Author: Iris Ruth Pastor

I recently threw myself a 75th birthday party.  It took a little chutzpah – I’ll admit – but I quickly got over my misgivings at how giving myself a party appeared so self-absorbed and self-serving. And I had a great time planning it too: Venue. Table decorations. Menu. Party favors. Guest list. I started with neighborhood kids I Continue reading

My friend Faye and I have been friends since first grade – we shared scraped knees, chicken pox, pimples and boyfriend woes. And then for many years we lost touch. We reconnected recently and I invited her to go with me to see the Cincinnati Reds play the Miami Marlins while I was visiting my Continue reading

Maria Shriver writes in her Sunday Paper column about what Kara Lawson, Duke University women’s basketball head coach, said recently: We wait for stuff to get easier. It will never get easier. What happens is you handle hard better.”  OMG. I love that statement! Turning 75 is not easy. For me, it’s a difficult milestone, but the alternative Continue reading

Ann Lander’s advice column was the first thing I would read in the daily paper.  These days, I peruse the funeral notices – keeping a sharp eye out for the unique, the ones written with flair and humor. I usually leave those pages disappointed, as most obits are formulaic and boring. But not this one: Continue reading

It’s been an intense time in our country – so this week I’m going with lightening up. I’m a firm believer in how you see the world determines the world you see. And I think my house reflects this. I’m devoting this week’s newsletter to a glimpse of some of the plaques and signs I have hanging around Continue reading

Another mass shooting erupts. This one occurs on one of the most sacred days on the secular caledary: the 4th of July.  The next day, I receive the following text from a family member, who is passing this text on from a teacher who had the shooter as a student in grade school:  He was very Continue reading

I now realize that when I’m stressed, I organize.When I’m upset, I stuff myself with cookies.When I’ve got something to say, I write.When I need reassurance that my brain is still working, I attempt CryptoQuips.When I want to tune out the world, I read.When I want to calm myself, I knit.When I want to distract Continue reading

I don’t know whether it is commendable or pathetic that on the eve of my 75th birthday, I am still perusing like crazy books on self -improvement and self-empowerment. I am still actively engaged in finding rituals and practices to improve my life.  While browsing at the fabulous Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City, I found a Continue reading

Father’s Day memories are most poignant when specific. I love it when every year my research turns up new narratives on dads and kids. The Washington Post Style Plus section in 1993 captured and subsequently published some readers’ reminisces about their dads. Here’s a few:  Dad never knew quite what to say to us kids — particularly the girls. Continue reading

I’m just coming down from my high mood after a wonderful family get together with four out of my five sons and their families.  As I was leaving, a family member gave me a very flattering compliment – centered on the fact that I brought my “A” game to the weekend festivities. I think this person Continue reading