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.  

Gotham's mantra is that "It's better to give than receive, but what goes around comes around."  If you live it, our mantra works in countless magical and wonderful ways.

It always amazes me when a hat I’mwearing triggers a conversation.Last Sunday, I was wearing my Baltimore Ravens hat, given to me by a dear friend who is a Ravens fan and believes that my wearing the hat has a positive impact on the team’s performance.

Thanksgiving has passed. Great food, Great football, holiday shopping, the race to year end.   I have always loved thanksgiving, everyone does. Great time with family and friends, Great food. The cool weather arrives. This year didn't disappoint. The weather definitely turned, significant snow in some areas. The food was amazing, the football was great - both college and NFL. Now everyone is looking to year end. Much to do, deadlines to meet, etc.   What are you looking to accomplish before year end?   

This past week, Australia became the first country to enact a social media ban for anyone under the age of 16.  The bill is aimed at safeguarding the mental health of young people but critics ask how can its terms possibly be enforced?  Social media platforms must verify the age of their users.  How will that happen?  

My family had an interesting conversation over the Thanksgiving table. We each recounted our favorite childhood Thanksgiving memory. I tried to relay a memory from when my children were young. But my now adult children called me out on that and asked me to recount a Thanksgiving memory from when I was a child.  It was, actually, an easy memory to tell.  

Early in my career I enjoyed opportunities to work to enact major environmental initiatives including “The NYC Recycling Law,” the “Spill Bill,” mandating cleanup of accidental releases of hazardous substances or assessing three times the cost of any cleanup performed by the City of New York (The Hazardous Substance Emergency Response Law

I’m all in when it comes to smoking ducks and frying turkeys—it’s my thing. But I have to tell you it wasn’t easy this year. The weather was cold and wet. Keeping the smoker at the right temp was a battle, and the fryer took forever to heat up.   But for me, no challenge is too big when it comes to the feast. I stuck it out, got everything cooked, and the food? Totally worth it. Thanksgiving mission accomplished!