July 20th this year marks the 50th anniversary of when the American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to ever walk on the moon. The crew of Apollo 11 lived out President Kennedy’s pledge to “land a man on the moon and return him safely” before the 1960’s came to a close. There is so much we know about the voyage that was successfully completed by Armstrong and his fellow astronauts, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins, including the first words that were spoken by Neil Armstrong as he made the first-ever footprints on the lunar surface. But way before “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” there were many years of baby steps that came first. Armstrong was a naval aviator and test pilot before he joined NASA and became an astronaut and aeronautical engineer. His love of piloting started at a much younger age when he flew with his father when he was only five years old. He actually got his pilot’s license before he even got his driver’s license, earning his student flight certificate on his 16th birthday. He was most proud of earning the rank of Eagle Scout and among the few personal items that he carried with him to the Moon and back in 1969 was his World Scout Badge.The many years of training and hard work that Neil Armstrong did before he boarded Apollo 11 are a great reminder to us all that you cannot skip the small steps and go straight to the moon.   Read More

It really begins to feel like “spring has sprung” when seemingly overnight, everything turns green. The temperatures are finally on the rise, and the many April (and May) showers have left our lawns and landscaping looking lush and green. It is a good time of year to go outside and “take inventory” to see how your trees, shrubs and plants survived the long, cold winter. You may notice that there are a few in need of some TLC. The ones that seem to survive the best are the evergreens. Not only do they remain green throughout the year, they are able to adapt well whether we have had an especially cold, wet or dry season. I recently heard a radio interview between Jimmy Kimmel and Howard Stern. The fact that Howard’s show is on satellite radio is one of the reasons that the interviews are so interesting. When you do not have to break for commercials, you are afforded the opportunity to ask the really deep questions and the conversations are often riveting. One of the things that I learned from this recent interview is that “evergreen” does not always refer to the botanical plant that remains green all year and does not lose its leaves. Jimmy Kimmel was telling Howard how he is able to manage his demanding talk show schedule while raising his young family and running several other businesses including restaurants. He mentioned that he and his staff always have segments prepared and ready to go. These previously recorded comedy sketches are called “evergreens” and like the tree variety by the same name, they are fresh and green and always ready to go. I really love this concept. I once had an extra blog written and ready to be published. Several months ago, I was having a particularly busy week and it was a great comfort (and relief) to know that I had that piece “on ice” and ready to post. The key to the “evergreen” concept, as explained by Jimmy and Howard, is that the segment has to be written in a way that it will be relevant and fresh whenever it is used. What if we applied the evergreen concept to other aspects of our lives? Read More

I have often wondered about the people who come up with the nail polish names. Is it a team of people sitting around a conference table brainstorming with a white board? Are the names submitted by customers? Does the OPI nail polish company have one person whose title is Nail Polish Namer who is solely responsible for all of the extremely creatively named shades? I recently went to a local salon for a ‘mani-pedi’. This was something BK (before kids) that I did on a somewhat regular basis. As I often say to my clients, students and in my blogs, if you cannot remember the last time you did something, then it has probably been way too long. That was the case for me with manicures and pedicures. I have used the excuse “I’m too busy” for many years now. Suffice to say, I was long overdo.   "Tickle My France-y" was the name of the lovely neutral shade that I chose at the nail salon. As I sat there enjoying the many amenities that come along with a manicure and pedicure (hand massage, hot stone leg massage, essential oils soak, neck rub, and hot towels), I felt a bit guilty about the seemingly over-the-top indulgences. Then, as I watched the dead skin cells and very ragged cuticles being removed from my hands and feet, I had a major “ah-ha” moment...this is not an indulgence, this is part of an important self-care plan. Anyone who regularly gets a manicure knows what I experienced...each fingernail is treated as if it is the most important part of your body and the manicurist pours all of his (or her) attention into creating a mini work of art out of each and every one of your fingers and toes.I did not expect that I would gain perspective on life while sitting in the nail salon. Read More

At the time that I am writing this, the latest super hero movie “The Avengers: Endgame” has grossed over 2.2 BILLION dollars! Based upon that statistic, I feel as if I may be the only person who has yet to embrace the blockbuster movie franchise. The movie brings together many of the super heroes who are represented in the Marvel Comics such as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Ant Man, Captain Marvel and the Hulk, just to name a few. Each has his or her own super power such as controlling lightning, super strength and regeneration. From what I have heard, fans of this genre enjoy these movies not only because of the “escapism” that the story lines provide, but also because they find what the characters do with their super powers to be inspiring.   There is a cocktail party question that asks “If you could have any super power, what would it be?” Have you ever given this question any thought? What would you wish for? Supersonic hearing? The ability to fly? Invisibility? Time travel? Water breathing? Night vision? Telepathy?   Read More

We have officially entered party season...the Kentucky Derby, Cinco de Mayo, Graduations, Confirmations, Communions, and Memorial Day are all upon us. There are lots of upcoming opportunities for you to fill up both your calendar and your dance card! My family is busy putting the finishing touches on a celebration for our eldest son’s high school graduation. The big question: piñata or no piñata? I have been told it’s not really a party without one.   Did you know that piñatas have a long, rich and colorful history? The candy and toy-filled paper-mache creations date back as far as the 14th century. If you are thinking that when it comes to party piñatas, “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all”, then think again. The days of the boring and plain piñata are long gone. They now come in all shapes and sizes and there is one for every occasion. As I try to find one that says “congratulations, you did it!” and ponder what candy to fill it with and what size sticks to hit it with, I am reminded of something my high school Mock Trial teacher/coach used to say: “Don’t give the devil a stick to beat you with.” As we worked to prepare the persuasive arguments that we would present when we were “in court”, our teacher made certain that our testimonies were rock-solid, with no loopholes. He often reminded us that if we tipped our hand by answering a question with too much information, we might as well hand a stick to the other team to beat us with. “Make sure you don’t give the devil a stick to beat you with!” became the team’s mantra. Read More