Love this picture where I was also able to capture the water reflection of the roseate spoonbill

This is the first time in our many winter trips to Florida that we have rented a unit on the 10th floor. Usually we try for the third to fifth floors feeling that these floors offer the ocean view that we like best. Last Fall it seemed that health complications might keep us from spending some of the winter months in Florida. By the time complications got resolved and we knew we could go, the only unit available in one of the two condo buildings we were interested in, was on the tenth floor. Well the view is still spectacular – in a slightly different way – and the ocean birds flying by at our floor level are an unexpected treat.

There is so much to learn about Florida birds. Today we golfed at a nearby public course and were treated to the roseate spoonbill pictured above – so impressive, so exotic. It has such a majestic air in flight as it displays is bright pink and white plumage. As the Audubon website says the roseate spoonbill is “Gorgeous at a distance and bizarre up close“. Have found myself pondering the Audubon words – how often in life does something look good from a distance and disappoint on closer inspection.

The spoonbill is just one of the multitude of colorful birds we are seeing during our Florida stay. We frequently are treated to seagulls, pelicans, herons, ospreys, egrets – the list goes on ……..

I got turned on to a specific interest in birds during the 1990’s. Jerry and I were visiting Meg who had finished her commitment as a Jesuit volunteer in Portland Oregon and was now back in Portland teaching in high school. At her suggestion, one late afternoon, we took a picnic supper to the Chapman Elementary School in northwest Portland, joining hundreds of other folks who were already gathered. It was early Fall and birds were migrating to warmer climates as they prepared for winter. According to the Portland news program KGW, “for nearly four decades, thousands of (Vaux) swifts have come to Portland in September swarming the chimney of Chapman as they prepare to roost for the night.” The birds’ aerial display is truly awesome but so is their eventual funneling down into the chimney. According to the Portland Audubon Society, on Labor Day 2022, six thousand seven hundred and ninety swifts were counted funneling into the Chapman chimney to spend the night. The incredible swift display that we witnessed with Meg was definitely a catalyst for my bird interest. That interest is now maintained by the variety of bird traffic we experience at our three backyard feeders at home.

Jerry and I are very conscious of nature’s offerings when we are on our home turf. And it gives us much pleasure to explore Florida’s offerings. When our cousins Liane and Ron were visiting we visited the Florida Oceanographic Institute in Stuart. I saw my first sea horse. He was less than an inch in size – so magnificent in his bodily detail and yet so small in size.

Another day we had a great tour of the Jupiter lighthouse and museum. Can’t remember why the 105 lighthouse stairs were closed for public climbing but my left, sometimes achy, knee was grateful that I did not have to deal with the temptation to give it a try. We had an amazing tour guide who in addition to being knowledgable of the political history of the area was gifted in sharing her well informed background on its flora and fauna as she took us on a walking tour.

I am a big fan of the banyan tree. It is native to India but does very well in southern Florida. Its thick woody root system grows laterally eventually maturing into a trunk system that can cover a very wide area. Our guide showed us a favorite banyan backdrop spot for wedding ceremonies. It was simple and peaceful.

Another meaningful outing we had with Liane and Ron was our visit to the Elliott Museum where they were featuring the works of Norman Rockwell. I find his work to be so reflective of American culture. It was fun looking at the various picture with Liane and sharing our favorites.

Last week our friends Janet and Jerry invited us to join them on a hike with the Adventure Club from their church. The destination was the Mc Carthy Ranch Preserve in Port St Lucie. Though it covers 3,107 acres the groups ‘goal was two hours of hiking followed by a fun lunch. We were cautioned to be on the lookout for snakes and boars and the one alligator who had been spotted in one of the lakes. It was a great walk but no animal life put in an appearance.

I could never live in Florida permanently but it is a fun place to visit. Also we have thoroughly enjoyed the friends we have made here, plus the family and friends who have visited us during our Florida stays. Now due to aging and ill health , those numbers have greatly decreased.

As an avowed political junkie I have a hard time with Florida’s present governor. Jerry and I had lunch recently with Nora and Art, Florida transplants from the Washington, DC area with whom we share family and similar political interests. We met after Ash Wednesday mass at a church of their selection near where they have a condo in Jupiter. The twelve o’clock mass was crowded with our contemporaries. As we stood outside afterward waiting for our friends, Jerry pointed out a nearby crucifixion statue which had been donated Perry Como and his wife. I was very touched having been a childhood Perry Como fan. We learned that he and his wife had been parishioners of this church.

