I grew up playing both team and individual sports. How we behaved, whether we won or lost, was part of our umvelt. Character and conduct mattered. I was taught, by both my parents and coaches, to accept a loss as graciously as a win. I was consistently told to shake my opponents hand with a firm grip, look them in the eye and declare “GOOD GAME!” I was taught not to clap at someone else’s mistake. That was labeled unsportsmanlike conduct. I had a doubles partner when I wa

I often will remark that I am a jack of all trades and a master at nothing but, procrastination. I can’t figure out a hack around tricking myself into not procrastinating. Perhaps it is a genetic trait that has been passed on to me like an unwanted regift. I honestly don’t know why I do it because it feels so good to check things off my list. I feel like a hero when I complete a task that I have placed on the back burner. It doesn’t deliberately go on the back burner, it fa

I actively seek out pockets of my day where I can find the comfort of complete isolation. I crave being by myself, drink in the silence, quiet my mind. It is deeply gratifying when I have the opportunity to find a sparse and unpopulated open space. Those pure moments of isolation only happen when I travel away from the Eastern Shore to places like Utah, Arizona, New Mexico or Western Mongolia! Since I don’t have access to those spaces on a frequent basis I create moment

My book club has a holiday book exchange every year. It is a fun evening that we all look forward to every year. We have a nice meal, good laughs and great conversation. The topic of dog training came up. A few of us have new, young, energetic dogs. The prevailing attitude was that a dog doesn’t respect you if it doesn’t listen to you. I piped up with an aggressive disagreement on this topic. One of my friends said, “This really triggered you!” My response was, “I don’t like

The true definition of philanthropy is to give without expecting something in return. However, if we do subscribe purely to that definition we do get something in return. We receive a dopamine hit for doing a good deed. Doing something kind and generous for another literally improves brain health. Neuroscientists have coined the term “helpers high” to describe the reaction in our brain when we engage in selfless acts of kindness. A kind act literally creates a cocktail of d

One of the dominant forces behind writing this blog was to create a deeper understanding and forge a more meaningful relationship with those of you who choose to grace us with your presence. After all, we do enter into a relationship with you the minute you step across the threshold of our door. Yes, I did use the word relationship. We are in the presence of each other, we are communicating and we are taking care of you, and in turn you are taking care of us by treating us w

Since I never had the courage to have children I don’t know if Show and Tell still exists in Elementary School. If it does I feel pretty confident that some semblance of oversight is in place unlike the good old days! It was during one of our family trips that I found, on the plane, hiding behind the airline evacuation emergency instructions, a comic book! It was a Japanese comic book! I showed my parents the treasure I had found. My father explained to me that in Japanese,

Are not great and are rarely met. There is often a dramatic disconnect between what we imagine will happen and what actually happens....

When my husband, Richard and I discovered the work of the artist, Adam Himoff we knew we should connect with him. He created a powerful...

I am happy to debate this, but isn’t the ultimate betrayal the loss of ones own moral compass. The loss of the soul. The transaction, the...

Last week, a dear member of our community decided she had had enough. She was tired, she was 97 and she decided to complete her circle of...

In the age of social media we don’t really quietly observe anything these days, do we? We live in a society that demands and requires ...

This is a quote I ran across while reading Maria Popova’ s weekly publication titled Marginalian . I appreciate, honor and embrace the...

A few of years ago I decided I would plant 500 crocus saffron bulbs. I was so excited mainly because I was pretty certain that I had...

I lost Simba, my yellow lab when he was sixteen. He was a special dog. It took the right person to understand and exercise patience with...

Several years ago Krista Tippett, the host and creator of the program On Being started a brave and courageous series titled Civil...

We all have varied and different beliefs influenced by culture, upbringing and peers. I think we can all agree that we want and need the...

I have been preoccupied by “place” over the past several weeks. My attitude about our sense of place is very subjective, but does have a...

I have been experiencing that dull interaction that one gets when routine isn’t interrupted by, what I would call al little shake up. It...

Why does it seem to be getting more and more difficult to stay the true intended course of our missive? We are a full service restaurant...