Author: Iris Ruth Pastor

Dear Sophie, Charlie, Lucy, Benjy, Bobbie, Levi and Remi, One of my favorite activities when I was 12 years-old was sulking. I became a world-class sulker  In case you aren’t’ familiar with the term SULKING, the definition of sulking is to be silent, morose and bad-tempered – out of annoyance or disappointment. Think of it as Continue reading

Happy Holidays and here’s my first annual holiday letter to go with it.        The Pastor Pair (Iris and Steven) didn’t take any exotic trips this year – to foreign countries and mysterious ports of entry, that is. We did take a few unscheduled and unforeseen excursions to the hospital though.      Continue reading

The time between Christmas and New Years is a unique chunk of days when business obligations are more relaxed and proximity to family and friends is maximized  It`s a time when many of us look through old photos to remind us of those we have lost and those magical times we have shared Let’s wrap Continue reading

1925-2020 My mother-in-law didn’t die from the coronavirus, but it certainly hastened her demise Her last two weeks of her 94 years were spent in her one- bedroom apartment in an assisted living facility 25 minutes away from her youngest daughter – a daughter who couldn’t visit – and a caretaker who also was barred Continue reading

I’m pissed. And on Friday, in my normal newsletter, you will see why. In the meantime, just so you know, that when I get angry, I get energized. This Corona virus is wreaking havoc with everyone’s lives and I’m tired of being passive. So, after seeing a video about how yarmulkes are being made into masks, an epiphany ensued. I immediately began searching the internet for unlined, satin yarmulkes to duplicate the masks Continue reading

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is unplug my cell phone from the charger, carry it to my bed and flop down on the rumpled sheets to peruse the morning headlines: The economy is crumbling U.S. daily death toll at an all-time high N 95 masks still in short Continue reading

It’s March and there is definitely “madness” in the air. So what is March Madness? It’s a time when beer production increases by 3.5 million cases. It’s a time when pizza orders spike 19 percent. WHY? Because it’s when a single-elimination tournament of 68 collegiate teams compete in seven rounds for the national championship. And Continue reading

Here’s a few ways to cope with the Coronoavirus: Seek Out Comic Relief https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/opinions/boomers-boronavirus-millennials-pariser/index.html Get Educated and Cultured  https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours www.masterclass.com www.thegreatcourses.com Entertain Yourself  Binge watch some or all of the following:      Bombshell (Amazon)      Hillary (Hulu)      Self Made (Netflix premiers today)      Little Fires Everywhere (Amazon)      My Brilliant Friend (HBO, new season out Ozark (Season 3 – Netflix, March 27) Retail Therapy: Continue reading

We are all into saving time and shortcuts – not to mention keeping up with our kids and grandkids, mastering technology’s newest advances and coping with the ever-burgeoning threat of the coronavirus. Addicted to texting? With all the coronavirus-induced closings and cancellations, we might be relying even more on texting.   So as some comic relief, Continue reading

Our small acts matter – they may not make the cover of a magazine or have a world-wide ripple effect but all of us performing positive actions adds up. Here are some recent, if not unsurprising, headlines: Coronavirus fears spark ‘panic buying’ of toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer​ Coronavirus live updates: New cases in South Korea surge  FEMA preparing for Continue reading