Dog Days of Summer
The endless weeks of scorching heat experienced in July and August are known as the Dog Days of Summer, as noted in everything from The Old Farmer’s Almanac to The Book of Common Prayer, from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to the movie Batman. Legend has it the days are regulated by Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, which governs flood tides, extreme heat, and the moods of man and beast. Best to lie low during this time when “the sea boils and wine turns sour.” Whew! Sure, dogs may get testy when it’s torrid, but imagine how you’d respond enveloped in fur in 110 degree heat? Yet...
Read MoreHappy Birthday
One lovely advantage in gifting a handkerchief – the recipient has a permanent reminder that they’re considered special. Once, when I was addressing an audience about “Leaving A Legacy”, a mother came up to me afterward, and withdrew a letter from her purse. It had obviously been read hundreds of times, as the folds were taped and re-taped multiple times. The letter was from her son, telling her how much he loved her. “I read it almost every day” she told me, her eyes glistening, “more than that, actually, when I’m having a particularly difficult time. I know he is busy, and I...
Read MoreMemorial Day WWI WWII
“Where there is liberty, there is my country.” Benjamin Franklin Memorial Day provides a wonderful opportunity to honor those who have died in the service of our country. Originating at the time of the American Civil War, Memorial Day has been extended to encompass all Americans from all battles who have perished while serving in the military. There are so many attributions to the founding of this day, I’m not sure we’ll ever really know whom to thank. From the women who decorated soldier’s graves in Savannah, GA in 1862 to the burial of the martyrs of the Race Course in Charleston, S.C.,...
Read MoreNew York, New York
“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.” Tom Wolfe From the Statue of Liberty to the Brooklyn Bridge, the Flatiron Building to the Staten Island Ferry, Times Square to Grand Central Station, The Empire State Building to Rockefeller Center…my, oh my… Washington Park to Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral to the Ground Zero Memorial, from outdoor movies to outdoor murals, to ice skating in Central Park… if you can’t find it in New York… it probably doesn’t exist. Where else can you find a Christmas tree 100 feet tall topped by a...
Read MoreTexas & The West
We’ve traveled through Kansas and Oklahoma in our sojourn west, and I’m sure a few Texans are wondering when we’re going to give a tip of the ten gallon to the Lone Star State where The Stars at Night are Big and Bright. (Sorry, couldn’t resist. Did you know there are 100++ songs devoted to Texas? from Abilene to Amarillo, Big D to Brownsville, Galveston to La Grange, Luckenbach to San Antonio…Texans love to sing about their state!). There’s just so much to see and do there. If ever you find yourself in Texas, I’d strongly recommend a road trip of this fantastic state. Some...
Read MoreJoin the Conversation
