On the Passing of a Friend I’ve Never Met

This morning I learned of the passing of a friend, a friend I've never met. Some would say I've no right to these feelings of loss and sadness. My connection with writer and life coach Heather Williams was purely an online friendship, through Maia Berens' Life Coaching site "You University". The story of Heather's upbringing is …

Walking It Off

As the sun lowers in the late afternoon sky I resist the urge to close the computer, turn off the desk lamp, put on my walking shoes and get outside for a quick stroll. Why such resistance? In my head, I know that a brisk 25 minutes outdoors will fuel me for a couple more …

What we all need to plant this year…

This is such a lovely article by my insurance broker Lois, that I had to share it. As the days grow longer, I've been pondering my gardens and how they will look this year. Lois takes it a step further, reminding us that life is a garden that must be tended with care... What we …

What’s to Love About Teenage Boys?

"My Feet Are Killing Me from Kicking So Much Ass!" The 15-year-old kid wearing this two-color full-front silk-screened imprint (yes, I once sold ad specialties) didn't appear to be an actual ass-kicker, just a regular, smallish, bespectacled high-schooler training for the upcoming track season. I smiled to myself as he worked up a sweat doing …

Google Privacy – the Shift Has Hit the Fan

The lines between safety, privacy, and access are blurring like that chalk hopscotch board the kids drew on your sidewalk on a sweltering day in July. Google tells me that their privacy rules are changing, all the better for me to share across multiple platforms and so on. Since Facebook already tracks my friends and …

Important Legal Materials Enclosed

It looks like junk mail, but the bold-face type below the return address (unfamiliar to me, I should note) exclaims: "IMPORTANT LEGAL MATERIALS ENCLOSED". The fact that it's addressed to "Resident" does nothing to add to its importance, but I cannot resist opening ......... and very disappointing....It's from United States District Court District of New …

Honda CR-V

My little red CR-V

New Year’s Revolution

Each January, I review and renew my list of self-improvement practices. I recommit to exercising my body and vocal cords, so I can be comfortable on stage as a singer - obviously these habits provide beneficial side effects every day, not just in performance situations. "Be in the moment" has been my mantra for years …

The Scent of Memories

"Memories, imagination, old sentiments, and associations are more readily reached through the sense of smell than through any other channel." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes An article in the Boston Sunday Globe discussed the theory that "smells are very much tied to memories, yet scents are overlooked as we record history." I don't recall much detail of …

A Great Start

Perhaps you've been here? Business travel took us a two-hour plane ride from home. Comfortable in the knowledge that our reserved rental car would be ready for the two-hour drive to our first meeting, we stepped up to the Hertz service desk: "Good morning, we have a reservation." The pleasant customer service person replied "I'm …