Eulogy I found it very difficult to begin writing this eulogy for the man who was my Dad. How do you pt into words a lifetime of memories and convey – in just a few moments – the totality of a 90-year journey of life? My relationship with my father was always a special one. Despite being a child of divorced parents from a very young age, I have so many happy memories of my childhood. Though I didn’t live with him, the weekends that I spent with him were made up of various adventures – whether it was a trip to an amusement park, rides on his motorcycle to new Hope Pennsylvania or Mystic, Connec ..read more

It Takes A Village June 16th has arrived!   After much planning and working out logistics with insane precision, today my dad arrives just in time for Father’s Day. We will also be celebrating his 90th birthday on July 6th. Wow I really didn’t think we’d make it this far after the last couple of years….the glass is half full. My dad’s amazing aide, Tammy is flying up to NY with him from Florida whereupon my brother Jeff will pick him up from JFK and Tammy will turn right around and head back to Florida then to go see her family in Jamaica. Lots of moving parts. I had a cake topper m ..read more

December 26, part 1 Family lore has it that my Grandpa Sam Labes, upon finding out that my Grandma Pearl was pregnant with their 6th child (there was a son named Jack that did not survive infancy) – he emphatically stated that if she did not terminate the pregnancy, he would leave her. You would think that two people who had been through the Depression, World Wars and emigrating to a new country would know one another. Well, Grandma Pearl did not take my Grandpa Sam at his word and saw the pregnancy through to its’ end – producing their 5th daughter. Grandpa, it seems (in this case, anywa ..read more

Book Rec! “The Woman I Wanted To Be” “Love is life is love” is a phrase oft repeated by the great Diane von Furstenberg. I’m not sure if this was actually coined by her, but I’m giving her the credit. A few years back I received a gift in the mail that contained a book she wrote entitled, “The Woman I Wanted To Be”. The book contained a personalized inscription (see photo above) with these words written just for me, though I’ve never had the privilege of meeting her. This gift was unexpected and came without warning. The best kind of gift.  Truth be told, I received it because at the ..read more

Thank you to everyone who has written to me to let me know that my last post was helpful in some way. It’s true that there is strength in numbers and I find it’s always helpful to know that you are not alone, no matter what your situation. When last we left off, I was embarking on a trip further down the Hearing Loss Highway. It’s been almost 4 years since I got my first set of Resound (brand) Hearing Devices and, as with all technology, we occasionally need an upgrade. Technology is changing all around every day and hearing aids are no exception. Mine were getting glitchy and my insurance co ..read more

For some reason that I’ve yet to figure out, there seems to be a real stigma to hearing loss. About 10 years ago, something slipped. It was then that I began to notice that while i was preparing dinner in the kitchen, I couldn’t always hear when my kids would shout down to me from their bedrooms – just a few steps up. What began as good-natured mommy ribbing morphed into a family “joke” leading to a not-so-mild irritation on their part. I was feeling their sense of utter frustration when I couldn’t hear them speak to me. This was happening more and more frequently – and not just at home while ..read more

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Creative Quarantining NEW: Masks Added! I’ve been feeling spurts of creativity during my quarantine. Sometimes I can see an idea so clearly that it takes no time at all to make it happen. Case in point: an image that came to me; every single time I saw the rendering of the Covid-19 virus (which is all day, every day). Watching daily briefings and knowing quite a few people who have been infected have made many of us feel helpless. I am so grateful for those people who are helping the rest of us by working in hospitals, delivering food and making masks; they are truly ..read more

What are the “Rules of Engagement” in this crazy time? (asking for a friend) As I write this, we here in New York are approaching week 8 of our Corona Quarantine. As most, having an abundance of unstructured time at home has given me time to catch up deeply and frequently with family and friends. We exchange stories of how work environments and workflows have changed, how our families at home are coping and for some of my friends and family – how is that new(ish) relationship holding up?  How can we form and foster new bonds while under quarantine, without physical contact and without bei ..read more

So many people talking all the time; I find it sometimes it gets a bit noisy, so I’ve created a space where I am free to make my own….well, noise. So there I am. My first post and already a contradiction. Time spent here is optional and I like that. For me, for you. Sometimes I quote people. Sometimes I am quotable. I like wit. I like smart. I like silly. I like fashion. I love a good moment. I respect bravery. I gravitate to strength. I am impatient with stupidity. I love a good lesson. Learning is cool. Admitting what you don’t know is brave. (See above for my feelings on bravery.) I am fla ..read more