“April is the cruelest month” is the well known opening of T.S. Eliot’s classic poem, The Wasteland. Although it supports the theme of the important literary work, I don’t agree with the sentiment of the phrase. April is actually one of my favorite months, my birth month, and thirty days of lovely spring weather, the beginning of patio season, and an explosion of color in the garden. January, on the other hand, IS the cruelest month of all for me. I dread it every year. The end of the holiday season has always been difficult for me. My over-the-top love of Christmas adds to the January let down. New Year’s…
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Cancerversary
Yesterday was my 6-year cancerversary. It may seem strange to celebrate the day you learn you have cancer. In years past, I’ve barely noticed when the day came and passed. But it’s different this year…for some reason I was reminded of the upcoming anniversary weeks ago and forced to take note. A cancerversary is a very personal choice. Some survivors choose to celebrate the surgery that removed the cancer from their body. Or the end of their treatment. Or the day they were told they were cancer free. Unfortunately, none of those make sense for me; at Stage IV, the cancer has returned several times with multiple surgeries and treatment…the…
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My Lovely Namesake
Who comes to mind when you think of an icon? Often, it’s someone so part of our collective consciousness that their essence is captured by a single name: Elvis, Oprah, Bono, Magic, Madonna, Coco, Ghandi, Aretha and Jackie. I was born in 1961 when John F. Kennedy was the new president. He and his beautiful wife, Jacqueline Bovier Kennedy, had captivated the world with their youth, optimism and genteel charm. As the first Roman Catholic elected to the presidency, Kennedy was a source of pride for many Catholics. I remember his picture hanging in the hallway of my grandparents’ home along with a crucifix and family photos. And so it…
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The 9 lessons COVID-19 has taught me – so far
By now, everyone has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in one way or another. It’s hard to remember a time when PPE and “flatten the curve” weren’t part of our daily dialogue. Multitudes have lost their livelihoods. Thousands have lost loved ones or paid the ultimate sacrifice. Those fortunate enough to be working from home are adjusting to new ways of conducting business while sharing an office space with family members. Time away from the house for essential activities requires a new level of planning and caution. I haven’t been out in public in almost four months. Wait…did I really just say that? These quiet days of isolation and…
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Better Beauty Warrior
We all have a favorite beauty product: our go-to lip color, the body lotion you can’t live without, a concealer that erases a poor night’s sleep. But what do you do when you learn that your beloved item is made from ingredients known to be harmful to health? Dump it? Or use it anyway and take the risks? One woman decided we shouldn’t have to choose between health and beauty. Meet one of my heroes: Gregg Renfrew, CEO and founder of Beautycounter, a company that’s leading the clean beauty movement and changing an industry. Watching the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” was an aha moment for Gregg. “I came to realize…
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The Van Gogh Diaries
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Everyday Sublime
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