2011: More Words to Live By

Deb Frazier from my book club sent me this new year’s inspiration about happiness. How apropos that it comes from a book, Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love.” I really have enjoyed receiving these life affirming gifts from friends today. I keep remembering one of my Guru’s teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something … Continue reading 2011: More Words to Live By

2011: Words to Live By

My friend and former colleague at NBC News, Farland Chang, sent this inspiration with his holiday card. The quotes are wonderful food for thought as we welcome the new year. May 2011 bring health, happiness and prosperity to all. The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his time each day. O. A. Battista Always kiss your children goodnight … Continue reading 2011: Words to Live By

Christmas Tamales

Every year on Christmas eve I make tamales for my family and neighbors. It has become a holiday tradition and labor of love and my girlfriends join me with their own recipes in my kitchen. We cook our tamales and socialize and it’s all very festive. In the event you’d like to start a tamale tradition of your own, here’s a great recipe. Happy holidays … Continue reading Christmas Tamales

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas Cards

As we speak I have 10 Christmas cards. I used to have a huge stack by mid-December but then I gave up on sending them. I guess I brought this on myself. I broke this tradition with much guilt and trepidation. It seemed quite sacrilegious to give up on holiday cards. We wrote a couple hundred each year (at great expense I might add) with … Continue reading The Grinch Who Stole Christmas Cards

Happy Hanukkah (Yeshiva University Style)

Mazel Tov to the students of Yeshiva University who came up with this clever video, “Candlelight.” What a creative way to wish everyone a Happy Hanukkah and appeal to people of all ages. Love all these knock off’s of of Taio Cruz’s song “Dynamite.” For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com. Continue reading Happy Hanukkah (Yeshiva University Style)

Gratitude

For Thanksgiving Day and every day: Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for … Continue reading Gratitude

Uganda’s Child Soldiers on PBS

As a journalist I’m used to working long days.  Adrenaline keeps you in the game for 16 to 20 hours during breaking news and disaster coverage.  You sleep for three hours then you’re back at it.  But nothing prepared me for how exhausted I would be after just a couple of hours of listening to the painful testimonies of young Ugandan men and women who … Continue reading Uganda’s Child Soldiers on PBS

War and Remembrance 4

Part 4 in the dialogue between me and Ben Coker, Jr. of South Carolina following my Veterans Day post. Hi Mr. Coker, I’m enjoying our dialogue.  I am not the student of history that you are but as a television news producer and international traveler I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on current events.  I would like to address your question on whether … Continue reading War and Remembrance 4

War and Remembrance 2

Following my Veterans Day post, the conversation continues with Ben Coker, Jr. of South Carolina about war, service and our commitment as Americans.  Hope others will join the dialogue.  Will keep posting as our back and forth continues. Dear Mr. Coker, Thank you so much for reading my blog and for your incredibly thoughtful comments.  Part of the reason I write is to leaving something … Continue reading War and Remembrance 2