Thankful for Dedicated Coaches

A friend of my youth, from my gymnastics days, has finished an exceptional coaching career at Westfield High School, in Westfield, MA. In her own right, Joanne Egan Hewins, is a marvelous person. She has managed to share her passion, her competitive drive and her hard work…

Pleasure Reading

“People talk about escapism as if it’s a bad thing… Once you’ve escaped, once you come back, the world is not the same as when you left it. You come back to it with skills, weapons…

On Writer’s Block….Again??

I’m not a big believer in writer’s block, as I’ve written here before. Amanda Palmer has a great post on Top 10 Writer’s Block quotes, that conveys many of my feelings on the dreaded block. But, from conversations, facebook rants and tons of blog posts, I understand that for many…

Loving Lit

January Reading

I promised myself to update more regularly here and on Goodreads about what I’m reading. I was a little surprised, honestly, when I sat down to post, that my list for January only has three completed books on it. And then, I remembered that there’s an awful…

My Dad, The Mensch

Father’s Day can be a rough one for members of the Dead Dad’s Club. It carries many of us on a trip down memory lane. For me, I think of my dad, Jim Parker, and smile. He was a fun guy for the most part, a good guy for the whole part. I’m not sure if he’d have ever used the word mensch, but he…

Times Square, Tonies and Three Faves

I haven’t been to New York City in decades. While I love the energy and excitement and pace of the City, this small-town girl at heart can only manage it in small doses. Because my college roommate lives in Cortlandt Manor, I get the bost of both worlds while…