Today is my mothers 80th birthday. She’s celebrating it in heaven. It IS her birthday, the day she was born. I hear people say, “it would have been” a loved one’s birthday once they have passed and I don’t understand this way of thinking. The day you were born, is the day you were born,…
An anniversary, an event and a lesson learned
Three years ago tomorrow, December 10, 2017, is the anniversary day of my mini-stroke. I woke up in the morning, sat down to watch television with my daughter and apparently started making no sense, asking if I was in the TV. I wound up back and forth to the hospital the next two days and…
Maintenance Folks
When it became obvious we were going to be trapped in our houses for a while, I decided to do a “deep” clean of my house. I started out with such enthusiasm- moving furniture, polishing wood, scrubbing floors on my hands and knees. It was a rough morning for me and I quickly moved on…
A Million Dollar Moment
This past Saturday, Luminaira Night, a charitable event which I co-founded 22 years ago, hit a milestone. We passed the $1,000,000 mark raised for our charity of choice, New Bethany Ministries. It was a thrilling moment, and even though I detest the overuse of this word, it was surreal. I had the distinct pleasure of…
A Thank you to 200+
June 4th, 2018 Dear Kappa Alphas one and all, It’s been a rough few days. I got the call from our current president about the demise of KA over the weekend. He had promised to call me and let me know as soon as he could, and he did. I thought I was prepared for…
Double Secret Probation and other really terrible problems
(This post has been in archives since March, given the events of this past week, I think it’s OK to publish now) I’m sitting in my kitchen right now, enjoying a snow day, and wondering how in the hell the last week actually happened!!! I’ve seen a lot in the last 12 years working at…
Jaxon BYOB in Northern Liberties
Last Saturday, while visiting friends who live in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, we had the pleasure of dining at Jaxon BYOB. I love a BYOB, but it’s hard to find one that isn’t just average. Jaxson BYOB was recently voted “Best BYOB in Philadelphia’ and it’s easy to see why. The restaurant is SMALL-…
The Saint Valentine’s Day Masacre and what boy’s breakups have taught me
I was only working at KA for a few weeks when I found myself witness to the first of many, terrible breakups. Valentine’s day is a tricky day at the frat house. Most of the boys who have steady girlfriends wait until the day before to rush into the kitchen, frantic that there are no…
Happy Anniversary
This week, on the 28th, we will celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We’ll celebrate by spending the week in a perfectly lovely tropical paradise. It will be the first time since our honeymoon that we have been away together-alone- for a full week!!! Wish us luck. (haha) We are going to celebrate 25 years of…
My Mother’s day gift
When I was a young girl, my mother and I would watch the 4:30 movie together after school. The 4:30 movie came on right after Merv Griffin, and it ran until the 6:00pm news. I loved these movies and the time spent with my mom on the couch. Some of the movies we watched and…
Hotel Bethlehem Tap Room Review
Let me start by saying I love the Hotel Bethlehem. I love the nostalgia of the place, and how very very Bethlehem it feels. My husband and I dined at the Tap Room for the first time last evening. We’ve both been to the main dining room and the bar on several occasions previously. All…
Nicknames just aren’t what they used to be
Generally, I think that title is true- Nicknames aren’t as clever as they used to be. I can remember my dad had (and still has) a nickname for almost everyone he knows. His friends from childhood had the best ones- “pockets”- the guy who always had his hands in his pockets (OK, this is not…
JoServesItUp 