There are many benefits to using technology – traveling around the world, connecting with loved ones, learning in the classroom, and even saving lives in hospitals! However, like anything else, technology can be overused and even abused. Read More

65 is definitely the new 30! You don't have to look very far for proof. Did you watch this year's Academy Awards? If you did, then you saw Jane Fonda and Rita Moreno (who are both in their 80's) and Helen Mirren and Faye Dunaway (both of whom are in their 70's)...all four women looked absolutely fabulous, defying their ages and defining red carpet grace, glamour and elegance! How about Eva Marie Saint? It is hard to believe that she is 93 years old!! Even though this year's award winners were predictable and the show ran almost one hour overtime, I was glad to have tuned in and inspired by the aforementioned timeless beauties.For years you have heard the saying "age is just a number", but do you actually believe it? When you count the candles on your cake each year, are you grateful for the life journey you have been on or do you go into an annual birthday meltdown? You may not like the fact that I entitled this blog "65 is the new 30" because it should be okay for 65 to be 65! There is a reason for this title and the reason is: Kathie Lee Gifford... Read More

...these are a few of my favorite things! Do you recognize these lyrics? They are from my favorite musical "The Sound of Music" starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The calendar says that Spring will be here in less than two weeks even though Mother Nature obviously has other plans. Before we got sacked this week with yet another Nor'easter, the snow was beginning to melt. Something happened in my neighborhood as the snow was melting that literally stopped me in my tracks. Read More

The 2018 Winter Olympics are now in our collective rear-view mirrors. There were so many memorable moments and if you tuned in, you probably had your favorites. Did you stay up until the wee hours of the morning to watch the Women's Hockey team capture the Gold medal? Were you as exhilarated as I was to watch Mikaela Shiffrin win the Women's Giant Slalom and 17-year old Red Gerard win the US's first Olympic medal when he took the Gold in the Snowboarding Slopestyle? Perhaps you tuned in to watch the extremely entertaining banter between NBC's Figure Skating Analysts Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir, two former world champions themselves. Whatever your take-away was from the games, we can probably all agree that there were many inspiring messages and stories that we can learn from the elite athletes who represented our country so well Read More

Earlier this week, my dear childhood neighbor had a huge milestone anniversary - 50 golden years on Public Television. No, of course I did not really live in the same neighborhood as the beloved Mister Rogers, but he sure did make me feel like I did. There are several generations of people who know exactly what I am talking about. Was it the catchy opening theme song? Was it because he broke the "4th wall of television" by looking us straight in the eye and speaking directly to his audience? Could it be that there were only 4 or 5 television stations back then and there wasn't much else to watch? I truly think it is because Fred Rogers knew exactly what we all needed...a warm and friendly welcome, a very calming and soothing demeanor, and the comfort of knowing that our dear friend and neighbor would be there to greet us each and every day. Given what is going on in the world right now, we sure could use a warm and friendly face reaching out to soothe us during these turbulent times. Read More

Do your friends refer to you as "the life of the party"? That is not something that I was ever known as since I was typically the one planning, cooking for and serving at the parties. It's a great thing to be known for, because it ensures repeat invitations and a booked social calendar. I was recently thinking about the phrase "life of the party" because it is the title of a soon-to-be-released movie written by one of my favorite comedic actresses, Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone. The premise of the film is that McCarthy's character decides to recover from the breakup of her marriage by doing something for herself that she has always wanted to do...go back to college and get her degree. She ends up on the same college campus as her daughter and, in typical Melissa McCarthy fashion, hilarious antics ensue! Read More

Last week, a very dear friend of mine told me a touching story about her household tool box. She said that it was a gift from a friend who brought it over to her house years ago on the day that her divorce became final. Her ex-husband was very handy around the house and had a tool (and the expertise) to fix just about anything. I recall that, back in the day, he even fixed a few things in my home. What a thoughtful and meaningful gift! That toolbox was more than just an attractive container for her new screwdriver, wrench, hammer and nails. It signified something very powerful...that my friend had everything she needed to move on with her new life and not only SURVIVE, but THRIVE. Read More

If you want to give your meals an upgrade, adding some new spices to your cooking repertoire can make a huge difference in transforming bland meals into flavorful, satisfying dishes. Read More

Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday...I want you to EAT LIKE A QUARTERBACK!!  When it comes to handing out nutritional advice, most football players are probably last in line. This is understandable since they do not have to worry about their weight or their waistlines and when it comes to pre-game meals, the motto is probably "the bigger the better." With the amount of calories that the players burn in each game, we are talking about some major league hunger. If you are thinking that I am suggesting that you bulk up on pre-game carbs and ingest 5,000 calories on Game Day, then you probably don't know which quarterback I am talking about. Read More

When you saw that this was entitled "Fire and Fury", you were probably thinking that I wrote all about the recently released book about the Trump Whitehouse. That is not at all what this is about since I have not yet read it and I am #176 on the reserve list at the library. Today I am writing to you about finding your own personal fire and fury...also known as your PASSION. It is often said that if you find your passion, you will be truly happy and incredibly fulfilled. I would agree with that, but an even more important fact is that passionate people are healthier and live longer. If you are passionate enough about something that it brings out the fury buried deep inside of you, you will be energized to live your life to the fullest. Read More