Komm, süßer Tod, (Come Sweet Death) is one of sixty-nine sacred songs that J. S. Bach contributed to a book, which was edited in 1736 and scored for voice and basso continuo. When I was a junior in high school, I was a flutist at a PMEA band festival, which was hosted by Valley View High School in Archbald, PA. The guest conductor programmed this famous Bach work on this concert for young aspiring musicians because it had been arranged…..

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The winter season is nearly over and daylight savings time is upon us. On Sunday, we will set our clocks forward as we anticipate spring and all of the outdoor activities in which we will engage in the coming months. Although I do enjoy the warmer weather, and golf is my husband’s first love, we are bummed that we didn’t have a major snowstorm in southeastern Pennsylvania this season. There is something wonderful about being snowed in as the fire…..

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So many of the days on the National Days Calendar amuse me, and today, 24 January 2020, is no different. I was scrolling through Facebook this morning and was about to post some pictures of my grandmother, who would have been 104 years old today. She is spending her first birthday in heaven, but I have been conditioned to remember this day every year for nearly fifty years. Little did I know that today is also National Peanut Butter Day…..

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Christmas Eve is one week away! My husband and I have been feverishly decorating our house since the Thanksgiving weekend. We have a seven-foot tree that is filled with childlike ornaments to remind us of simple childhood pleasures. Many of our ornaments are Hallmark noisemakers that play TV or movie theme songs from shows like Happy Days, Knight Rider, The Waltons, Batman, Christmas Vacation, Fantasia, Frozen and other Disney films. Although I love angels, and have a plethora of angel…..

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My husband and I are huge movie buffs. We love going to the Movie Tavern near our home, which recently installed leather reclining seats and which offers five-dollar movies and unlimited free popcorn on Tuesday nights. This year, especially, we took advantage of this awesome deal and saw several Marvel films, Godzilla (3 times) and Rambo: Last Blood (twice). My husband can quote iconic lines verbatim from virtually every film he has ever seen. He astounds me with his memory,…..

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For as long as I can remember, I have loved the ocean. My family vacationed at the beach every summer from the time my siblings and I were old enough to crawl. Swimming in the ocean is as close to Heaven as I ever thought was possible to experience. I always spent several hours away from the crowds on boogie boards as I floated atop the waves. The ocean was always my best form of therapy. It was apparent to…..

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Today is National Creativity Day! A few months ago I received my alumni magazine, Edge, from my alma mater, The University of the Arts. It has been twenty-five years since I earned my master’s degree at this fine institution of higher learning. The two years I spent there rank amongst the happiest in my life as a music student, and I am forever grateful to my teachers and mentors who shaped my scholarship and musicianship. As I was perusing Edge,…..

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Two weeks ago, I spoke to a friend of mine who, at the age of seventy, is dying. We met over forty years ago because he was a frequent customer in my grandparents’ tavern. My brother and I were fascinated with Paul because he was very entertaining, especially to young children. We were mesmerized as he removed his glass eye and placed it on the bar next to his beer – a magical trick more real to us than any…..

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For years, Valentine’s Day was just another day for me to observe the public displays of affection I witnessed as I walked through the city of Philadelphia on my way home from work. Flowers, balloons and teddy bears abounded on vendors’ trucks on every corner, and owners of fine restaurants on Rittenhouse Square set up outdoor heaters and tables around the perimeters of their businesses for couples who wished to dine outdoors. For 44 years, I was single and never…..

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Recently, I have been thinking about the importance of mentoring and legacy. Legacy has been on my mind because my grandmother is preparing to be welcomed back home to the Divine, and she has been leaving a lasting impression on my mom and my aunt who are her caregivers. She has no physical illness, but suffers from dementia, although she knows the members of her family. She seems to be between worlds, but despite not being completely grounded in reality,…..

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