The word “blackout” probably means different things to different people. Perhaps when you hear the word, you conjure up thoughts of your favorite incredibly decadent blackout chocolate cake. If you are a theater person, the word blackout refers to what happens at the end of a scene or an act in a play. NYC residents will recall the famous electrical blackout of 1977 that left the Big Apple in the dark for days. This week, many people are talking about Kobe Bryant’s famous basketball practice sessions known as blackouts...because of how hard he worked and pushed himself and how long into the night his workouts lasted. The sudden, untimely and tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year old daughter Gianna and 7 of their friends shocked the world this week. I believe that years from now, we will all remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the shocking news. Much has been said about Kobe’s illustrious basketball career and his many accomplishments, championship wins and record breaking stats. I know, as we all do, that he was legendary, winning 5 NBA titles, 2 Olympic Gold Medals and having 18 All Star appearances. Everyone seems to be talking about Kobe’s life and legacy, both on and off the basketball court. All of the numbers, awards, achievements and accolades aside, for me what is more notable is that he surmounted his missteps and went on to become a very devoted husband and father. Read More

This past Monday was a national holiday to celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday holidays mean a cure for the dreaded and uneasy feeling we all get around dinner time on Sundays. This emotional state actually has a name...it is known as “Sunday Night Syndrome”, the “Sunday Scaries” and the “Sunday Night Blues”. Reportedly millions of people suffer from it. It is both the result of and a cause for stress and occurs when an individual has anxiety on Sunday night because of having to get up for work or school the following morning. Common symptoms can include moodiness, racing thoughts, digestive distress and problems with sleep. The only known cures for this syndrome are holidays, vacations, sick days and snow days. Then, almost magically, the stress is replaced with a feeling of euphoria gained from knowing that you do not have to set your alarm clock for an early wake-up the next day. Since there are more regular Mondays on the calendar than there are holidays, it seems like we need to come up with a better way to deal with our Sunday night stress than praying for a snow storm or that we will come down with a sudden case of the flu. Read More

It seems as if traffic circles and roundabouts just keep popping up everywhere! I fully understand that the intention (when a four-way stop is turned into a circular traffic pattern) is to slow down the speed of the cars, prevent accidents and ensure the continuous flow of traffic. However, when I see what results as I endeavor my way through the traffic circles in my community, the whole concept boggles my mind! What has been built for the purpose of calming traffic and aesthetics seems to create chaos, confusion and danger! You undoubtedly already know that the entrances to traffic circles are either controlled by yield or stop signs or not formally controlled at all. These circular junctions give priority to the cars already in the circle and the yield signs are there for a reason...to slow down approaching cars to avoid collisions. What I have continually noticed is that 9 out of 10 times, the cars approaching the roundabout fly right through the yield signs! It is as if they do not even see the large bright red and white signs. Perhaps you have experienced this as well or maybe you are proudly or inadvertently one of the non-yielding offenders! Failure to Yield is categorized as “reckless” driving and comes with penalties, fines and possible license suspensions. I don't know if drivers realize this as they make the choice to ignore the posted yield signs. Have there been other times in our lives when we have failed to yield? Read More

entitled “Small Change - Little Things Make A Big Difference.” The wise message that this book delivered was extremely powerful and has stayed with me until today...the secret to success is to focus on the small steps, not on the long and big journey. The book is divided into chapters, each one dedicated to a different aspect of life which may be made better through making small changes. This is the perfect time of year to revisit this message since the start of a new year has us all thinking that we have to make huge changes to our lives in order to see and feel any improvements. I have recently changed a small item in my home that epitomizes the “small things can make a big difference” concept. Many times over the past two decades, I have replaced the floor mat in front of our kitchen sink. No matter how perfectly they may have initially coordinated with our kitchen decor, each one inevitably got worn out, stained, and ended up looking terrible. I did not learn anything from my shopping mistakes and kept replacing each woven rug with another very similarly made one. It was the classic example of doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result. I did not realize what I was missing by not branching out and buying a different model. I have always wanted to get one of the gel-filled kitchen mats that are advertised in the back of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine. After all, if Martha approves of them, then they must be great, right? They cost more than my previous carpet-woven versions, so I had really resisted buying one. This year, my husband surprised me with a gel-infused kitchen mat for Christmas! Perhaps you would not find such a gift particularly exciting. For me, it was a dream come true! I love my new mat! Washing dishes is such a pleasure now. The gel mat offers cushion and support, it feels so comfortable to stand on (even for a long period of time), and is easily cleaned with a damp cloth. No more aching back and feet after kitchen clean-up duty. It feels so great each and every time I step on that mat! What a lesson I learned...it truly is the simple and small things that sometimes bring the most pleasure and can result in a big change. Read More

For years my husband was a Boston Red Sox season ticket holder. Before you start wondering if we have a money-growing tree in our backyard, the tickets were affordable for several significant reasons. One was that he purchased them before the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. Another reason is that it was the “tenth man” package which meant it was tickets for only 10 home games each year. Most notably, the seats were “obstructed view”. My husband never minded...he was happy to be there rooting his team onto victory and he often told me that “any seat at Fenway Park is a great seat!” You may have found yourself in a similar situation over the years, whether by choice or not. Perhaps you purchased concert tickets not knowing that your seats were located behind the stage - the true definition of obstructed view! Or you got a great deal on an oceanfront suite at a resort because there were palm trees standing in the way of you and your view of the waves. For me, I recently encountered an obstructed view situation which pushed me into taking action. Allow me to explain...   Every time I entered my walk-in closet, I was greeted by stacks of sweaters on one of the lower shelves. For some reason, I had made the decision years ago to make my sweaters easily accessible and I put my purse collection on the top (highest) shelf. Despite the fact that my sweaters were organized by color and season, the system that I created never really worked for me. I change purses far more frequently than I rotate through wearing my entire sweater inventory, yet every time I wanted to get a purse, I had to get a step stool, reach way up high and get past the stacks of sweaters that were obstructing my view. I finally had enough of this situation when I realized I wasn’t tall enough, even with the stool, to reach the red purse I wanted to use for going to Christmas Eve Mass. What resulted was a massive purging of sweaters, sweatshirts, and anything else that was in the way! I ended up doing the same thing with my dresses, suits and blazers. As I held up each item, I asked myself a few key questions: “Do I still love this?”..."Will I ever wear it again?”..."Is there someone else who could use this more than me?” I ended the year 2019 by making a very large donation to a local women’s shelter. I kept the dresses on the hangers with the dry cleaning tags on which I was told meant that they could be easily given away without requiring any sorting or cleaning. My closet no longer has an obstructed view situation, my purses have been relocated to the lower shelf where they are beautifully displayed and easily accessible, and my year-end purging project will be a blessing to those in need. Read More