Thoughts, experiences and adventures from a resident of DelSo aka Delaware Avenue South in Albany, N.Y.
How are you doing? How close are you to feeling great? As for me, I feel as if I am perpetually in a state of high anxiety. I can’t seem to focus my thoughts or attention on a single thing because I am being constantly assaulted by news articles relating the most recent ridiculous, incompetent or offensive action … Continue reading Sending a Signal
It’s been about 80 years since Anne Frank died, yet her brief life remains an inspiration to people around the globe. While her assertion that “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart,” at times rings as nothing but naively innocent, her ability to hold onto to this optimistic … Continue reading Another peek into the annex – Ruth Franklin’s The Many Lives of Anne Frank
Listen to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Honor Michelle Obama’s refusal to attend the inauguration* by reading her memoir Becoming. Screen a David Lynch marathon. Spend some quality time with your tweezers in a mirror with good lighting. Write a check to an organization you believe in - Planned Parenthood, the Damien … Continue reading 20 Things to do (instead of acknowledging the ceremony in D.C.) on 1/20
Hope vs. expectations, this pertains especially to the time and relationship I share with my mother who most certainly is exhibiting signs of dementia at age 86. She’s an old woman and I hope that my presence in her life brings her some happiness. In return, I expect nothing. Time as currency. It’s the most … Continue reading 24 Realizations
I’ve got a confession to share - the holidays are hard. The level of stress, even in a world in which the resources are available to host dinner for 10 with home baked treats and gifts, just feels kind of overwhelming and like a poor return on investment. I hate (a word I’ve tried to … Continue reading Tis the season
Somehow, ok, maybe it’s because I’m good at it, I’ve become quite the “milestone birthday party planner (MBPP). Through the years I’ve planned three 50th birthday parties (my mother’s dessert & cordials festivities, my ex’s Tuscany/London celebration and my own DeFazio’s & wine shindig) and, in recent years, two 60th birthday fetes, one of which … Continue reading Notes from a retired party planner
Although I may have the felt the absence of my uncle each day I was in Germany, I was at no loss for companionship. My steady travel companion of recent years, N, was beside me for all of the trip, early morning walks notwithstanding. In addition to his company, the timing of our trip proved … Continue reading Easter Weekend in the Black Forest with a Roman, a couple of Spaniards and a mess of Germans
DelSo 