Our first Sullivan County hootenanny is tomorrow night. It’s a musical evening where we sit around, singing and playing songs from the sixties and seventies, creating improvised jams and enjoying one another’s company. This is an event we hosted while we were living in Westchester for more than a decade. Beth and I remember many …
Beth and I have a series of programs about health and wellness where we teach children and adults about our bodies and our minds. Over the past few years, though, I have felt some measure of “imposter syndrome” because I have gained and lost weight as a result of not taking care of myself properly. …
When Beth and I first considered writing children’s music, one of our goals was to go deep and write songs that would help children and families. During that period, we wrote “My Dad is Going Away” about divorce and “Believe in Yourself and Your Dreams” about, well, exactly what the title says. Quickly, though, we …
Today, we took a break from a myriad of work-related tasks and cruised through a part of Sullivan called Smallwood. This community has a mixture of summer and year-round residents. Accordingly, some of the homes for sale are three-season bungalows that are used as second homes or rentals. The rest are regular four-season homes. What …
My father was a salesman and like many parents then and now, he used to leave for business trips and then return home a week or two later. As a child, I remember his homecoming especially when he was away for a long trip to Japan or California. Most of the times, he brought us …
This week we are in Lynbrook, NY, home of the Owls. I know this because we worked in three elementary schools writing songs with 4th and 5th graders who have the Owl as their mascot. Our goal – a new assignment for us – was to teach three schools in three days about John Lennon, …
Last Sunday, the Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA) meeting centered on the 11th step: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” Some of the shares at the …
WARNING: this post gets political. This morning I thought about my friends and family members in Pennsylvania, some of whom are intent on voting for the former President. While in the shower, I thought, “What could I possibly say that might sway them to reconsider and vote for the Vice President?” Of course, my inner …
Per yesterday’s post, here are some life hacks to help us put down our devices and become more fully human: Put on comfy clothes. Brew some coffee or tea. Read a book. Have a cookie. Repeat as necessary. Pet your dog or cat. Tell them how much you love them. Feel the pleasure of their …
I’d like to collaborate with my fellow reader/writers on a post called “ Repeat as Necessary.” my vision is that it’s about healthy alternatives to being on a screen- kind of an instruction manual for digital detoxing! Here are two examples to start the ball rolling. Please send me yours, if you’re game. Go outside. …