
- 0
A Labor of Love: Making Stuffed Grape Leaves
I was raised in a Lebanese family. Learning how to cook the time honored dishes was a natural thing for me. I spent so much time with my grandmother and my aunts watching and helping that I absorbed learning to cook by osmosis. Grape leaves are an integral part of Arabic menus.
- 0
Why July 4th Is My Favorite Holiday
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and Thanksgiving. But I'm a patriotic sap and Independance Day speaks to that part of me that I swear lived another life in another place in another day.
- 2
Why I Will Remain A Catholic Until My Dying Day
Being a Catholic these days is no walk in the park. And I guess, with good reason. Everywhere there are people with opinions and again, with good reason. But unless you have been raised in the Church, it is difficult to understand how faith can guide you through even the worst of times.
- 0
Nat King Cole and Remembering My Dad
Music has that unmistakable way of dragging us back to a time or place even from decades ago. Sometimes it happens when we least expect it and emotions aren't always easily checked. Anything by Nat King Cole can do that to me. My Dad loved him and no matter where I am, I react.
- 0
Food, Fall and Nesting
No matter if you use a slow cooker or an instant pot or an old fashioned pressure cooker or do it the really old fashioned way by scratch, we women are all primal in our need to make food all about love and memories.
- 0
Cookbooks, Catering and Memories
They say that necessity is the Mother of invention. I cannot argue with that philosophy as much of what I have accomplished in my life has been caused by the sheer necessity of needing income along with an outlet for the creative side of my personality which exists even as I grow older.
- 0
The Legacy of My Mom's Green Thumb
It takes growing up and getting older to appreciate the sometimes routine and monotonous things our parents did during our childhood years. And only then can we begin to appreciate the beauty of what they taught us.
- 0
A 50's Kind of Christmas
When I look back to Christmas in the 50's and early 60's I remember details not so much of the toys I received. But more of the things that my parents did to make our home what it was.
- 0
The Heroes of Flight 93
We honor the memory of the heroes of Flight 93 by striving to be a truly one nation, under God. .
- 0
My Thoughts On The Crisis of Removing Our Historical Monuments
When we begin to try and change history, we embark on a slippery slope of when does it end.
- 0
Rest In Peace Rhinestone Cowboy
Glen Campbell died this week. He was, without any doubt, a music icon. But he was so much more than that to me.
- 2
Saving Private Ryan Again
Saving Private Ryan was perhaps one of, if not the most moving productions I have ever seen. And it left its mark on me to the point where I could never bring myself to watch it again. Until now.
- 0
Finding Out That You Can Survive An Unloving Parent
Growing up with a parent who is incapable of showing love sets a course for the rest of your life. Only you, the unloved child, can find a way to stop the cycle and love yourself
- 0
Father's Day Fifty Three Years Later
It never gets easier. Father's Day without my father only serves to remind me, as though I need reminding, that he's been gone a long, long time.
- 0
When You Think You Can't And Then You Find Out You Can
Laying down mulch is not a job for the faint hearted or the weak bodied. But doing it despite those odds, means finding out that you are stronger, both in body and in spirit than you thought you were.
- 0
Loving My Favorite Season Summer
Summer means freedom and the end of the long, cold winter. But it also means digging in dirt and planting and enjoying the absolute beauty of nature.
- 0
Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer
Summer is gone so quickly but it seems we pack so much living into this season that the memories we make last a lifetime.
- 0
Only Child
Many people think that only children have it all. And in many ways they do. But what they don't have adds up over the years and reminds them of what they missed.
- 0
Eradicating The World of Down Syndrome People
Medical science has now made it possible for people to determine not only the sex of their unborn child, but also genetic defects. We are a worse society because of it in my opinion.
- 0
Grandpa and Those Good, Old Days
I loved my grandfather. The bond between a child and a grandparent is a strong one and can do a great job of filling in for the parents.
- 3
Why Christmas Music Matters
We all have favorite songs of Christmas. This one will always be one of mine.
- 5
Why I Would Never In a Million Gazillion Years See the Play Hamilton
It seems a useless comment to tell people to get over themselves. But it fits so well in this circumstance
- 0
It's Only A Cookbook
It sits on a shelf in my kitchen and rarely comes out. But when it does, I am reminded of my mother and the past becomes the present
- 0
Dad's Don't Just Happen
You don't get to be a Dad until you become a man
- 0
Don't Be Fooled. Down Syndrome Does Not Mean Stupid
There are those moments in life when you have to remember to breathe because the emotion flooding your heart is so intense.
