Who and what has colored your life and made you who and what you are today? Certainly our parents, whether the relationship was good or bad, have influenced our lives. Siblings, position in the order of those siblings or no siblings at all make us who we are. How about your school experience? Is there a teacher who had an impact on you? Friends who made you feel good about yourself or, conversely steeled your resolve to treat others better than you were treated? Maybe there was an aunt or uncle or grandparent who lent a hand in helping you … Continue reading Good Morning 1-31-22

After Dad died in June of 2020, we held a service at a local restaurant (churches were mostly closed and the funeral home had limits as to how many people could gather) to celebrate his life. After the eulogies by his best friend and each of my siblings and I, people shared stories. It was warm and wonderful. As people dispersed, my three siblings and I gathered in the middle of the room in a group hug. It’s one of my strongest memories of that day. The four of us huddled together, facing one another in a tight circle, our … Continue reading Good Morning 1-30-22

We’ve all done it. We’ve poured the vinegar into the bowl with baking soda and watched it foam and spew. Maybe you built a volcano for the Science Fair and the active ingredients that got it to erupt was that tried and true combination. Add a little red food coloring and you have an impressive display. Maybe you had a Chemistry teacher who wanted to show you how even every day water can cause an explosion when added to sodium and potassium. Make sure you are wearing your safety glasses when you drop that chunk of alkali metal into the … Continue reading Good Morning 1-28-22

We found a chiropractor! For many of you this might sound like something strange to announce, but we are chiropractic devotees who find tremendous relief in the services they offer. One of the trainers at the gym we joined suggested Daniels Chiropractic and more than a month after our move with plenty of lifting and moving of furniture and such, we were both hurting. I saw Dr. Dan for a knot that had formed in my mid-back and caused me three nights of sleepless agony. Steve saw Dr. Lockhart for his usual neck stiffness. We both walked out feeling much … Continue reading Good Morning 1-27-22

I read an interesting article recently by Rabbi Dov Heller. Heller is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, but also holds a degree in philosophy and was ordained as a rabbi in 1982. In the article Heller describes the Ten Responsibilities for Being Human.1 They are: Know what you are living for. Have a mission. Set goals and work to achieve them. Know yourself. This means being clear about your strengths and weaknesses, your fears and dreams. Take responsibility for your emotional problems. Running away from them ends in additional pain to others and damage to yourself. Love yourself. Be … Continue reading Good Morning 1-26-22

One of my great loves is entertaining. I love large gatherings that will keep me busy in the kitchen preparing a delicious meal. More than that though, I love to set a beautiful table. I have many lovely tablecloths and a large collection of placemats, napkins, and charger plates. Better yet, I have dishes. Oh, baby, do I have dishes. There are my mother’s crystal dishes, Great Grandma Anna’s white china with the gold leaf trim, there are Grandma Effie’s maple leaf dishes (just a place setting for four), as well as the china Steve and I bought on our … Continue reading Good Morning 1-25-22

There is nothing to bring inspiration like reading the civil code for the state of Wisconsin or perusing the driver’s manual in preparation for a driving test that may or may not happen. I mean, face it, I’ve been driving for over 60 years now. You’d think I’d have it pretty much down. Even tricky questions like which way to turn the wheels when parked on a hill won’t trip me up. I’ll bet when you are looking for compelling reading, you drag out a book of laws and just dive in. Of course, I’m being facetious. Law books are … Continue reading Good Morning 1-24-22

A week or two ago after we finished our Friday night candlelighting and saying the prayers, I told Steve I felt like something was missing. We lit the candles at the prescribed time. We said the prayers in Hebrew and English. We ate challah, baked fresh that day. We drank the wine poured into the silver goblet reserved for Sabbath only. Our Friday night Kiddush, which means sanctification, didn’t leave me feeling very sanctified. It felt perfunctory and rote. He asked what I wanted to do differently and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I couldn’t say what it … Continue reading Good Morning 1-23-22

We are very big on feelings these days. If someone offends us—ostensibly hurts our feelings—we want repercussions for whatever it is he or she said or did. We say that someone made me feel ashamed or upset or angry or victimized. We justify some pretty unpleasant actions based on feelings regardless of what the facts of the matter might be. If you say the wrong thing in a public forum, something that contradicts the acceptable narrative or even questions it, you can find yourself ostracized by others for improperly expressing your opinion or, at worst, locked out of or kicked … Continue reading Good Morning 1-21-22

There’s an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in which daughter Ally starts asking questions about where she came from and why babies are born. Of course, this sends both Debra and Ray into a panic about not only what to tell her, but who is responsible for “the talk.” In the episode titled “Talk to Your Daughter,” Ray loses the toss, so to speak, and is sent to tell Ally all the hard, cold, biological facts. He arrives in her room with books under his arm and begins his spiel. “When a man and a woman love each other, they … Continue reading Good Morning 1-20-22