Writing

By Trish • August 27th, 2012

I’ve been abducted by the Visa police. It’s horrible, I know. A complete stain to my shopping reputation. Yes, I was declined today – after years and years of faithful, frugal usage of my L.L. Bean Visa card. My card went on SHOPCON 1 – Oh, horror! And from me, the faithful paying merchant – foryears! Never a late payment – never just the minimum. I am a pay-in-full person. It all started innocently enough – perhaps a bit too generous on my part, ..read more

Published in baystateparent Magazine, August 2012 It was the death of Timothy Carty’s brother David that got him to ride his bike 190 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown, MA in 2009 as part of the Pan-Mass Challenge. David had been battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for ten years until he passed away at age 49 – leaving behind a wife and three young children. “David was my oldest brother [of five siblings]. We were the closest. He was the one I looked ..read more

Published June 2012 in baysyateparent magazine You may have seen them at the Boston Marathon, the barrel-chested father pushing his 125- pound quadriplegic son in a wheelchair, cheered on by fans and fellow runners. Their presence elicits both cheers and tears from bystanders, who witness with awe the dad who has competed with his disabled son in over 1,075 running events in the past 33 years. This past April, Dick and Rick Hoyt completed their 30th Boston Marathon– a ..read more

Published in baystateparent magazine If you’ve heard her on The Mel Robbins Show or seen her on A&E’s reality show, Monster In-Laws, you know one thing about her: Mel doesn’t mince words. Mel Robbins has made a career of tackling issues through no-nonsense, thought-provoking conversations that challenge people to think. And she’s done it with a singular mission: to help people get what they want out of life – personally, professionally, and relationally. The down-to-business talk show host and self-made ..read more

Forget the Hollywood-hyped lemonade or cabbage soup diets – if you really want to keep the weight off, how about a slice of chocolate cake or some chocolate-dipped strawberries with your scrambled eggs? According to the recent New York Times article, “Nutrition: Dessert at Breakfast May Help Dieters,” a piece of pound cake in the morning may help keep pounds off for good. The 16-week study found that obese patients on a low carbohydrate diet that were given dessert with ..read more

Donald Trump, move over.  I have truly perfected the Art of the Deal. While my deals may not be in the mega-millions, they’re big in my eyes. Take my bean deal, for example. A few years ago, Stop and Shop was promoting a $1.00 per item refund on selected Rienzi brand foods, including canned beans. The best part? The beans were on sale for 99 cents. Late that night, I hightailed it to the bean aisle and emptied the shelves of ..read more

Apparently so, according to Travel + Leisure magazine readers, who voted Boston the fifth rudest city in the U.S., behind Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Miami, and the King of Curmudgeons, New York City. Whatever. Actually, the attention-grabbing headline, “America’s Rudest Cities” is really a twisting of the survey results, which asked readers to rate which city had the friendliest people. Boston was ranked fifth from the bottom. I guess “nice people” doesn’t sell subscriptions as well as “insolent louts.” It’s also interesting to ..read more

The recent incident on School Street that was reported as a possible abduction attempt of a Mill Pond student by two men in a pickup truck has been resolved. According to a statement issued by the Westborough Police, the incident was the result of a misunderstanding. The men in the truck had asked the girl to step out of the street. The girl obviously perceived the men as a threat enough to ignore them, walk away, and tell what ..read more

This Martin Luther King holiday weekend will likely be one of the busiest ski weekends in New England. If you’re planning on taking your kids skiing, will you ski with them or let them ski alone? Does your answer depend on their age? Their ability? The size of the ski resort? The price of an adult lift ticket? When I first heard the news of the tragic death of 18-year-old Nipmuc High School Senior Jack Street last Tuesday after falling 30 ..read more

Published in baystateparent Magazine “We may be blinded by our own perceived flaws, but those who love us have clearer vision.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach What makes a person a good parent? Is it staying up-todate on the latest parenting advice from the experts? Spending more time with your kids? Volunteering at school? baystateparent recently interviewed two Massachusetts parents to better understand their unique perspectives on parenting. Here are their stories: Laura Fritz is an intelligent, compassionate adoptive mom of 2-year-old Mayleah (pronounced “Myla”) McKenny. ..read more