Even though I'm the founder of a networking group for enterprising women on Long Island and Queens, NY, the Independent Business Women's Circle, and a big believer in the power of connecting, cultivating support and learning from each other, I don't frequent networking functions... or at least not since I...

When I was single, the last thing I expected was to one day be offering advice on the subject of How to Marry a Mensch, the title of my latest book. But, after years of pounding the dating pavement, I learned a lot from my socializing efforts, and ultimately met...

This past week was a hugely challenging and life-altering one for my family.

My mother in law, Lilli Newman, passed away unexpectedly at age 86.

As I write these words, it feels quite surreal and sad ....both the reality and the finality of the situation.

I've always found the notion...

We live on Long island in New York, and like many in this state and others, we've lost power. Today is day #10, and we remain without electricity, heat, stove usage, hot water, cable or Internet service. Select food is running low at some grocery stores, and gas lines are...

It rained this past Saturday, so while we thought we were going to the pool for the last weekend of the summer, our plans got altered. In fact, we were left with no plans. Seth spend the bulk of the day on his computer, and I was itching to get...

We have become pool regulars ever since the lovely outdoor swimming pool in our community opened for the season.

From summer to summer, we encounter people from previous seasons. It's an opportunity to catch up on their goings-on of the year. There are always new members who moved into the...

My mother didn't live to see me become a mother, and I wish she had. There's nothing like the love of a mother (assuming it's a positive relationship).

Seth and I were in the park last weekend, and we wound up speaking to an elderly couple playing with their dog....

I'm a big fan of freedom of choice, but I ask the question, how does that apply to children?

My son, Seth, is 9 years old, and said something particularly smart this week that stopped my husband and me in our tracks.

He's in third grade, and this has been...

I feel like a contestant in The Dating Game television show... only I'm participating on behalf of my father. And, it's not for a love match, but rather a live-in aide... two to be exact.

My mom passed away over ten years ago, and five years after that, we brought...

Would I want a crystal ball if one existed?

I have very mixed feelings.

If it would give me peace of mind to know how certain situations would turn out, then perhaps. But, what if I didn't relish the outcome? I wouldn't have the power to change it, and I'd...

My son and I baked brownies again this year. It's become an annual holiday tradition. The house smells wonderful, and it's tempting to lick the spoon and indulge in a sampling or two. We resist. They're not for us.

We bring them to the local volunteer firehouse to thank them...

Growing up, Thanksgiving was a fun and festive time in our home. My mother cooked a mean turkey plumped with matzoh stuffing, celery and seasonings, There was cranberry sauce. Cinnamon sweet potato. Gravy. Green beans. Wine. No one went hungry or thirsty. I remember it well and miss the celebration.

The Cardinals won The World Series, and my father knew it.

He called them The Carrots, but I understood what he meant.

My father had a stroke over a week ago, and his life changed in a flash, as did mine. Overnight, I became acutely aware of the challenges...

Seth announced today, as he bolted out the door for the school bus, that he's a bodyguard.

"For whom?" I said.

"Ariel," he replied. "A girl in my class."

"And, why does she need a bodyguard?" I asked.

"Some kids are saying not nice things," he answered.

I kissed...