A Bloomin’ Birthday

25 Nov

My friend Hope Silverman’s special birthday celebration upstaged Taylor Swift’s garden proposal. Yes, a plethora of flowers graced the room. It was a special birthday with a theme. Yes, you guessed the theme — floral!

Walking in the room was like walking into the Tuileries Garden in Paris with bursts of color and joy everywhere. Hope’s Flower Boutique cart greeted the eighty some guests. The menu was divine, and the tablecloths and napkins were exquisite. All the guests later took home a vase with a flower arrangement that they created.

Like any great presentation, project or birthday party, details matter!

Storytellers: Mitch Albom and Tanya Mosley

14 Oct

I could not get out of the car the other day, because I was listening to NPR’s Tanya Mosley, co-host of Fresh Air, interview Mitch Albom, the Detroit Free Press sportswriter and best-selling author. Both are from Motown. The interview was riveting because two dynamic storytellers were discussing Albom’s latest book Twice. The tagline says it all: “What if you got to do everything in your life again?”

The only caveat is that if one undoes love, one can never fall in love with that person again. The novel explores love, time travel, second acts and much more.

Mosely is deft at having Albom explain his segue from sports writing to novelist. It all began with his first book Tuesdays with Morrie. Albom also discusses his philanthropic work in Haiti where he runs an orphanage. The interview is personal and raw as he describes losing one child but now has another from the orphanage.

Albom strives to leave a legacy by hoping to make a difference when readers examine their lives after finishing one of his novels. Now, like a thriller novel, the interview takes an unexpected twist. I’m not going to spoil it here. Listen to it or read, and you will be moved. Click here.

A Hidden Gem

26 Aug

“A Museum of Art, Fashion and Legacy,” says the brochure describing the Leiber Collection in the East Hampton hamlet of Springs, New York. Here, Judith Leiber’s iconic handbags are on display.

Judith Leiber (1921–2018), a Holocaust survivor, learned her trade in Budapest, before arriving in the United States. She created imaginative, luxurious handbags. From lavishly-beaded minaudieres to whimsical shapes like turtles and sea shells, her creations were sold at exclusive stores. Celebrities and First Ladies wore them. Today they are featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Below, are some of the photos inside the museum; however, the top right are my two handbags which I purchased more than 20 years ago. Note the peacock shaped minaudiere (lower right) because that is the last handbag Lieber designed. Today, there are a few designers and co-owners of the brand who continue the meticulous, beautiful designs and are available for purchase at upscale retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

The Leiber Collection also features the artwork of Judith’s husband Gus, a Brooklyn native and World WarII veteran. There is also a rotating exhibit of other artists as well. The setting of the museum is bucolic and zen-like.

For more information, email info@leibercollection.org

Beyond the Beach Read

21 Jul

So, it’s the middle of summer and you’ve read the rom-com and happy books. I really enjoy all the book choices from Jenna, Reese, Oprah and Good Morning America.

Now, it’s time for something thought provoking like The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick. Erlick introduces you to a place where mourning and grief can disappear by going to sleep. Ava, one of the characters, describes it best. “It’s a clinic where they put you to sleep for a month, and then hopefully your broken heart is all patched up in the end.” The book weaves science, mystical elements and emotional choices in a captivating tale. It’s perfect for your book club.

Speaking of book clubs. If you like historical fiction and mysteries. Our book club read Marie Benedict’s The Queens of Crime. We also read The Theater Kid by Jeffrey Seller. Seller is from my hometown in Michigan, and he reveals the cut-throat business of Broadway as well as how he became a famous producer.

There are so many new, well-written books to choose. Author Ann Patchett, owner of Parnassus books in Nashville, Tennessee, lists many. It’s a response to an opinion piece written by David Brooks in the New York Times who wrote that current literary fiction is neither relevant nor interesting. Patchett lists some current favorite authors: Louise Erdrich, Kiran Desai, Richard Powers, Barbara Kingsolver, Zadie Smith and Dave Eggers. You can find others on the Parnassus Facebook or Instagram page. Patchett introduces a book every Friday in her segment “It’s Friday, and if you haven’t read this book, it’s new to you.” Look for it on the Parnassus Facebook and Instagram page. Obviously, she and I disagree with Brooks.

