Growing up in Western Pennsylvania was pretty special. All of the holidays were celebrated with great enthusiasm. It didn’t matter if it was a national holiday, state holiday, school holiday, personal holiday, birthday, or religious holiday. We celebrated them all. Being of Eastern European descent, our family celebrated Easter with the ethnic and cultural traditions of our religion and our heritage. However, we also got to experience the other part of the Easter holiday, the Easter Bunny. And we enjoyed the decadence of all the chocolate Easter bunnies, chocolate eggs, jelly beans and marshmallow peeps. Of course, the Easter Bunny is famous for leaving baskets for each child at every house he visits. But, he never left baskets for me and my sisters. We must have been last on his “to...

When I was growing up, I never ate lunch in the school cafeteria. The first time I did eat in a school cafeteria was on my first day of college. It was pretty awful, and I had an even greater appreciation for the brown bag lunches that my Mom packed for me and my sisters every single morning. In elementary school we walked home for lunch every day. But once we entered junior high, my sisters and I brought our lunch from home. Our mother would pack a sandwich, piece of fruit and a cookie and put them in the classic brown bag. Sometimes she would put a hard-boiled egg, left-over chicken, or anything else that was handy. Lunch was always predictable and reliable. However, one day each year, our mother took a few liberties with our lunches. She had a great sense of humor, and loved a good joke. Every...

    After several months of implementing the principles of Feldenkrais to help us move more easily through our financial environment, we were ready to enjoy the fruits of our effortless saving. It was time for a few home improvement projects.     We carefully planned a few things, including our projected budget for each project.  First on the list was updating the master bathroom. What girl doesn’t just love the idea of a new bathroom? Since the plumber was coming and the dogs were safely tucked away at Little Doggie Day Care, we arranged for a window cleaner to come the same day. To round off the day, we had the electrician come to give us an estimate on two small jobs. What fun!     I was having a great time until we received a shock. A really big shock. You may even say an electrical...

The house lights grow dim, it’s opening night!The audience quiets. Enter, stage right. A spotlight appears, a bright, shining light.And follows the movement of one special life. Of a Ballet Master, mentor and friend.Artist, dancer, elite gentleman.                                                                           His ageless elegance, style and grace.A quiet reflection of a more gracious place.                                                       Firm and determined, and true to his art.He follows this truth with a compassionate heart. These are the rules, there are no exceptions.There are no excuses in this quest for perfection.                                                              His students adore him, with respect, love and fear.And they keep learning with...

    Don’t you just hate when things don’t go as planned?     Last week my car wouldn’t start, leaving me stranded after ballet class on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. By the time I got in my car and realized it wouldn’t start, the last dancer had already driven away. I was alone, and I was stuck. I called my husband on his cell phone. No answer. I tried the home phone. I got the answering machine. Frustrated, I tried starting the car again. Nothing. Oh, well, at least the radio worked.     I listened to some music and noticed how blue and clear the sky was, and how nice that I was stranded right next to a park. I could see the high mountain peaks covered with snow, and I marveled at the contrast of the sunlight, blue sky, and blinding white snow capped mountains. Finally,...

    It’s funny to see how people respond to Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, it shows up each year. And it’s here to stay. Yesterday one of my single friends asked me if my husband had planned anything special for me this year. Why, yes, as a matter of fact, he did.     I had the day off, so I was going to go to ballet class in the morning, and after I came home we were going shopping for a new bathroom. For some reason my friend thought this was hilarious and couldn’t stop laughing. Finally she said, “How romantic! Shopping for a new bathroom on Valentine’s Day!”     I thought about it for a few minutes and realized that nothing says I love you like looking at toilets. It’s less fattening than chocolate. And lasts longer than flowers....