Author: Iris Ruth Pastor

BEFORE you start reading this column, answer these two questions: IF, before beginning to read this week’s column, you have poured yourself a glass of wine or brewed yourself a cup of coffee,if you have sought out a favorite spot in your house to sit,if you have lit a scented candle,if you have leisurely gazed around at Continue reading

One thing we all hear nowadays is that if we want to find balance and calm in our lives – we need to look inward. That, we are preached at, is the kind of happiness that matters.  I get that mindset. It’s probably why I go to yoga three times a week – to reduce Continue reading

I’m driving home at 5 in the afternoon from a series of irritating errands – dropping off a favorite blouse at the dry cleaners that I have once again stained – picking up a lush and heavily verdant basil plant at the nursery to replace the one I over watered and killed.  At the same Continue reading

Two of my eight grandchildren graduated from high school recently. They were both raised in loving homes with food security, ample creature comforts and myriad opportunities to excel at school and to explore their interests outside of school.  I watched them proudly accept their diplomas, surrounded by loyal friends, loving families and dedicated teachers. They Continue reading

I get ready for my 35th high school reunion much like I got ready for my 10th reunion – in a hurry with the house a mess.  Dressing while throwing in loads of dirty wash.  Agonizing over my hips. Berating myself for not losing the five pounds I vowed I would lose before the last time I saw Continue reading

Plagiarism – that dreaded charge that all published writers fear.   Long ago, in the 1980’s, I had lunch with Susan Isaacs, then a best-selling novelist. She confided that she too fears plagiarism’s brute force. To guard against having her brain assaulted with ideas from other novelists, she refrains from reading fiction altogether. I purposely don’t read other Continue reading

Sometimes I think I live under a rock.Up until a week ago, I had never heard of Mel Robbins. Have you? Most probably you have.  At age 41, she was unemployed, $800,000 in debt and her husband’s business was crumbling. Today she is a New York Times best-selling author and a world-renowned expert on motivation and changing one’s behavior. Continue reading

Over the years when I am stressed, did I turn to retail therapy for relief?Yes.But not to buy shoes, pocketbooks, or yet another black knit top.Nope.I headed for the nearest neighborhood bookstore to buy hardback books – mainly novels – in order to escape reality and lose myself in a mind-gripping story line.  I bought Continue reading

I’m not giving up:         SUGAR         SALT or         DIET ORANGE CRUSH SODA SUGAR can cause weight gain, drops in blood sugar levels, increase my risk for chronic diseases and is addictive.SALT intake can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney damage, fluid retention and increased risk Continue reading

I don’t give up on people. I think: If only I try harder, she will like me. If I just interact with her in a caring way, the caring will be reciprocated. I take one of her rare positive reactions as a jumping-off point signifying the beginning of a new chapter for our relationship – one of Continue reading