For full disclosure, I channeled my magazine editor days and received a press copy of The Poppy Fields. Also, I’ve personally met the author and featured her in a previous post titled Do you Really Want to Know? about her debut novel The Measure. (You can put it in the search bar to read the story and see a photo of us.)

Happy Summer Reading! Let me know your favorite book these days. . .

Chasing Travel Insurance Claims

5 May

Did you know that when you file a claim for a travel refund with your credit card company, they sometimes use a third-party? You no longer deal with the credit card company, you deal with a claim company.

I have a Chase Reserve Sapphire Reserve card where I booked a trip in 2024 that needed to be cancelled due to illness. It was with British Airways, and I cancelled it online. They refused to credit my account and told me I should have cancelled it by phone. So, I reached out to Chase and filed a claim online. But the claim was filed through Eclaims. I uploaded all the documents. After many calls, Eclaims gave me a voucher for British Airways good for one year. I explained that I would not be able to use it, so they guaranteed that if it went unused, I would receive my refund. After one year, I called Eclaims, but they were no longer working with Chase. They directed me to their new third-party claim for travel interruption. It was Assurant. I called them, and they told me to start over with my claim. I was so frustrated.

So, I called back Chase Travel, and they were no help. They would not even give me a supervisor. So, I finally found the number for the executive offices. I said, “Look, do I need to call Jamie Dimon?” (FYI: Jamie Dimon is the CEO of JPMorganChase). That sounds harsh, but I was nice about it. In the end, they were helpful.

Then, I received a call from the Assurant executive resolution team. Her initials are KL. She was absolutely wonderful. I told her my frustrations, and she listened. I told I just couldn’t upload all the documents, but I did have the voucher email with the price I paid for the tickets. She walked me through the online claim, and she said she would try her hardest to resolve it and refund my money. She gave me a timeline and her direct dial number. (So many people I spoke with would not give me neither a telephone number nor email).

Yes, I received my refund. A big thank you for my refund to Chase Sapphire Reserve and Assurant.

So here’s the secret: It takes time and energy. Perseverance, resilience and tenacity are the words I would describe my year-long ordeal with travel. Also, try escalating the claim to the executive team and be nice.

Has anyone else been frustrated by travel insurance claims?

A.I. Infiltrates Book Clubs

17 Apr

At my book club a few weeks ago, the facilitator, Stuart Lockman, started the discussion off talking about artificial intelligence. Our chosen book was The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood. Lockman, an attorney, and my friend revealed he used artificial intelligence to generate book club questions and even pull out interesting quotes. But, his main goal of using A.I. was to demonstrate that it was an interesting concept, easy to use and would enhance the discussion. Since the group was mainly senior citizens, he said “Why wait for your grandchildren to tell you about A.I.?” We talked about ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI, all of which are free. Of course, we had a lively discussion about the book.

So, here’s a photo of Stuart Lockman, Deena Lockman (center) and myself. Then, I generated it in A.I.!

Well, we look younger!!

Will you try A.I. for your book club?

A Core Mission

25 Feb

Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health in Michigan merged into Corewell Health in 2022. As the former Community Affairs Director of Beaumont Health, I’ve been living in the Palm Beach area for the last ten years. I was honored to be included in the Connection and Innovations in Health Care event held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palm Beach.

I was able to hear about health trends and connect with former colleagues and meet the new administration. Ryan Daly, President of the Corewell Health Foundation of Southeast Michigan, welcomed the crowd. Tina Freese Decker addressed the group and was a key architect in the unification of the two health systems. She currently serves at the 2025 chair of the American Hospital Association.

In the top photo, I’m with the distinguished physician Ananias Diokno (far left), former Chief Medical Officer of Beaumont Health and currently a professor of urology at the University of Central Florida. I remember taking a health-care grant writing class with Dr. Diokno and working with him on charitable projects. To my right is my friend and former colleague Maureen Brink and her husband, Barry Brink, a former board member of Beaumont.

In the bottom photo, I’m with Simon Dixon, M.D. , chair of cardiovascular medicine at Corewell Health East. Dr. Dixon and Dr. Thomas Schwann, chief of cardiovascular medicine at Corewell Health East, spoke about the cutting edge treatment for heart disease at Corewell. The surgeons and the cardiologists collaborate using the most advanced ultra-high resolution computerized heart scans.

