Blogging in 2025

What is December without a bit of introspection and reflection? To that end I generally take a moment to look back at the ideas generated over the year that populate my blog: Fashion, Food, Family…Life, each revealing a slice of my life. One can’t help but know for sure that it is indeed A Wonderful Life when each post points in that direction. Not that there haven’t been challenges, for how can one be a citizen with a heart, soul, and intellect, and not feel mournful for all the suffering caused by our current administration or the conflicts and disasters occurring across our globe? We have all had to find our tiny joys to face the day to day political-criminal onslaughts, but that’s the point, right? Fostering joy and hope to encourage inner resilience and easy compassion, that is what my blogging in 2025 seemed to direct.

The Rose bar on the Disney Destiny cruise ship

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My America

My America is a blend of hard labor and kickback ease, peppered with a wide array of choices for an even wider array of people. My America is open to new ideas and change, although elders are still sought out for their grounded wisdom. My America supports public educators to do what they have been trained to do, with all the books at their disposal. My America isn’t afraid to give a helping hand to those who have fallen down, who have been held down, who have gotten lost or who have arrived from a nightmare. My America is only as strong as the weakest link, therefore we forge bonds to shore up the fragile among us. My America would ask everyone to pay taxes even if they are clever enough not to because we really need that level of support to provide a stable infrastructure for this great nation. My America would cancel military weapons from the hands of all these crazy white guys who are misguided into believing they are saviors. I know there is plenty I don’t understand about how this whole world spins but in My America I would stop believing the long list of lies that some people can’t resist telling us.

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Harbors

When you imagine harbors do you think commerce, trade, travel, or the changing landscapes of our waterfronts? The elegant white sails of the Sydney Opera House or the sturdy fishing boats along the Boston seacoast might come to mind… Port cities provide a rich history, complete with dock workers, sea captains, and a rough and tumble crew that have navigated the mysterious deep waters for decades, bringing us to and from our destinations, delivering exotic goods, or facing whatever the currents demand.

My familiar harbor surrounds New York City, the East River drifting under the Brooklyn Bridge then gliding toward the Statue of Liberty and cruising along the Hudson River. Watching the lights pop all over the city with its 8+ million population is a magnificent sight… and on this night I witnessed all that and more…

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