Winter Solstice: An Ancient Holiday That’s Relevant Today

Winter Solstice

In ancient times, numerous beliefs and rituals were based on astronomical events. Many traditions that  started then are still celebrated today.  Tonight – the Winter Solstice – is one of those occasions.

Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year.  Throughout much of history, societies were built around the amount of daylight available.  The shortest day of the year, which comes with the longest night, was immensely important.  It meant the harvest had passed, and they would live on stored goods until the spring.  During the following months there would be hardship and even starvation for some.

Continue reading

6 Things I Learned From Being Left at the Train Station

Left at the station,what I learnedWhen we travel, my husband and I have a plan in case we get separated: the one left behind stays where they are and the other comes back to find them. We have this plan because we do a lot of train and subway travel and do not have cell phones. We have never had to use our plan, until our last vacation.

After 18 hours of travel, we were boarding out last train of that trip. It was chaotic, and one of our bags got misplaced. It contained all our photography equipment and a computer. For us, a big part of vacation is the joy of taking photos. Continue reading

Fantasy Football: Three Lessons To Learn

Fantasy Football

Yes, she’s a football fan.

It is that time of the year: Football season has arrived, and with it comes Fantasy Football.   In the last several years there has been an explosion of interest and participation in the past-time.

I called my daughter to wish her a happy birthday. She was delighted to hear from me and excited to talk, but she interrupted the conversation twice to take her turn in her fantasy draft.  Finally, she asked if she could call me back, saying she only had a few more players to pick and needed to concentrate.

I was fascinated by her behavior.

Continue reading

6 Questions to ask if you are unsure about your relationship

6 Questions to ask yourself if unsure about relationship“Relationships seek to obtain: Level flight, nice buzz, floating down the river, hitting rapids, “wee that was fun,” return to level flight.” Margaret Martin

 How do I know when it is right? Am I settling? What if I am making a mistake? These are common questions to ask yourself after the romance cools. These are extremely hard questions to answer because, let’s face it, there is always someone better. After the initial rush is gone, there is always another exciting romance to be had. No matter what your age, there is always someone else who can give you that initial high.

Are you asking the right questions?

Continue reading