Welcome to PhylPhacts!

Hello All, I hope this finds you doing well! And staying cool! That may have been quite a challenge this week – it has been hotter than the blazes of Hades! I am definitely a Spring and Autumn girl, so woohoo – this week has been quite a ride! I know all of my summer loving friends have been just fine! I was talking to some friends this week, and, as usual, one of the topics was leadership. All of us are or have been leaders, so we are always debating what makes great leaders (in and out of healthcare, which we all happen to love!). And with all of the…

Hello All, This is such an interesting time. (Well, I can think of other words, but interesting will have to do!) As I watch the news and commercials, follow Facebook and Instagram (I haven’t made it to Twitter yet!), I realize that there is no way to adequately show the HUGE appreciation I have for everyone on the frontlines, the essential workers – all of you who work valiantly every day to keep us safe, healthy, fed, sane! Sue Fitzmaurice, author, said “Being told you are appreciated is one of the simplest and most uplifting things you can hear.” So to all of you – THANK YOU! I know you are…

Hello All, Hope your 4th of July was safe and fun! I must admit that I want to put our country in timeout! I originally thought everyone should take a deep breath, but since Covid 19 is airborne, I thought that might not be my wisest choice. (And having typed that – wear your mask! It is a gift of love and protection to others!) However, I do think we need to take a pause – remember to breathe – and listen to each other. Dean Jackson, author of The Poetry of Oneness, said “Listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self.” I…

Hello All, Welcome to July! The first six months of this year have been incredible – both incredibly bad and incredibly good. Amazingly this includes UFOs (I told Bob I think the pictures were released to give us a different thing to think about other than the pandemic!)  and a Saharan dust storm (reported as the worst in 50 years). Plus we have already had four named storms in the first month of hurricane season. I am not sure even the best novelists could have created a novel with this many plot twists! We will be navigating this “next” normal for some time to come. (I use the word next because something is always…

Hello All, Now is the time for so many things! I will start with a belated Happy Father’s Day to all of the remarkable fathers! My apologies for not including this in last week’s edition. Both Bob’s and my little dad are looking after us from Heaven. I expect my dad shakes his head a lot with some of my antics! Both men were incredible role models and loved their families. They are missed. For those of you who are blessed to still have your fathers here, never forget to tell them you love them! 2020 is a year of turmoil and change…..and new beginnings. I have read two quotes…

Hello All, These past few months and weeks have been lifechanging on so many fronts. We are dealing with so many important issues in addition to this lingering pandemic. It has been a time of introspection, conversation and, hopefully, great change. Kelly Clarkson released a new song during this time called “I Dare You“…..to love. She released the song in several versions. My favorite is the one where she sings with five international singers in six languages – Hebrew, French, Spanish, German, Arabic and English. There is also a version with corresponding translation in American Sign Language. I think this is so timely, because now, more than ever, it is time to…

Hello All, The most beautiful thing happened to me last week…..in a grocery store parking lot! Little mom and I had just finished shopping at Fresh Market in Newport News – the only place where I can find little mom’s favorite jams and Melissa’s favorite beer! I was loading the car when a delightful husband and wife approached me and said “Thank you very much for your service.” I know I looked confused (even behind the mask) because I did not recognize them. So the gentleman pointed to my license plate and said “You and your peers make a difference.” I thanked them, and then had to wipe away a…

Hello All, My heart has been heavy for a while. The impact of the Coronavirus on individuals and our society (in fact, the entire world) has been so huge and devastating. I really didn’t think my heart could get any heavier – but it has. The senseless death of George Floyd and the aftermath have been consuming my thoughts. How can we make this world better? How do we change the trajectory of this event (one of many, unfortunately) so that it never happens again? How do we even get started? As usual, I sought solace from the words of others. I was trying to find answers. I read “Humankind.…

Hello All, Well, I hate to tell you this, but the quarantine 15 is real! And it doesn’t help when you have a spouse who loves to cook! Bob has pulled out every one of his favorite recipes because he is converting our handwritten recipes to a spreadsheet full of them! (I swear that Bob has a spreadsheet for everything!) He will find a recipe that we haven’t cooked in a while (mostly because we are perpetually dieting) and then has to make it. So today is “VERY peanut butter cookies” day. I am praying that my quarantine 15 at least stays at 15! It has been an interesting time to…

Hello All, I have plenty of time to read! (It also keeps me from doing “spring cleaning”! I used to say I didn’t have time to do that…..and now that I do, I just don’t want to do it!) I just finished a book called The Third Door. Alex Banayan, the author, interviewed Maya Angelou. He stated that she told him to write the following down: “Every storm runs out of rain.” Ms. Angelou stated she thought this quote had been in a country song. So you know I had to do research – one because I love this quote, and secondly, I always want to attribute quotes to the…