Do you ever splurge on yourself? If so on what? Anyone who reads my blog knows I am a fan of handbags. Two years ago, when my husband and I were planning a trip to Paris for my birthday, a close friend asked us to buy for her a Louis Vuitton tote bag. She was celebrating a special birthday and was willing to splurge a large amount of money on t …
When I was young, my mother insisted that my brother, sister and I eat dinner together every weekday at 5:00. Actually, she never called it “dinner,” she called it “supper.” Supper at 5:00 was our routine throughout my childhood. My father, on the other hand, had supper when he came home from work. My mother would sit with him while he ate. My br …
I am Jewish. I am an Ashkenazi Jew. One of my father’s core religious beliefs, however, was that everyone should follow their religion in their own way. My father was raised Orthodox, yet he chose to raise his family in a conservative manner. This week we celebrate Passover and follow certain dietary restrictions. While I attended law school on …
I sat in court last week next to a younger colleague who I’ve known professionally for several years. We have never socialized, only speaking to one another when we happen to see one another in court. Sitting in the courtroom, he began to tell me about a personal dilemma he was experiencing. At first I was flattered that he felt he could share th …
Lately I have been exploring meditation and yoga. During every session, the instructor asks the participants to set an intention for the day or think of a word that will guide us through our day. Almost every time the word “balance,” comes to my mind. In our hectic, continuously plugged in life finding balance can be an elusive goal. I have been …
I have written several blogs about ads for certain products “magically” appearing on my Facebook or Instagram feed after I spoke about them. For example, a Van Cleef & Arpels ad had popped up on my Instagram feed after my son and I discussed a necklace he was thinking of purchasing. I questioned, in those blogs, whether my devices were actuall …
Anyone who knows me, knows that I believe that we all need to take vacations. We all work hard. For me, vacations are critical to recharge, our bodies, minds and souls. My husband and I have recently been discussing how to maintain that sense of calmness we feel after a vacation. We have used the term vacation afterglow and discuss often how to …
My doctor urged me several years ago to log into and use the patient portal with his office. Not being techno savvy, I was hesitant to do so. But, after a lot of urging from him I did. Initially I loved using the portal. I could see test results in real time. I could send him a question through the portal and get back an answer without having to …
My Dad loved to sing. And he had a beautiful voice. He grew up on the lower east side in an Orthodox Jewish community. He often told us that his parents urged him to become a Cantor. But he had no interest in that. My Dad limited his singing to our home. He never sang publicly. But he sang often. He loved to sing songs made popular from the B …
A friend of ours recently received a daunting diagnosis. The way his two adult daughters are reacting to the diagnosis are profoundly different. One is optimistic believing that, with the right treatment, he will be okay. The other feels that she is being more realistic in terms of the effect of this diagnosis. I do not know which daughter is right …
I was watching the movie Vengeance this week and, in the opening scenes, two male characters are discussing commitment. Their view on commitment was essentially, in this time of social media and instant gratification, why should they have to commit to anything? With endless options at their fingertips, why commit to personal relationships or long t …
Every relationship comes with its quirks—those little habits that might drive our partner up the wall. At first, these habits might seem insignificant, but over time, they can test patience. Yet, those that love us, or those we love, see our quirks and choose to love us anyway. My husband is almost phobic about anyone or anything touching his eye …
I have to admit that I am jealous of my husband. We can walk into a restaurant and he can order a French onion soup, with extra cheese, a steak with all the trimmings—loaded baked potato and rolls with butter. No second thoughts, no sideways glances from the waiter. He’s able to indulge and clearly enjoy doing it. I, on the other hand, will gen …
For the past two years, I have been struggling with hearing loss. I knew I had some hearing loss but I was too vain to admit it. I developed the habit of just smiling and nodding when I was unable to hear what someone said. Generally, I was too embarrassed to ask someone to repeat themselves. Finally, when I had to repeatedly ask a judge to repea …
It's Monday, Monday. Let me know what you think about. . .
