Move that Bus and Play Ball!

My son recently asked me to tape "Extreme Makeovers - Home Edition" for him every week. Although we both can get quite teary-eyed while watching, he has become fascinated with how little some people have and ways he may be able to help others. (I also think he is hoping the team will create a dream bedroom for him one day!) There is certainly something to be said for helping one another. Not only is it useful for the recipients, it can give you a sense of pride, a feeling of connectivity with our world, and remind us we exist for numerous reasons.

This weekend my family will be participating in "Kites for a Cure" at Plum Island. My son gets to decorate and fly a kite along with others in support of lung cancer for $25. On Sunday, we will help out at Cradles to Crayons in Quincy in memory of a friend who left this world much too soon. Our friend's family organized this unique volunteering event and we are excited to work together to keep his memory alive while helping kids in need.


More and more people are choosing to remember loved ones in very different ways to stay connected. Another friend is having a memorial for her partner and has asked people to bring items to donate to a local animal shelter due to his love of pets. Similarly, the day after my grandfather passed away, the grandchildren and great grandkids went out together and bought numerous pet toys for the Animal Shelter in Salem. Our tears turned to smiles for a bit when we delivered them in his memory. It felt as if he would be able to hang out with the animals in spirit, which would be very appropriate as he loved caring for family pets so much.

This summer, my husband hopes to raise money for the Jimmy Fund by participating in Fantasy Day at Fenway Park in late August. His father, who passed away in 2008, started Little League many years ago in Everett and always talked about his love of baseball with his two sons. What better way to reconnect with his Dad than playing ball at Fenway while helping kids with cancer?


We all can make a difference in the life of someone else - even an animal! It isn't the big house or fancy car, but rather the experiences we share and the joy we can get when we connect with one another for unselfish reasons. Whether it is flying a kite together, donating a toy, or playing ball, this is the stuff life is made of - so savor and enjoy!

While driving home from a friend's house the other night, I felt inspired to pop the "Wicked" cd into the car's player and sing away at the top of my lungs. Yes, I'm one of those people who seizes alone time in the car to pretend I'm a star on Broadway. We all have our little hobbies, right?

"Wicked" is a fantastic musical about friendship, revealing that things are not always as they appear. One of my favorite songs, " For Good," begins..."I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason. Bringing something we must learn, and we are led to those who help us most grow, if we let them, and they help us in return."

Can this be true? There are certainly people who have empowered me, making me feel that nothing is impossible. Those I'm so glad and fortunate to have met - those who have made me into the person I am and will become.

Likewise, there are a few people I could certainly do without - similar to the wicked witch who tosses a fireball in the way while on the yellow brick road. You know the kind I mean - they frustrate us, engender a feeling of unimportance, and make us questions ourselves and our existence.

Just like the book, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" by Harold Kushner, I am reminded that we wouldn't understand what good was if we didn't experience the bad. And as the song notes, they are the ones that help us grow, too, even if not in the way we may have hoped or intended. At the very least, they give us something to rant about with friends!

So embrace those who come into your life - even the strangers you meet who you feel you've known forever. They are there for a reason. You never know what you may learn and the next person you encounter may just be the one who helps you feel like you can defy gravity. Don't get it? Go see "Wicked" (at Boston's Opera House from Sept. 1st -Oct. 17th) and you'll know exactly what I mean!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Guilt-free!

I think there is nothing better for dessert than a warm chocolate chip cookie. My husband, Larry, can bake up a mean batch for us a few times a year - he makes them big and hand-places walnuts in just for me. Now that's what I call love. I'm more of a break and bake Nestle girl - always keeping a package in the freezer for cookies emergencies.

The Boston Chipyard at Faneuil Hall is a must-do when meandering one of Boston's favorite tourist spots. We also love The Local restaurant in Newton - if you can get past ordering their fried pickles, warm homemade chips and dip, or baskets of fries (which we can hardly ever avoid), their dessert includes warm cookies served alongside vanilla ice cream to dip them in. Ahh - pure heaven!

Remember those delish cookies we had at the Flint Library in early March? Michele of Cookie Central in North Andover bakes out of this world cookies! With Mother's Day and Father's Day coming up, you might consider ordering some for gifts for yourself or others. (Yes - YOU deserve a little gift now and then!) She delivers them right to your door in the local area.

Of particular note, with every Cookie Central order until early July, you can buy a giftbox of 6 chocolate chip cookies for only $4 and ALL proceeds go right to help hungry kids. Michele supports Share Our Strength, the leading national organization committed to ending child hunger in America. Now that's what I call guilt-free chocolate chip cookies!!

Where do you find your favorite cookies?

Gifts of the Spirit

I just returned from an unusual workshop in Freeport, Maine, entitled, "Gifts of the Spirit." The two speakers were Cheryl Richardson, a popular life coach who has appeared on "Oprah", and John Holland, a famous psychic medium featured on "Unsolved Mysteries".

