To start off my first blog with GCN, I’d like to say that I am thrilled to join a group of respected, expressive individuals that share their thoughts, opinions, and stories in a medium that encourages continuous collaboration.  

My grandmother’s name was Jennie Levine.  She came to the United States in the late 1800s, most likely to the Lower East Side of Manhattan where she learned to be a seamstress.  

I visited the Queens group last week. As an aside, it’s a great group and everyone should stop by.   Before the meeting started, everyone was chatting. Two members of the group were discussing their affinity for running. Trying to join their conversation, I mentioned that I enjoy walking on the treadmill. Being among people I did not know very well, I began hesitating when I discussed my motivation for getting on the treadmill.  

Tomorrow is a special day.  I point out that if it were not this year, it would still be a special day as we celebrate Martin Luther King.  

Childhood was a magical time filled with endless possibilities, imaginative wonder, and a bunch of innocent misconceptions. For instance, I thought that all the smokestacks I noticed were cloud makers (maybe they are:)   Another one involved traffic. I believed that all traffic jams were caused by one person driving really slowly in front and I always wanted my Dad to drive faster to catch up to that person.  

No doubt, climate change is wreaking havoc. Be it hurricanes (water) or Fire.   This time, it is the horrible Santa Ana wind blown LA fires. My words can not describe the damage and tragedy they have wrought!  

The other evening, I was beginning to compose my blog for this week. About the football playoffs and choosing teams to root for even though they were not my usual hometown teams.

So, we are all aware of the tragedy of what is going on in CA over the last week or so. Massive fires tearing apart neighborhoods. Lost life, lost possessions, lost way of life. It is horrible to imagine the misery and fear that has been brought about. In my neck of the woods, we face a yearly threat of massive hurricane’s which can bring about flooding, lost housing, lost possessions and potentially, loss of life.