Fall is in the air. Although fall in Florida is not quite like the fall most people know. A bit cooler for us than normal and snowbird season is still here. I am ever so excited to celebrate Halloween this year. In spite of the pandemic and everything else happening we decided to celebrate anyway. With caution and safety first naturally. Fall is near and pumpkins are everywhere. Retail speaking of course. Christmas is already showing up in the stores as well. I love it! There is so much magic and spark during the holidays. And this year especially with so much loss I feel it necessary to celebrate and enjoy the moment. Missing friends and family. Not being able to be social really takes a toll on a person. I have so much love and respect for life more than ever before. 

Pumpkins and costumes here we come. 

COVID-19 life - the world in a different place now

While watching the Today show I felt compelled to drop in on my long-overdue need to blog. By now we as a nation are being impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is something that is seemingly affecting us on a global basis. I can say I never thought I would see this day that we in. I really never imagined life this way and I am sure most of us can say the same. The pandemic seemed to evolve overnight causing a worldwide outbreak of Corona Virus shutting our nation down without any warning. Leaving millions unemployed. An unbelievable amount of families are not relying upon food banks to feed their families. No work - no money- no food. Families can not even pay rent or mortgages much less feed their kids. Restaurants, hotels, bars, nail salons, but more insane has been schools. Schools and ALL schools at that have been temporarily closed. With what seemed like a snap of the fingers and just like that ....closed. Graduations canceled. Colleges closed and classed now online. Elementary school, middle, high, and colleges closed, and classes online through an app called Zoom or others like it. Nascar, Golf all basketball, baseball football even the Olympics have been put on hold. It has left us feeling shocked and paralyzed. The need to be with others is real. The ability to be with our loved ones has been taken away or changed in some way. Family members and loved ones living in assisted living have been cut off from others. NO  visitors at all by order of the law. The risk of infection and spread is just too great. Isolation will kill some as it is so unnatural and some need human connection to stay connected and without it, they lose their ability to hold on. To say this is all sad is quite an understatement. There might not be just one word but many to describe the pain, confusion, and uncertainty that is here with us on a worldwide base. On the other side of the coin, there are people helping people like never before. People are becoming creative to celebrate birthdays, graduations, and events that are special. Virtual hellos and now caravans. Caravans with ambulances, fire trucks and so much more. Friends staying in their cars with the caravan holding sighs out their windows and so much love happiness joy and excitement. To be a part of so much love is a gift. We took part in a best friend of mine's daughter, she graduated HS and heads to Vanderbilt in the fall. Her success in life has already surpassed most. She is very unique and driven. It was an honor for all of us who have watched her grow up to be a part of showing her our love and congratulations. I just can not imagine what these kids and teachers are going through. No goodbye nothing. Overnight the kids of all ages were closed. Unreal. Jobs lost like never before. Cancer patients celebrating their last birthdays and others who are terminal. My gosh the pain, the emotional distress must run to your core. My heart aches for so many. I am still trying to wrap my head around all this and I know it will take a while before I can. 

The world is reopening and things are slowly returning to a "new normal" May all of you stay healthy and happy. I know we will be a better world once this is under control. I know I have seen a lot of love and need to be with loved ones. Maybe this will put a lot of our priorities in place and redirect us for the good. I have faith in our beautiful world as we fight COVID-19 together. You are not alone. 

Andrea Bocelli: Music For Hope - Live From Duomo di Milano

December 12th ....... Christmas is just around the corner and I could not be happier. Although this season seems to rush in and fly by, I try to soak up every second of it I can.  There is something incredibly magical about Christmas season.  The combination of joy, love and giving is the perfect recipe for magic to happen. True a lot of people are caught up in the commercialized version of their CHristmas but those I choose to overlook, in a good way. I really don't see the need to focus on the sad nature of so many during a time that displays so much raw goodness. I love this time of year. People are more compelled to do random acts of kindness.  People donate their time and even their belongings. People sponsor families and go above and beyond to do something good. Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years all wrapped up in one. There is a lot of bad in the world I think we can all agree on this. But there is also so much good. Unfortunately our media does not in fact report wonderful beautiful stories they report on all the crime and horrible things going on. But that topic os for another day. Oh Christmas how I love the. The smell of a Christmas tree is pure delight. Even if I get to smell them only in the street as I walk through a tree lot. Seeing people hustle and bustle filled with excitement is really energizing. NYC was by far the most incredible place to experience Christmas. The entire city is like a scene in a snow globe. Magic and inspiration are as thick as the air. You can not escape it and you don't want to. A perfect combination. Merry Christmas!!!!!  

Tables have turned

Just when one thinks they have life a little figured out .......there is that smack in the face and reminds me who's in charge.

Help others .....

You have noticed I took some time off from writing........ to be honest I am not sure I can pinpoint the reason as to why. I love writing but sometimes find it utterly draining. Until I see the finish product and then somehow a recharge is born.  Maybe that is the way it is for all writers or maybe not. 

Today is December the 2, 2018 the first day of Chanukah. A wonderful time to celebrate, reflect and embrace. It is such a grand time of year with all the holidays and new possibilities.  This time of year should also be a time of year we give back more than ever.  It is a tragic the amount of veterans and non veterans that are living on the streets with no roof, no food, no love, nobody and nothing. How can humans be left behind and forgotten about? I truly do not understand. Probably never will. Which is why it is an important part of life that we ALL give back in some way. There are so many ways to help.  Sometimes we do not think we can make a difference, we think we have to do massive things to make a change. But that is not quite the case, it is amazing what a can of food can do, one simple can or more, the act of kindness is contagious. The more we spread around the better the world will be. Each of us are empowered with more helping ability then we live up to. Help others. It is simple. Help. If you think you are to busy or to broke then think again. We have many riches greater then we even see. Take the chance to help someone and it will surprise you to see that you actually recieve way more. There is something so human about helping and putting someone else's diar needs before what we have going on in our own life. Take a step back from your world, look at it, dissect it. Hopefully you will see you have some space in your world to help another. We all need love we all need someone who cares and most of homeless have NOTHING even close. Not to mention the necessity of food. Simple steps. It takes very little to help. Enjoy your holidays and get yourself out there and find out where you can donate food, cloths, toys anything.  Soup kitchens always need help. Enjoy ...........   




 Below is a link that might help
https://money.howstuffworks.com/economics/volunteer/opportunities/volunteer-at-soup-kitchen1.htm

Living in NYC Expectations vs Reality!