Cheryl started the day by reminding everyone that dreams are within your reach - all you need to do is ask for help. She claims she reaches most of her goals by asking the universe for help - thinking of a question within your mind and asking for an answer within 24 hours. Keep your eyes and mind open and you'll receive the signs you need. If it's that easy - why not try it? She is very successful - quite a powerhouse, indeed!

I especially like clicking on "A Touch of Grace" on her website - if you haven't done this before, you HAVE to try it! You click on a star for an answer to a concern you are currently facing. Some of you know I use her Grace Cards in my practice and we find them very useful and intuitive.

John Holland also believes in asking the universe or the Divine for help. He delivered messages to audience members from loved ones who have died. In a crowd of 300 people, where only 4 or 5 got messages, can you believe I was one of them? (Cheryl also chose me to go up and pick one of her cards - what a day! Was it fate?)

John speaks what he sees or hears in his mind then asks who might recognize it in the audience. He mentioned several connections that made me think of my father-in-law - talking about his two boys (my husband and his brother) and how proud he was of them, mentioning his military funeral, sharing Halloween with my son, and more. He also mentioned my grandparents who apparently also stopped by to say hello. It got very strange and tears of joy began to fall. Kind of nice to know that they are still out there keeping an eye on us!

I went to the workshop with an open mind and heart - seeking ways I can help clients in the future. While I truly believe other audience members needed a message from a loved one more than I did, I'm thinking it might be my sign to help others grieving remember that love never dies and connections last much longer than we might imagine.

Pizza Perfection

Don't you just love pizza? My family and I were discussing our local favorites this weekend as we waited for a delicious, crispy, cheesy rectangular pie to come out of the oven from Nick's Pizza in Newburyport.

Nick's has to one of our top three for sure! Not much atmosphere inside but it doesn't matter once you take a bite. We often stop here after visiting downtown Newburyport and browsing the shops or after some fun in the nearby Moseley Woods playground (probably open in mid-April). If you haven't been to Nick's, it is a must!

Another favorite is Bianchi's on Revere Beach. We love the big slices and really dig this one when it is at room temperature. Sounds weird, I know but there is something special that happens to the cheese when it is left to "age" for an extra ten minutes - just like a good wine, no doubt!

And how about Santarpio's in East Boston? Again, not much for atmosphere but who cares once you are stuffing your face with some of the best pie this side of Italy. When we wait here for take-out, we almost feel like we're doing an illegal backdoor deal - since you go to a side door off the kitchen under a bridge. But I think that little adventure makes it taste even better. And I hear they might open in Danvers where the old Bennigan's restaurant is on Route 1 North. I get the shakes just thinking about that!

Lastly, we give it up for Angela's Coal Fired Pizza on Route 1 in Saugus. We especially like ordering our own individual pizzas with toppings just as we please. Make mine a carmelized onion - mmm, I can almost smell it!

Pizza can make a long week a little better. As Kevin James said, "There is no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap."

What's your favorite pizza place?

Mother Nature and the Language of Love

So spring has arrived, at least temporarily, making us feel that all can be possible with a little warmth and sun. With all of the devestating storms last week, wasn't it interesting that such beautiful weather followed? It was almost as if Mother Nature took a huge tantrum, wanted to say she was sorry, then sent sunshine our way.


How many times do we feel like this when we freak out on someone we love? We have these crazy emotions build up inside us then we blurt them out in even crazier ways, only to feel badly about what happened afterwards. There's the parent who yells at the child then follows it up with cookies and milk later, sometimes not being able to say the words, "I'm sorry". Or the couple who go without talking for a few days only to follow-up with a warm, understanding embrace. Or the person who can actually voice that heavy phrase and mean it. Actions can speak stronger than words sometimes. And love appears in many different ways. What kind of "love language" do those you love speak? Understanding that can solve many a mystery in a relationship.


So, if you're an "I'm sorry" type or "cookies and milk/hugger", I hope spring brings you renewed love, fulfilled promises, and fresh hopes.


For more information on the language of love that you speak, check out Gary Chapman's books on "The Five Love Languages" (of couples, children, teenagers, and more). A special thanks to my dear friend, Mairim, for letting me know about these books!

The Luck of the Irish

As we near St. Pat's Day this week, I'm reminded that we could all learn alot from the Irish. Their sense of humor, carefree lifestyle, and twinkle in their eye encourages me to slow down and enjoy life a bit more.

How's this for a sign on a store door in Ireland..."Out for lunch. If not back by five, out for dinner, also."

Or how about this thought from George Bernard Shaw: "If you cannot get rid of a family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."

Slow down, learn to accept what we cannot change, and laugh more.

To further salute our Irish teachers, here's a favorite Irish bread recipe from my fun friend, Caroline. It is quite moist - unlike some Irish soda breads.

Caroline's Famous Irish Bread
4 cups flour
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Soak raisins in warm water for about 10 mins. and drain.

Mix all ingredients and add raisins. Pour mixture into a greased loaf or cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Top should be golden brown and toothpick clean after inserted.

(I usually double the recipe because buttermilk is sold in quart size.)

Comfort for the soul and for the belly. Thank you my dear Irish friends! Hope the week ahead is a lucky one for you!