Author: Iris Ruth Pastor

I received the following reader’s comment from a column I wrote about the December Dilemma – when your offspring are in mixed marriages and sharing holidays are problematic. And feelings are intensely painful. Here is the reader response to my column, whose daughter is intermarried:  My daughter drives to upstate New York with her husband and Continue reading

Getting through the disgusting month of January with its snow, sleet, freezing rain and bitter winds can be challenging  – unless, of course, like me, you live in sunny Florida. Our temps hover in the 70’s all through the first month of the year. And the sky? Pure blue. If you reside in a less hospitable part Continue reading

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