The Gotham Holiday party this past week was incredible. Apart from actually seeing more than just squares on a screen, we were able to mingle, talk, laugh, cry, and enjoy each other in person.   This is a similar feeling I had when I met my class for the first time last Monday. It can be a bit awkward at first, but being in someone's presence is so fulfilling. Each of us has an energy—good or bad—and body language that can tell you everything about that person. These subtle cues, often lost in virtual interactions, bring a deeper connection to our conversations.

If you have found me to be pushy (excessively or unpleasantly self assertive or ambitious) lately, I apologize.  Blame it on my ambition.

Inspired by true events…,I recently attended a business meeting.

For years I have been part of a study group that explores ancients texts. It serves as a religious exercise, a connection to our history, and for me it serves as an exercise in self-exploration. At times we have spent an hour focused on the meaning of one word and how it might apply to modern life.   

As I write my blog, I am looking forward to our holiday extravaganza.  Every year, we come together to celebrate, applaud our new connections and friends, and toast to a year well done.    This year will be no exception.  We are in a new location with a new excitement.

I was recently shopping for food to have in the house for the times when my grandchildren were over. As I looked up and down the aisles, my eyes were struck by a familiar can, Chef Boyardee Beefaroni.   I picked up the can and smiled.  I could still hear the commercial in my head, “We’re having beefaroni. . . beef and macaroni. . .  beefaroni is fun to eat. . . “  

Each Thanksgiving I check to see when I blogged the prior year about music for the holiday season.  That we often begin to hear that music when families gather the last Thursday in November is what brings my Holiday Music Playlist to mind.  The only thing that delays that blog is the need to timely report  this year’s Go

The last vestige of fall was scattered all over my lawn. I was compelled to take a picture to remind me of the colorful repast that fall makes before the gray skies and barren trees are in my view.   I can only wait for snow to blanket the ground with a white, sound-absorbing canopy of stillness that transforms into a scene of quiet beauty. It is as if nature will have pressed pause, giving us a moment to reflect and reset.