We moved into our suburban Virginia home almost thirty three years. At that time we were one of the younger couples in the community. Now we are one of the oldest couples.The elementary school that serves our community is outstanding and a big draw for young families. But all ages are well represented. We like it that way. Condo life in Florida is weighted toward the older population, except when children and grandchildren come to visit.

When we first came to Florida it was not that important to us to rent right on the ocean – it was the weather, the golf, the flora and fauna. Now being on the ocean and experiencing the various moods of the ocean we just love it. The ocean is like life – sometimes it is calm and peaceful and sometimes it is wild. I like to reflect on these words of Buddha:

“If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand.”

In December 1976 our five children ranged in age from fourteen down to age nine. Santa believers were a thing of the past and that was okey. It is challenging to mix the fantasy of Santa with the spiritual and family and friend meaning of this special time.

We have always wanted our Christmas tree to showcase ornament decorations that had special meaning. In 1976 we decided to have each of the children decorate one of the points of a cardboard star that we put together. Since that time the star has adorned the top of our annual tree. Forty-six years later the star has lost some of its crispness but none the memory joy that it invokes. It used to be the pinnacle of our floor reaching to ceiling Christmas trees, now it just as importantly adorns our table top trees. Tree size has been reduced because we are no longer capable of the logistics of a big tree.

Christmas week 2022 has been particularly joyful as most of our children and grandchildren have been able to join us in person. Those grandchildren who could not be with us were present in our thoughts and hearts. For Christmas dinner we were twenty -eight in number. This could have been overwhelming but not so.

Lilly(granddaughter) and I did the basic shopping which has been a tradition of the last many years. Usually Annie(granddaughter) is with us. But this year she is working in Madrid in a teaching job where she is employed by the Spanish government. We decided to FaceTime Annie during our coffee shopping break. That was so much fun! Electronics can be annoying but they can also be amazing. We had such a clear and wonderful conversation with Annie in Madrid. This was electronics at its best.

When we continued with our shopping I put the phone in my pocket. As my phone is want to do, it decided to make another Face Time call. Coming from my pocket I heard some FT noises and pulled out the phone and there was grandson Alec in Charlottesville, Virginia. An unexpected treat that made Lilly and me very happy.

Our Christmas day celebration started with some pretty amazing caroling. It was a good mix of religious and secular songs sung with gusto and enthusiasm.

Christmas dinner was so yummy. It was truly a team effort with each family preparing part of the dinner menu. The cousin gift exchange was very thoughtful and the white elephant exchange was perhaps tamer than usual but it had its moments of gift theft which added to the fun,

It was an honor to have Emily(granddaughter) and her husband David spend their first married Christmas with us. I so clearly remember preparing for Jerry’s and my first married Christmas. I wanted our Christmas decorations to have special meaning and wanted the first ornament that we purchased to be a memory treasure. We were married the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 1960. With honeymoon and work and writing thank you notes for wedding gifts, we were well into December before we could give time to Christmas decorating. It meant a lot to me that we get the right first ornament. We settled on a three inch long cloth angel wearing wearing a soft pink dress, with gold trimmed wings and a sweet expression on her face. After all these years she is now kind of falling apart as she adorns our advent wreath but is truly a memory treasure.

The next days of Christmas week were filled with time together as we prepared for the engagement party we were co -hosting with our son Jerry, for Jeremy( grandson) and Amy. We are so happy for Amy and Jeremy. As I have said before one of my most favorite prayer requests is that each of our nineteen beloved grandchildren find the right life partner. It was so special to co- host this party for Amy and Jeremy and to meet their friends and to meet Amy’s parents.

NewYears Day we joined with our local families for another team approach dinner. From Lilly’s amazing spanakopita and yogurt sauce to Jim’s grilled chicken, it was a culinary feast. We had such fun sharing New Years resolutions and it was very humorous when the question was asked if your life story was made into a movie who would you pick for the staring role.

New Years and its focus on new beginnings is a very thought provoking time. I like to reflect on the powerful words of Desmond Tutu: Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put all together that overwhelm the world.

The surgeon called on August 5, and said that after looking at the results of my CT scan and my MRI which I had had done three days previously, he felt he could offer me an 85% chance of success for surgery which would alleviate the lower back and right leg pain which was making walking so difficult for me. Though I would prefer 100% guarantee of success I was ready to go with the 85%. What I wanted to know was did he think I would ever be able to golf again. I am not a champion golfer but I am a very happy golfer. I love the beauty of our golf course. Even if I am not playing well I find the golf course setting to be very relaxing.

