Gratitude

Whenever I do that character strengths test, you know the VIA one , my top characteristic is consistently Gratitude. I don’t know, maybe it comes from not having much in life when I was a child,* but I do find that I have a deep appreciation for all the wonderful people, opportunities and things I have … Continue reading Gratitude →

Things I’ve learned during my 52nd trip around the sun

Honesty is free, yet more valuable than pretty much anything else. With each birthday, I feel more compelled to celebrate. My dog is smarter than I gave him credit for being. Last week during an “intestinal bout,” shall we say, he opened the screen door to the back deck rather than literally lose his sh*t … Continue reading Things I’ve learned during my 52nd trip around the sun →

Albany XXX

What’s up with that title, right? Is it porn? Extra large? Nope...Roman numerals - thirty, as in thirty years since I first moved to Albany. In August of 1988 I was 21. I moved here knowing not a single person, other than Mary Panza who I was lucky enough to meet when her roommate tried … Continue reading Albany XXX →

Reflections on Summer 2018

My travels have taken me new places and I am so appreciative of the memories I made and the food I ate and the wine I drank and the friends I hugged. Cape Cod without children is like shared custody following the end of a marriage/relationship - a dirty little secret in all the best … Continue reading Reflections on Summer 2018 →

In pursuit of perfection

When I instruct 6th graders on bibliographic formatting I always tell them that perfect is never my goal, except for in MLA citations. Beyond that, perfect is not my expected, or even necessarily desired, outcome. I don’t need perfect.  Authentic and true is more than enough for me. This year’s Cape vacation has come with … Continue reading In pursuit of perfection →

The art of Vienna*

After taking in a fair share of dark history, when we hit Vienna I was ready to indulge in a little beauty. While I was in Salzburg, I had read something which said “go to Vienna for the art and Prague for the architecture.” Seemed reasonable to me until I arrived in Vienna and was … Continue reading The art of Vienna* →