Posted on: January 31st, 2014

Somewhere along the way, my own mantra got lost and fell to the wayside. Now, that certainty has been replaced by doubt. By comparing. By looking over my shoulder at others and seeing that they do more, they have more, they know more, they have more than me.

Posted on: January 31st, 2014

One can argue that forgetting something on a regular basis is a sign of advancing age and it’s time to for a neurological evaluation, but based on the number of young people who need to replace a lost smart phone (too bad it’s not smart enough to warn its owner that that they have become separated – or is there an app for that too?), I safely can say that losing “stuff” cuts across the generations.

Posted on: January 24th, 2014

I stood there on the steps, rather stunned. I couldn’t believe he was serious; surely this was just a chocolate-obtaining-method of flattery. But I sure wasn’t taking a chance.

Posted on: January 17th, 2014

Nothing says winter like a bowl of hot soup – and so many of you responded to our request for recipes.

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Posted on: January 17th, 2014

Perele stretches under the sturdy tree, savoring the calm breeze licking at her ankles, the blessed stillness of her secret retreat. Only a moment longer. These few short snaps of stolen time fill her with a heady sense of pleasure. This is her space. And trees don’t shout.

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Posted on: January 17th, 2014

It’s easy to get excited and start hunting for the perfect shade of champagne tablecloth to match the exact color of the bridesmaid dresses, or to insist that each guest must have a wine glass, water glass and soda glass.

Posted on: January 17th, 2014

For quite a few days in late December, Toronto was transformed into a breathtaking – literally and figuratively – frigid winter wonderland, where every twig, leaf, car door, and outdoor wire and cable was totally encased in ice. When the sun shone the landscape was blindingly brilliant as if billions of diamonds had been glued to everything the eye could see.

Posted on: January 10th, 2014

The Recycling Plant in Hillburn, NY, also known as an MRF, Materials Recovery Facility, offers an extensive education on the importance of recycling, as well as exciting activities related to recycling for children to enjoy.

Posted on: January 10th, 2014

"Fear absolutely no one or nothing but G-d, and love every single Jew no matter who he/she is and no matter what he/she is doing.”

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Posted on: January 10th, 2014

This week we deal with questions from people who, one way or another, are on their own. And as usual, we don’t really help them.

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Posted on: January 7th, 2014

In the dim lights of the auditorium, the outfit screamed of loudness, and I felt different.

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Posted on: January 6th, 2014

The voyage is going peacefully A salty tang in the air, But when the storm decides to strike The sailors are unprepared.

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Posted on: January 6th, 2014

My first cell phone was given to me by a son who doesn’t live near us. He was tired of trying to reach me on our landline. He felt it was wrong for me not to be able to be accessible to my family, and I must admit that he was right.

Posted on: January 6th, 2014

Talk to people who own hybrid cars and they will happily gloat about how infrequently they fill up their tank or how many miles they get to the gallon. Chat with owners of electric cars and they will wax enthusiastically about how often they go to the gas station. Just so you know: they don’t. Ever.

Posted on: January 6th, 2014

Outside is a winter-white wonderland replete with dazzling trees, wires, and sidewalks seemingly wrapped in glittery silver foil. It’s quite lovely to look at, which is about all I can do since I’m stuck indoors. Icicle-laden tree branches are bent and hunch-backed by the frozen heaviness of their popsicle-like burden, and the voices squawking from the battery-operated transistor radio I am listening to are warning people not to go out since walkways and roads are extremely slippery, and there is real danger from falling trees.

Posted on: January 1st, 2014

The President having signed the Treaty of the Geneva Conference and the Senate having, on the 16th instant, ratified the President's actions, the American Association of the Red Cross, organized under provisions of said treaty, purposes to send its agents at once among the sufferers by the recent floods, with a view to the ameliorating of their condition so far as can be done by human aid and the means at hand will permit. Contributions are urgently solicited.

Posted on: December 27th, 2013

My sister went to take a shower. I really didn’t appreciate being alone. As I waited for my turn to shower, I suddenly heard voices coming from my parents' bedroom, down the dark hallway.

Posted on: December 27th, 2013

Every child wants to "fit in," and not be the “uncool kid." This is why teenagers steal, from a high-end store or a schoolmate. Some kids even get bullied for their appearance. So they just make believe they are too sick and not have to suffer what they call “torture."

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Posted on: December 27th, 2013

Ahh, Winter Break. Those glorious ten days each year when the kids have vacation and hopefully, you do too. Heading off to Florida sounds pretty amazing right about now, huh? What? You're not going anywhere? Staying home? Yeah, that was us – every single year.* Affording a warm-weather vacation with a bunch of kids is pretty much out of the question for many families and this year is no exception. So instead of taking a vacation, plan a staycation.

Posted on: December 26th, 2013

Without warning, the first awareness of an onset of a serious accident or illness brings with it a dawn of a new world, complete, as it were, with its own natural laws that are not always clear to the uninitiated. This leaves both the “newbie” and his or her family, feeling that they have landed in a strange new world without a passport or travel guide.