In November, we are featuring three guest writers who have submitted pieces on “Gratitude”. We will post these throughout the month. Next month’s subject is “Holidays” and everyone is welcome to submit a non-fiction piece. Send your essays to [email protected] by November 30, 2022. What I Learn from Marley Boy by Melissa S. “What have …
Dear Scott, Bradley here. I thought it might be a good time to check in and see how you’re doing a few weeks after I left town. For anyone who has not been reading this blog, I’m Scott’s dog. Well, I was until he and Beth asked that horrible veterinarian, Dr. Haims, to euthanize me. …
In yesterday’s post about winter in the Catskills, I neglected to mention something important. I’m scared about how it might be when there’s lots of ice and snow here. Will I be cold in this home with radiant heating? Will the people who are supposed to plow the driveway come on time so that we …
November is here. As a northeasterner, it’s long been a month of preparation for the coming cold and a time to build fires (real and metaphorical) to keep the body and spirit warm until Spring. I miss the wood stove we had in our Yorktown Heights, NY home. For nearly two decades, chopping wood and …
We’re in Pennsylvania! Driving here, my body remembered the feeling I get when I’m ten minutes away from the endpoint, when I never gave over the wheel to Beth, and it consequently feels like twenty minutes instead of ten. It’s not one of my favorite traveling memories. Still, I love being on the road. I …
In my last post, I talked about where Beth and I might spend the holidays. The answer, as of last night, is in the land of my birth – Westchester. It’s gonna be a family thing. Apparently, my stepfather, Jim, voiced his opinion that he is looking forward to Thanksgiving. He said this from a …
I like some traditions, but a lot of them have become progressively harder to enjoy. For example, I typically love the Jewish tradition of sitting Shiva, but I almost always dislike wakes. Evidently, I’m picky about how I approach death. I’m also picky about Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions. While I love expressing gratitude, hugging those …
Well, I got my ass kicked, again. That phrase was often used by a therapist we used as a married couple. Her name was Sarah Rubin and she used to go off on retreats to learn more about herself. Invariably, she would come back and say either, “Feh. That was useless” or, more frequently, “THAT …
Have you ever heard of binary thinking? Here’s one definition: “Binary thinking, also known as dichotomous thinking, happens when complex concepts, ideas, and problems are overly simplified into an either/or perspective. Binary thinking is black and white. Good or bad. Always or never.” BodyHelix.com An example of binary thinking is “should I eat something healthy …
Today, we presented two programs for daycare providers at a local conference center. The first presentation was a 30 minute keynote that included songs and a talk about running a successful family or daycare program. The second was a one-hour songwriting session where we wrote a song with 25 owners, managers and directors called “We’re …