The Wrapping Paper Wars
Back when I decided to convert to Judaism, I knew that the transition would be difficult for my family. But I had no idea that the real war would begin over holiday gifts. As I recall, the wrapping-paper war began in the early-morning hours. I had just gotten out of the shower and poured my second cup of coffee when my phone rang. Before I even picked up the receiver, I knew it was my mom (probably on her second cup of coffee, too). She most likely had already spoken to one or both of my sisters. I would say that we are the classically...
read moreDealing With Annoying Relatives on Thanksgiving
When thinking about going to your family’s Thanksgiving dinner, does the fear of seeing certain relatives put a feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach? You know the ones: the close talker, the nonstop talker, the massager, the bully, Debbie Downer and Mrs. Right About Everything! This is just a sampling from my family, anyway. (I hope they don’t read this!) There are others, of course, but what is key is learning how to deal with these personality types. That way, your meal will be festive, fun and less stressful. The...
read moreTalking With a Parent Who is Dying
What would you say to your mom or dad if you were told they would be dead in a matter of months? How would you spend your remaining time with them? Do you wonder what they would want from you at the end of their life? Are there things you would want to express to them before they passed away? As a mother, I sit here writing this with one part of my brain thinking, “What would I want from my kids if, say, they were in their 40s and I had just been given the news that I only had six months to live …?” Would I want them to sit...
read moreCharlie Sheen: The Next Phil Spector?
Charlie Sheen and his entourage are playing a deadly game with women’s lives. While reading about his latest drunken, violent episode, I couldn’t help but think of Phil Spector, who was convicted of murdering Lana Clarkson in a drunken haze. During the court proceedings in Spector’s case, numerous women reported having been threatened and treated violently by Phil Spector. Spector’s entourage had done him no service by minimizing his violent tendencies. In my estimation, if Charlie Sheen continues on this path —...
read moreHeaven and Hell: Life with Multiple Kids
As moms, we know life is filled with big and little moments of joy and comparable moments of pain. We experience this with our children often. When people ask me how my two kids get along, my response is always the same: “It is heaven and hell.” I love my kids, but day to day (and even from one minute to the next), I do feel like I move from heaven to hell and back again. What keeps my hopes up during the hellish times is the blissful memory of the heavenly times. Without the bad, what does the good really mean, right? Take, for...
read moreRandy and Evi Quaid: Folie a Deux?
Actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, are seeking asylum in Canada from what they are calling the “Hollywood Star Whackers.” The Quaids have been finding themselves in a lot of trouble lately here in the United States. They have missed multiple court hearings related to felony vandalism charges in Santa Barbara. Their issues first came to light earlier this year, when the Quaids were charged with defrauding an innkeeper. Evi Quaid pleaded no contest to this misdemeanor, and the charges against Randy were dropped. According to...
read moreRandy and Evi Quaid: Folie a Deux?
Actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, are seeking asylum in Canada from what they are calling the “Hollywood Star Whackers.” The Quaids have been finding themselves in a lot of trouble lately here in the United States. They have missed multiple court hearings related to felony vandalism charges in Santa Barbara. Their issues first came to light earlier this year, when the Quaids were charged with defrauding an innkeeper. Evi Quaid pleaded no contest to this misdemeanor, and the charges against Randy were dropped. According to the...
read moreWhat Happened the Night BEFORE Ginni Thomas Called Anita Hill?
Nearly twenty years after Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Ginni Thomas, Clarence’s wife, left Anita a message requesting an apology. I can’t help but wonder what went on in the Thomas home the night before that very early 7:30 AM message was left on Anita’s work voicemail at Brandeis College. Had there been some strange rehashing of those long-ago events that got Ginni upset and made her feel the need to reach out over the...
read moreWhat Happened the Night BEFORE Ginni Thomas Called Anita Hill?!
Nearly twenty years after Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Ginni Thomas, Clarence’s wife, left Anita a message requesting an apology. I can’t help but wonder what went on in the Thomas home the night before that very early 7:30 AM message was left on Anita’s work voicemail at Brandeis College. Had there been some strange rehashing of those long-ago events that got Ginni upset and made her feel the need to reach out over the...
read moreTLC’s ‘Sister Wives’, The Price of Polygamy
During the “twenty-year wedding anniversary” episode of “Sister Wives,” the pain that wife number one, Meri, was feeling was palpable. This was caused by Kody Brown, her husband, showing his giddy affection for young wife number four, Robin, who is just joining the family. Meri has been married to Kody for twenty years. “Sister Wives,” the TLC series that is shining a spotlight on the polygamist culture (well, at least at one polygamist family, anyway), has been in a bit of trouble lately. The authorities...
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