A surgery date was set for August 22. By August 15, I had gone through two of the four pre op exams required for this surgery. On August 16 I had a conference with the anesthesia department and the next day a final examination was scheduled with the surgeon. Husband Jerry and daughter Maura were with me for that. Was surprised that the surgeon was open to Maura being present. But the surgeon is definitely open to family participation – particularly when the patient is an 85 year old woman. Felt a little annoyed that the surgeon seemed to imply that 85 year olds were not all that reliable but I didn’t really care. He came highly recommended. The fact that Maura is a very competent nurse practitioner made her an ideal person to accompany Jerry and me. Our son Joe – the doctor- would have come too but his schedule is only open on Fridays – it did not mesh with the surgeon’s availability. Would have liked to have also had Joe present but I could not wait. I wanted to get the surgery over with. I had to go with the date that fit the surgeon’s schedule.

And then after several weeks of horrible pain – it suddenly wasn’t as bad. When I went for my final pre op visit I wondered if I should put off the surgery, should I let the surgeon know I was feeling some improvement in my symptoms? What if the pain started heading again in the wrong direction? Fortunately the decision was taken out of my hands. The surgeon detected my confusion. He made the decision to put off the surgery and to get a second opinion. He gave me the name and number of an orthopedist that he said he would go to if he had symptoms similar to mine. I was able to get an appointment for September 12 – three plus weeks off. The surgeon further suggested that, if possible, I gradually increase my daily activity routine. I have always been a faithful exercise lover but once the leg and back issues surfaced all that came to a screeching halt.

In early summer I started lectoring at the 9AM Wednesday mass at our church. Had not lectored in over thirty five years but now in spite of being nervous at getting up in front of the sixty to eighty parishioners who normally attend the weekday services at our church I was able to do it and I loved it. It was an honor to be able to share the word of God. But as walking became more difficult, I was unable to easily climb the few steps to the altar so my lectoring days were short lived – to be started again when the medical issues were resolved. When they showed some improvement I was ready to return to lectoring but the stair issue assumed a greater importance than it should have. At home I was walking up and down fifteen stairs going from the first to our second floor. I was doing that slowly, taking my time and holding on to the railing. Reflecting back now on the big deal I made in my mind over the three steps, I have told myself that this is a classic example of sometimes giving myself a hard time. I blame it on not feeling well but I think there are lots of times in life when we judge ourselves or circumstances too harshly.

I am now feeling so much better. When I saw the arthritis doctor this past week he was delighted at my progress and suggested I cancel the medical appointments related to my surgery – the second opinion surgeon, the pain management doctor. He felt strongly that time, rest, appropriate eating and exercise would lead to a complete recovery. He limited my golf to chipping and putting till I see him again in a month. In his opinion my swollen lumbar spinal disk was finally going down in size on its own. He felt that a surgical procedure was no longer necessary to facilitate this process and to stop the disk from pressing on the nerves which were causing all the pain.

I was a little tentative about canceling the various medical/ surgical appointments. It takes so long to get these appointments lined up. But when I finally made the cancellation calls I felt liberated and pleased.

According to Google ,” Pain is an uncomfortable feeling that tells you something may be wrong. It can be steady, throbbing, aching, pinching …………………it can be debilitating.” These words provide a good description of what I was experiencing. Pain medication was not very helpful. The weaker meds did not lessen the pain and narcotics made me feel loopy. My most powerful tool against the pain was prayer and prayerfully offering up the pain for either our wonderful family, for friends or for a meaningful cause. I like to reflect on the words of the baseball player Satchel Page. ‘” Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.”

We returned Saturday from our annual family beach week at Diamond Beach, New Jersey. Back in early winter husband Jerry studied the tides for late July and early August and based on the summer forecasts we went ahead and rented places for the last week in July. The tide study is very important for our beach loving, body surfing, wave riding family.

Of our nineteen grandchildren, sixteen were able to be with us for all or part of this very special beach time. When the children were younger everyone came to beach week but now with school and jobs and travels that’s no longer possible. We knew this day would come and we savor the time we do have together.