- 1
Why Holding Onto The Past Hurts Us And How We Stop the Cycle of Hurt
Parents make mistakes...sometimes huge mistakes. And the results of those mistakes can guide our adult lives...if we let them
- 0
Letting Go and Learning to Forgive
Forgetting is easy....Forgiveness is freeing.
- 1
The Dishonesty of the Liberal Media
I long for the days when you could actually expect honest news reporting. It would seem they are gone forever.
- 0
A Boy Named Charlie and Gone With the Wind
When you're young and in love the rest of your life is as close as the next day.
- 0
My Friend Pam's Birthday Party When Being Just Like All The Other Girls Mattered
Not everyone has a best friend. I count myself lucky to have mine.
- 0
Father's Day and The Blackberry Bush
The day was about Dad's but also about finding a blackberry bush and memories...making them and remembering them
- 0
The Trump Acceptance Speech
I am in love with the idea of making America great again. I am in love with American exceptionalism. I am in love with the idea, absent for many years, that Americans are good and decent people.
- 0
The Pervasiveness and Perception of White Guilt
The conditioning of white people to believe that they are guilty of all evils which befell black Americans hit home for me
- 0
The Bill Clinton Speech Designed To Erase Our Memories of Hillary
He tried valiantly. But even the best speech writer can't convince millions of Americans that Hillary Clinton is right for our country
- 0
Imploding....Trump Style
The liberal media never disappoints. By now those who are on the right should understand that when it comes to equitable and fair journalistic reporting, it doesn't exist for the mainstream media
- 0
When You Find Out That Being a Mom is Enough
It's hard to know when you're doing it right when all around you the world says you're doing it wrong. Being a Mom is the most unprepared for job in the world.
- 0
The Truth About New Year's Resolutions and Getting Skinny
It's easier to not be resolute on New Year's Day about something you know you're going to fail at
- 0
Being Involved In Your Kids Life Matters
Leaving a relationship is hard enough. Its even harder when there are kids. Staying involved means you tried and you're an adult.
- 0
Remembering My Mother's Hands
Sometimes it's the simplest things which remind us of how much our parent's loved us
- 0
Musings at 65
Getting older might mean wrinkles and lines and sagging cheeks, but it also means wisdom and acceptance and knowing that finally, we have reached the point where the things that really matter...do.
- 0
Forgiving Barbra Streisand
Before I learned the difference between right and left, I was either ignorant or blissfully unaware of the differences. I sometimes wonder if the latter wasnt easier.
- 0
Paying It Forward and Why It Matters
We all need a helping hand once in awhile. On this day, Im glad I was around to offer mine.
- 1
November 22, 1963 The Day America Stood Still.... A Place in History
"Johnny.....we hardly knew ye"
- 0
The Top Five Regrets People Have When Dying And Why They Matter Before We Die
We get no do-overs. Its important to make our lives matter more than just the daily 9-5 and humdrum of get up, go to work, go to bed and then die.
- 0
The Farmers Market and Lessons on Life from the Egg Man
Farmers Markets....the stuff summer and sunshine is made of.
- 0
Early Influences In Our Lives
From learning to cook to knowing the name of my Aunt Ann's brass candlesticks, the women who came before me, taught me more than they will ever know.
- 0
Dying At An Old Age Is Still Dying
When an older person dies its often thought that their lives were full and now that their life is over, families can just move along. Nothing could be further from the truth.
- 2
What A Dream I Had
We dont know when we are young that getting old happens so quickly....why didnt they tell me?
- 0
Avon Soap on a Rope and Why Its a Good Memory
Having an Avon Lady in the family meant always having a good supply of bubble bath. But years later, I realize it meant so much more.
- 0
The Independence Day That Almost Wasn't
It's always been my favorite holiday. So when it came around this year and I questioned celebrating it, I knew something was seriously wrong.
- 0
What I've Learned From Facebook
Facebook has changed the world..in many cases for the best.
- 0
The 96 Year Old Photograph of My Daddy and His Family
Families and photographs....that unmistakable link to our pasts
- 0
Graduation Day
This is a big deal. One of the biggest. Its a once in a lifetime affirmation of the job both parents and their child have done. Celebrate it and bask in the pride. Youve earned it!
- 0
War And Memorial Day...The Cost Of Freedom
Knowing that going off to war could mean you may never come home, but also knowing that its an honor to serve and protect
- 2
How Do You Pretend That Mother's Day Means Something When it Really Doesn't?
Mother's Day was never a happy day for me and as I grew older it became even unhappier
- 0
Looking Back...At Being A Mom
When all is said and done, Id do it all again.
- 2
What's Wrong With Baltimore....What's Wrong With America
We've got problems in our country that throwing money toward isnt going to fix.
