Author: Iris Ruth Pastor

Marvin N. Kaplan, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, and devoted dentist, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, November 17, with his wife, Rella, by his side.Marvin dedicated nearly 40 years to caring for the Clifton, OH community through his dental practice—a profession he approached not just with skill, but with deep compassion. Continue reading

My mother would have never, ever thought of going clothes shopping or home decor shopping at Goodwill or the Salvation Army stores not far from our house. And my father would have been horrified if she did – feeling it reflected poorly on his ability to provide for his family.  Fast forward:  Thrifting is in.Thrifting is the act of shopping for Continue reading

I’ve started working on my 2026 New Year’s Resolutions – resolutions that each January barely make it out of the starting gate –all but forgotten 31 days later as we slide into cold, wet and windy February. While devising my list, I unexpectedly came across this tidbit: there actually is an International Self-Care Day – celebrated annually Continue reading

I’ve always been fascinated by reincarnation. I sincerely believe that a person’s spirit or soul can be reborn into a new body after death. Continuously having this strong pull towards learning and reading about the Holocaust, I couldn’t help feeling that I had been through that horrific era in some capacity as a victim.   Since Continue reading

It’s 4:07pm on Wednesday afternoon, October 29, 2025. My husband and I are on board the SS Beatrice in Central Europe. We are cruising down the Danube River – on our way to Spitz an der Donau – a village of about 1500 residents known for its stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage, located in the Wachau Continue reading

If you are opening this newsletter the minute it pops into your inbox, I can tell you exactly where I am on this Friday, October 24 at 3pm Eastern Standard Time.  The city: BudapestThe country: Hungary  It’s 5337 miles away from where I live in Tampa. I am at a pretty nice hotel, probably brushing Continue reading

I’m back to citing more observations by author Ingrid Fetell Lee in her book Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. Lee says that we need more play in our lives. Why? Because it is the only known activity that humans engage in solely because it produces joy. And she describes JOY Continue reading

My father’s memoir started with two simple declarative sentences: “This is my first attempt to bring together the many incidents of my life, which may be dull and boring to everyone. However, my children or my grandchildren may see or appreciate a bit of humor or relate a piece of my experience to their own Continue reading

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in Judaism, ended at sunset last night. Always in the past, I was focused on seeking forgiveness from others. This year I decided to seek forgiveness from myself. This involves a variety of steps:  By emphasizing the above intentions, I hope to make great strides towards spiritual renewal in the Continue reading

I’m very excited – I have coined a new term: LIFE SNAGS. It was birthed this past week from my sheer craziness of flying-off the handle each time I was confronted with a minor situation not to my liking. I would prefer to think of myself as a person who copes, but you would have never Continue reading