Four weeks ago the family came together for Emily and David’s wedding. The only ones missing were Augustine and his fiancee Rowen who are presently in Malaysia. The bride and groom could not join us for beach week because they had to return to California for the start of David’s post doc and Emily’s PHD internship. But they were with us in spirit. One day when we were all down on the beach and Emily and David were able to get away from work, they texted us from the beach in Santa Monica – we felt an instant beach communion with them.They just didn’t seem so far away.

This beach week we got a very special weather gift – something I had never seen before, something Jerry had never seen before. It is reflected in the picture above. I don’t know what to call it. According to wikipedia a rainbow is” a multicolored circular arc.” This was not an arc, it did not appear following a rainstorm. We were on the beach , enjoying a beautiful day when one of our group looked up and saw this weather treat. I don’t know how long it lasted – maybe five minutes, maybe ten – it was just awesome. We had several days when the dolphins put on a display for us. Maybe the skies just decided it was their turn to show off their beauty.

This is the first beach week that I did not actually go in the water. Perhaps the first summer in eighty -two years that I did not personally experience the glories of the ocean. My lower back and right leg decided to misbehave to the degree that just plain walking was difficult. Beloved family searched the web and granddaughter Annie found a shop about thirty minutes away that had a wheelchair capable of navigating the sandy beaches. We kept the wheelchair locked with the bikes in the parking garage. It was too bulky to fit in the elevator. I just had to walk from our unit to the elevator. And then one of the children or grandchildren would meet Jerry and me on the first floor with the wheel chair if we were heading to the beach. If we were all gathering in the outdoor lounge area of our hotel then Jerry and I took the elevator to the second floor and slowly walked to the lounge area. It was a little difficult but doable.

In the old days of beach week, when the children were smaller, each family took a turn providing dinner for all. This year we all gathered for pizza night in the second floor lounge. We also gathered there for dessert night: an incredible cheese cake with chocolate made by the master chef Jim and a very yummy birthday cake provided by Lane and honoring Joe and Alec’s birthdays. And we were also in the second floor outside lounge for our annual talent night. Grateful to our guitar players, our vocalists, our poet, our master of ceremonies- truly a very special night.

As we never really know what the future holds I with my walking difficulties was not sure how the beach week would unfold. Well it was unequivocally one of the best ever. I was so appreciative of the special times with each of our children and their families. I have a special health drink which I fix each morning for Jerry and myself. I forgot to pack a measuring cup. The powerful med which the doctor gave me to mitigate my lower back and leg pain made me a little loopy in the head – I didn’t feel confident without a measuring cup. Atar and Meg came each morning. The drink and the cereal which they created were so scrumptious. Loved having Jerry, Annie, Charlie and Lilly in our building. Their drop in visits were a special treat. The card games with the MacCurtin’s were challenging and fun. Lunch sandwiches by Paul were incredibly yummy. The chance to spend time with Joe, and Lane and Alec and Quinn and Elsa and Kiernan was a special blessing. Loved being able to have visit time with Jeremy and Amy and with Vaishnavi and Khushi, and Jim and Lisa and Meggie, Jimmy and Josh. A special thank you to Khushi for lining up the Cape May ferry for our trip home. And special hugs to Maura for staying on top of my doctor prescribed meds. The loopiness which they cause make me very aware of the need to check that I am staying on schedule.

Today I saw both the arthritis doctor – who happens to be a member of our golf club and a personal friend – and the pain management doctor/surgeon and got orders for a CT scan and an MRI. These tests will be the deciding factor in the need for surgery. I am so grateful that I was able to be part of beach week and to thoroughly enjoy our annual family gathering.

Saturday, June 25, 2022 was a very special day for Jerry and me. It was the wedding of Emily and David. Emily is our oldest grandchild. It was the first wedding of any of our nineteen grandchildren. A wedding that was originally scheduled for June 2021 but was switched to 2022 – a bow to the power of Covid. The extra year’s wait was long as far as this grandmother was concerned. My constant prayer for our beloved grandchildren has been and continues to be that they find the right life partner. When Emily and David got engaged in December 2019 my husband and I were so happy for both our granddaughter and her fiancee. They are both kind caring people ideally suited to be life partners. And they share a common interest in autism research and in neuroscience.

David is a triplet and it was his triplet sister, Alisha, who provided the venue for Emily and David’s first meeting. Alisha and Emily both were working at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the Autism Department. In the months that followed their first meeting we heard a lot about David. When David joined us for our family beach week it just seemed so fitting that he was with us. And then in December 2019 when we were in New York visiting Emily’s father Jerry and his wife Teresa, it was very exciting to get a call from Emily and David that they were engaged.