- 0
The Phone That Wouldn't Die
Losing one's phone can be a traumatic experience. But not if youre me, because my phone keeps finding me.
- 0
Tantum Ergo
The spirit of this beautiful music has transcended centuries and remains, today, as relevant as it ever was
- 6
Come Saturday Morning
Cleaning house on Saturday mornings was the norm when my kids were growing up. My husband and I didnt realize that it would become a memory and a tradition as they began their own lives
- 2
My Mother's Wedding Gown
As I grow older I also grow closer to the little girl that I once was
- 3
Bibi Netanyahu Is A Rock Star
History was made today in our United States Congress when Benjamin Netanyahu addressed both Chambers. I am glad, that in my lifetime, I was able to witness this historic occasion
- 6
Ordinary Days
There is nothing ordinary about ordinary. The trick is in recognizing how special ordinary really is
- 3
The All but Forgotten Art of Taking a Bath
We live in a crazy, time consuming world. Taking showers makes sense based on that world...but once in awhile, the luxury of tossing aside time takes over and a bath is what is called for
- 3
It's a Debbie Downer Story So Consider Yourself Warned!
Sometimes it takes something minor to remind us of what it means to be able to see.
- 2
Honoring My Mother Eight Years Later
How much a mother gives to her child can only be measured long after she has left this earth.
- 4
The Importance of Evaluating Good Restaurant Servers
I consider myself a great critic of customer service. Ive spent an entire career honing my skills in that area so when someone good comes along..its noticed
- 3
Reflections from 2010 And Summer
Almost 5 years have passed since I first wrote these words, but they prove to me, once again, that Im really not a winter girl and never have been. Bring on summer!
- 4
A Mouse In The House (and 3 cats who couldn't care less)
There's a mouse in the house!!! And being a city gal, I dont co-exist well with critters who are identified as rodents!
- 4
For My Parents....Happy Birthday to Me
Birthdays are about the birthday person but they are also about the 2 people who made it all possible.
- 2
Goodbye to Aunt Anne
As a young girl, navigating thru the early death of her Dad, I would have been lost had it not been for her. She restored normalcy in an otherwise abnormal and chaotic existence.
- 2
Two Birds...One Stone.
Remembering my parents...its not as tho I have to try very hard, but this particular year, Mothers Day and the anniversary of Dad's death hit the same day and the memories were strong.
- 2
To My Daughter In Law...Kathleen..On Your Wedding Day
When your kids announce that theyre engaged, you wonder what sort of person they are marrying. Since we get no say in the choice, we hope its a good choice. In my case, I had nothing to worry about.
- 0
Ive Got The Wedding Bell Blues
When your children get married, parents see a lifetime flash before their eyes. We remember. It. All.
- 4
Bonne Chance Scott and Kathleen
Saying goodbye is never easy...and while the reason for leaving might be good and great and perfect and wonderful and the best thing for those who are leaving...those left behind feel empty
- 0
Counting Down To Yet Another Birthday
Birthdays really are about more than cake and candles...they are about the past as much as they are about the future.
- 3
Looking Back to Christmas Long Ago
When you're a child, you dont realize that your parents are making memories for you....especially at Christmas
- 5
My Daughter and the Salvation Army Bell Ringer and What They Taught Me About Christmas
Just because someone has a learning disability doesnt mean that they dont understand the true meaning of Christmas
- 1
Christmas And Being Behind the 8 Ball
It was never intended to be what it's become.
- 0
When Christmas Hurts
Not every moment of Christmas is happy. Sometimes there are tears
- 2
Grocery Store Parking Lots....Not For the Faint of Heart!
These days going to the grocery store can be, at the very least, an exercise in aggravation and at the very worst, a prescription for a heart attack!
- 6
Thanksgiving. Over, Done and Out!
Thanksgiving gets its due just once a year but it reminds me of what really matters.
- 0
To Give Thanks...The Holiday That I Look Forward to All Year
Thanksgiving seems to get short shrift with each passing year. But not in my house. It stands alone as its own, wonderful holiday. As it should.
- 2
Welcoming A New Addition to our Home
Living with a raccoon just isnt acceptable no matter how much the raccoon thinks it might be
- 0
Grocery Shopping with Liam...a Tutorial on Being Inept in the World of a Two Year Old
He taught me all about the Bubble Guppies and Princess Sophia (my fave). I taught him the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Patty Cake, and Peek A Boo. I think we are friends.
- 0
The Good, The Bad and the WONDERFUL about Grandma's!
Grandma's are Mom's who got older and therefore wiser and who let us get away with stuff.
