In The News

It is said that we are not to become too attached to the material things of this life. What matters are not "things" but people, love, kindness, compassion, empathy and all the emotions that belong to humanity. There is a black velour hoodie sweatshirt that hangs on the bedpost in my girls room and has been there since 2004. I do not have any attachment to sweatshirts period.  My attached is to the young woman who wore that sweatshirt. The sweatshirt reminds me of a beautiful soul, with a contagious smile and laugh that left us tragically too soon.  I...

It's been a long time since I have sat down to blog.   I have written so many blogs in my head over the last almost two years but they all just seemed to fall flat when I tried to put it on paper. My head swirls the usual stuff that is written all over the place. To this point most people have become numb to it and don't seem to pay attention to anymore.  Covid... blah, blah, blah, short staffed...blah, blah, blah, supply chain shortages...blah, blah, blah. First let me give huge kudos to our staff that has worked their...

I don't know if I've been changed for the better,

Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.

-Wicked-

Mothers Day is fast approaching.   I could go on and on about my mother.   But today besides thinking of my own mother I am thinking about my 2nd String Mom.  Most people have one and most of us have been a 2nd String Mom to someone whether we know it or not.  An explanation is needed.  Kind of.  The 2nd String Mom. She is your go to female after your own Mom.  She has a very special place in your heart.  Over the years she has guided you, yelled at you, kicked your butt and loved you.  Just...

I don’t really know much about Sam Mancuso’s life outside of when it intersected with mine.   I know that he was a salesman for Merckens chocolate back in the day.  I know he was a friend of my Grandpaps’s.  My memories are mostly of him when I was a child.  We would on occasion bump into him at my  grandparents chocolate shop or at their home.  Collectively my brother, sisters, and I were always delighted to see Sam the Candy Man.  And that is exactly what we called him.  We would jump up and down chanting "Sam's Here!"  "Yay!...