Our nineteen grandchildren range in age from 15 to 29. It is probably fair to say that there will be many more weddings in our future and they all will have their unique specialness. And they will also be sources of overwhelming joy. But at least now for future weddings we will be prepared for the overwhelming wedding joy that is invoked.

One of the unexpected features of Emily and David’s wedding was that they asked their grandparents to be part of the wedding party. Jerry and I were very touched and honored. It meant that we participated in the wedding rehearsal and the special gathering afterward. That was followed several hours later by a welcome party hosted by David’s parents for all those who were already gathered for the wedding. It was a special treat to celebrate the night before the wedding with those who had come from far and wide to honor the marriage of this very special couple.

Not surprisingly I have been doing a lot of reflecting not only on family weddings to come but on past family weddings. I thought of the double wedding of my mother and her twin sister to their law school classmates, my father and Uncle Jim. Great Aunt Mary who had no children of her own, wanted her wedding gift for her nieces to be that she would pay for the wedding reception and that it would be at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. I do not know how old I was when I learned that the site of my parents wedding reception had been the iconic Plaza Hotel. I had a hard time processing that this grand hotel located on Central Park South was the site of my parents wedding reception. For so many years in the post depression era money was tight in our family. It just did not compute that their wedding reception had been held at the Plaza. But Aunt Mary was a wealthy woman who was successfully running her deceased husband’s publishing business . She could afford the Plaza and that is where it was. I wonder what the bridal couples wanted. One time when Jerry and I were in New York we had tea at the Plaza. I tried to envision the wedding reception there. And I have to confess that I pocketed a teaspoon from our tea. I wanted a souvenir.

When Jerry and I were married I was living in Washington DC and working in Virginia. Jerry, a native Washingtonian, was working at the Patent Office and attending Catholic University’s law school at night. I can’t remember if we gave any thought to a Washington wedding. It just seemed fitting to return to the parish church on Long Island which had been my family’s spiritual home all my growing years. Jerry agreed. And we were both so pleased when the chaplain at the Cornell University – New York Hospital, who had become a close friend in my student nurse days, was available to officiate at our wedding , assisted by my Jesuit seminarian brother Bud.

In our sixty one plus years of marriage Jerry and I have lived in two apartments and three houses. I like to think of the our first home as the baby home, the second as the place where the children passed their school education years of grammar school, high school, college and post graduate time. The third home where we have lived since 1990 has been the wedding house of our children. And now Emily and David have introduced a new dimension – it is the house where we prepared for the joy of our first grandchild wedding.

The John James Audubon Center in Pennsylvania provided a lovely outdoor setting for the wedding. And the center seemed such an appropriate location – not that far from Haverford where Emily went to college and not that far from Princeton, David’ s alma mater. And it was close to Philadelphia where Emily worked at CHOP and where she and David spent many happy courtship hours.

Am closing this post with a picture of our son Jerry talking at the reception with the newlyweds after he gave a blessing and warm words of welcome to all. The smile on Jerry’s face captures the WEDDING JOY we were all feeling!!!

A recent tweet by Maria Shriver came up unasked for on my FaceBook feed: Don’t carry your mistakes around with you. Instead place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones to rise above them. Have been pondering these words and find them very powerful. It is all too easy to be consumed by a mistake. I like the visual that Shriver paints. Mistakes should not be given the power to dominate our lives, rather they should become”stepping stones ” to something better.

There was a time when reflecting on my life decisions I regretter heading to college two days after I graduated from high school. My first day of kindergarten was in February, as was my first day of grade school, as was my first day of high school and my first day of college. I was in one of the last classes in New York State to start my school life in February. Someone finally came to the decision that February starting dates for school students were not a good Idea and that phase of educational life was put to rest.

In high school I took an intense class load of subjects that culminated in New York State Regents exams. Some of my fellow February graduates opted to take a break from school and not start the college phase of their school life immediately but to rather wait till September. Not me, I wanted to go full speed ahead with my life. So one week I was immersed in a period of Regents exam taking and then soon after I was immersed in a fairly heavy load of college courses. On reflection, It might have been nice to take an education break. Had I made a mistake?

