I am unsure whether what I am about to write is currently politically correct but I was very saddened to read about the closing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. I have very vivid happy memories of going to the circus with my parents and then with my own children.  

 

Looks like our education system will need to step it up a notch in an effort to stem tide of tech-related cheating. A Guardian investigation revealed that these cases have risen 42%.   As an example, a British law student was caught red-handed using a James Bond style gadget to cheat in a university exam.  

At my apogee, I was a tall 5'9 3/4" and could even leap to touch the basketball rim.  Well, I just took my annual physical and, presently, I just managed to stand 5'7" small.    Clearly, I'm shrinking and I have learned the shrinkage has something to do with my posture, gravitational pull on my spinal discs and the deterioration of the intervening padding. In an effort to stem the shrink, I try to pull my shoulders back to stand erect and have taken to stretching out by hanging from my chinning bar.  Good luck with that!

Last weekend, we went to Washington to visit our children, Jeremy (and Stephanie) and Mea (and Charles), who live in the nation's capital. We like Washington and having family to visit makes the trips their even more special.

On this day in 1937, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer prize for her first, and only, novel: Gone with the Wind. She wrote the book while recovering from an ankle injury and only showed it to a publisher's talent scout after initially saying she didn't have anything worth showing him. Second thoughts can be valuable.

I happened to turn onto a rerun of “Cheers” the other evening.  It caused me to think about whether I have a place where “everybody knows your name.” And I realized that my husband and I do. We have a favorite small restaurant that we often go to where they know us by name, have excellent and bountiful Italian food,  and will often make sure they have a table available for us. Villa Maria in East Rockaway is our “joint.”