- 4
Mother's Day 2014. Thanks, Son
Mothers' Day comes and goes...but this one was special for a very special reason.
- 3
September 11, 2001 We Changed Yet Remained The Same
9/11 should never be forgotten and I dont think it ever will be.
- 0
Fending off Fall
Its not that I dont like Autumn..its just that I LOVE summer!
- 4
1940 N. Limestone Street
Life was a challenge but one we readily accepted. Being 20 something has its pluses.
- 4
Why The Internet is So Savvy!
Who would have thought that this thing called a computer, which at first, scared the crap out of me, would eventually open doors I could have never opened on my own?
- 8
Why Do Old People Smell Like Mothballs?
Im aware that Im getting older. That doesnt mean I have to like it
- 2
Happy Birthday Joe Raymond
Birthday's come and go, but this one stayed long enough to remind me of the wonderful man who was my father
- 8
Home Is Not Just Where I Hang My Hat
A home should reflect the personalities of the people who live in it. It should be warm and welcoming and invite people to "sit a spell"
- 5
To Market, To Market, To Buy A Fat Pig
I love farmer's markets and open air markets and farm stands and roadside stands. Summer isnt summer without a weekly trip to one of them
- 3
Goodbye to the Anna Louise Inn
The Anna Louise Inn was a part of my life. A tender time for a tender, young girl.
- 7
Cleaning Closets... Confessions of a Clothing Addict
Hello. My name is Sallie and I am addicted to clothes
- 2
Countdown to Katie's Wedding
Weddings are a reminder that life is a circle and the circle is continuing
- 7
My Mother's Eulogy
She died in 2007. I wrote her eulogy but could not read it myself. I asked my son to read it at her funeral Mass and he did. He spoke eloquently, but with some tears. It was still beautifully read.
- 6
On Being Catholic
It was never thought of, growing up, but being Catholic was as much a part of me as anything could be....
- 2
I Love Summer
When the first sign of spring arrives, I throw open the windows, dust off the patio furniture and revel in the knowledge that soon summer will be here.
- 2
Realizing That Simple Pleasures Are The Best Pleasures
When we consider all that life has to offer us...sometimes its the simple pleasures that mean the most
- 0
On Being An Orphan
I didnt realize that once my mother died, that I would be considered an orphan. Being one, left me alone and without an anchor
- 0
Ending an Era
I worked for a photographer for almost 15 years. I loved my job and believed it would last forever. I found out that nothing, really does, last forever
- 2
December 17, 2007 And the Kindness of a Stranger
My Mom had died in January of 2007. Christmas was coming and I felt the sadness of knowing that she wasnt going to be with us.
- 1
It's OK to Act Like You're Still In High School
Sometimes we think that being an adult means we are above acting like a child. It's OK to Act Like You're Still in High School once in awhile
- 0
Why The Waltons Matter Today
Why The Waltons Matter Today. What we can learn from a television show from the 1970s.
- 1
Saying Goodbye and Letting Go
We are told that when its time to let our children go, we do so knowing that its the right thing to do...but they didnt tell us how much it would hurt.
- 2
The 50th Anniversary of My Dad's Death
When a parent dies a part of you dies with them. Only because there was no one else who knew you from the moment you were conceived and no one else who will ever love you the way they did...
- 0
Sports And Your Kids
Your kids arent just involved in sports because everyone else is. Your kids are there because you want them to learn basic and fundamental lessons about life.
- 2
I Remember Grandma
In Arabic, the word Ddahti means "grandmother". I called her both and remember her with love in my heart for short tho her time with me, her memory is fresh in my mind.
- 4
The Family Reunion To Beat ALL Family Reunions
When its time to reconnect...a family reunion is what is needed.
- 6
Going To Grandma's House
How many of us have good memories of spending time at our Grandmother's house? I do. I hope my memories remind you of your own...at your Grandma's house.
- 7
The Mile High Double Decker Sandwich and Why It Made Me Smile
The Red Fox Grill in Cincinnati....a step back in time
- 2
The Memorial Mass May, 2014
A Memorial Mass to honor my long gone father who died way too young of cancer. It claimed his life but could never claim my memories of him.
- 2
Goodbye Cousin Janice
Her death caught me unaware...as death so often does. I wasnt ready to say goodbye when I had just begun saying hello again.
- 4
Watching Liam
Babysitting an almost 2 year old aint what it once was! Being a gramma can be a challenge in today's world of high tech gadgets.
- 5
The Beatles Invade Cincinnati Ohio In 1964!
I was 13 years old and only knew that the Beatles had invaded not only the United States, but also my life.
- 6
The Christmas Bike Surprise
No kid was unhappier that Christmas than me. Until.....