Starting college my plan was to go into teaching and perhaps attend law school at night – as my parents had done. I didn’t feel passionately about following this life path, it was just one that I was familiar with and comfortable with. In the first few weeks of my first college semester I read an ad on the subway as I was heading to a day of classes at Marymount. The ad had a profound effect on me. The ad was from the American Red Cross promoting their Spring class schedule. The subway was crowded. I had not been able to get a seat. To pass the time I starting reading the ads posted on the subway car. The ads were kind of boring except the one from the Red Cross. It spelled out information on their Home Nursing Classes. I was intrigued and interested in the medical content of the classes. I thought this is something I will do when I have finished all my other schooling. And then the subway arrived at the stop for Marymount and I got off. At the end of the day when it was time to take the subway home – I was a day hop – I searched the subway ads for the one on the class offerings of the American Red Cross. When i found it, I read it carefully and slowly. It was early March and I was in the midst of making a Novena to St Francis Xavier that I be guided in making the right life decisions.

As I shared in a previous blog, after a period of reflection and study of what would be involved, I started investigating nursing programs and in particular those programs that offered a BSN. I wanted a BSN nursing program because I felt it would offer more opportunities in whatever nursing field I ended up working in. My search came to an end almost as quickly as it began when I discovered that Cornell University’s nursing program, which was attached to New York Hospital, offered exactly what I was looking for. Cornell required 60 undergraduate credits coming from some very specific course requirements in order to be considered for admission. By participating in the six week summer school semester which Marymount required of all its February admissions, by attending Marymount for one additional year and by getting appropriate grades, the Cornell nursing program was definitely available to me. I was excited. I did not apply to any other nursing school. My maternal grandparents were both Cornell graduates in the late eighteen hundreds. My mother and her twin sister had attended Cornell for two years before they transferred to Barnard College of Columbia University. Their brother, my uncle, was a Cornell graduate as were many cousins. I felt like Cornell was in my blood. Now all I had to do was get the grades which would make admission to Cornell a reality.

Trying to be very disciplined in my studies and in what college activities to get involved with, and trying to do some good decision making, I decided that I could just join one club at Marymount. I was still feeling the academic blitz that included my final term of high school and the full load of college courses I started just three days after my high school graduation. The Marymount club that was most appealing to me was the Collegiate Council for the United Nations. I loved the discussions of world events. I thoroughly enjoyed when we had mock UN meetings with other colleges and each college was assigned a country to represent.

A few months into my CCUN membership I was honored when the president of the club asked if I would be one of the two Marymount representatives at a week-long overnight conference being held in June and hosted by Sarah Lawrence College. All CCUN organizations in our area were sending representatives. I thanked the club president for the honor but said it would mean missing a week of the six week summer school program. But she persisted in asking me as did the club moderator who stressed that since I would be representing Marymount the school would be covering all the costs of the conference;. The moderator even took it a step further and checked with the facilitator of the summer school program who gave her OK to my missing a week of class. I was so conflicted and did not understand why these good people were pushing me to attend a conference like this when I would only be at Marymount for one more year? I was very clear with everyone that I was on a nursing school trajectory. They replied that in the year plus time that I would remain at Marymount I could do some valuable promotion of the Marymount model UN program to my fellow students.

Here I was trying to make a good decision about my use of time and I was having dangled in front of me attendance at a conference that I knew I would love but didn’t think I should be attending. Finally with the encouragement of the summer school facilitator I agreed to attend the conference. And it was awesome!!!

Krishna Menon -who was a leader in India’s fight for independence- and Eleanor Roosevelt were my two favorite speakers at this conference. Though Franklin Roosevelt had been dead for a little over ten years, Eleanor continued to be very active in many socially important causes. I had never been in an intimate gathering with two such famous leaders. At the host college Sarah Lawrence, the setting for the gatherings with our guest speakers was a homey room with lots of comfy chairs. It was an intimate setting for the twenty five of us in attendance. To this day I still remember the awe I felt spending an evening sitting about five feet away from Eleanor Roosevelt. There are so many Eleanor Roosevelt quotes I like to ponder. One of my favorites is SUCCESS MUST INCLUDE TWO THINGS:THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO HIS UTMOST POTENTIALITY AND A CONTRIBUTION OF SOME KIND TO ONE’S WORLD.

. Some decisions are not black and white and might entail mistakes and yet have very positive results. I learned so much about current events and past world history at the Sarah Lawrence conference. In my remaining time at Marymount I was a very vocal advocate for the Model UN organization, and at the same time, was well prepared to move on to Cornell.