The mission of Corewell health is stellar: “Improve health, instill humanity and inspire hope.”

Speak Up for Women

26 Jan

I recently attended the Champions Luncheon sponsored by the Institute for Surgical Excellence to support my friend Shelly Light Paolercio, an ovarian cancer survivor. The Institute for Surgical Excellence is a non-profit collaborative organization for emerging surgical technologies. Dr. Martin Martino and Dr. Caitlin Houghton chaired the luncheon held at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Many women surgeons spoke at the event highlighting the need for women’s research not only in breast cancer research but uterine and ovarian cancers. Dr. Ginger Gardner, was a dynamic speaker, advocating for speaking up not only about the breast, but the rest! Dr. Sharona Ross received a Champions award and spoke about the breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer. The physicians also remarked about the importance for empowering women to become surgeons.

(From right to left: Dr. Laila Rashidi, Shelly Light Paolercio, Dr. Sharona Ross and Dr. Caitlin Houghton)

I learned that a miniscule amount of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget, is allocated for Women’s Health. According to last month’s article in science.org, “For decades, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has failed to prioritize and fund research on women’s health, says a report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)”. The NIH budget is more than 47 billion, yet some estimates for the women’s health allocation are less than three percent.

If women make up more than 50 percent of the population, why is there this disparity? Women, we need to speak up to Congress to keep us healthy!

Read more: Speak Up for Women

A High Barr

14 Nov

Meet Lisa Barr. She’s an investigative reporter who morphed into a best-selling novelist. Her smile is as wide as the Grand Canyon, and her energy is infectious. And when she talks about her novels, she’s riveting. I was lucky to meet and hear Barr recently at the Celebrating Sisterhood event at the Mandel JCC Palm Beach Gardens in Florida. I was the co-chair of the event (left, below) along with my friend (right, below) Sandra Rosen.

More than 235 women attended the event. Barr gave the back story about her journalism career working for The Jerusalem Post, Moment magazine and Today’s Chicago Woman. One interesting note is that she happened to be on vacation in Washington D.C., while working at the Jerusalem Post. She was one of the few reporters who witnessed the handshake between Arafat and Rabin, orchestrated by President Bill Clinton. Unfortunately, peace was not attained and fast-forward to a world of rising anti-Semitism.

Barr personally is encountering anti-Semitism because as a Jewish author some publishing houses and literary events joined the cancel culture. See the recent article in The Hill.

Her grandmother, who was a Holocaust survivor, inspired her latest novel The Goddess of Warsaw. The protagonist is a fierce, dynamic woman who is determined to survive the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. She becomes a Hollywood starlit with many secrets. Barr unravels the plot in a captivating, compelling narrative.

Read this five-star novel!

Second Acts and More

9 Oct

If you’re a fashionista from Detroit, you know the name Mark Keller. Keller owned an eponymous store in downtown Birmingham, a tony Motown suburb, and then a store in Linda Dresner’s atelier. (See my post “A Fashionable Ending” in 2021 about Dresner.)

Today, at age 75, Keller’s new store is Mattihidur X Mark Keller. I applaud Keller for starting a new venture as a senior citizen.  Please read the article “Retail Royalty Strikes Again,” in Hour Detroit magazine written by Karen Buscemi. Click here for the scoop.

As a senior citizen myself, aging is on my mind. I recently heard Jane Fonda speak about the aging process. My friend, Debi Ernst, who was the chair of the recent Corewell event to support women’s heart health, taped the speech for me.

At age 86, Fonda, an actor, author, and activist, spoke candidly about her life comparing it to a play. Currently, she is in the the third act. Author Suzy Farbman linked to Fonda’s philosophy from the Detroit Free Press and then added her insightful reflection on aging on Read the Spirit here.

Keller posted this quote from Emily Dickinson on his Facebook page. “We turn not older with years, newer every day.”

So true.

rachelmankowitz

The Cricket Pages

Food In Books

Food and drink inspired by classic and modern literary works.

Beauty Box Fashion

Beauty Blog

Meghan's Mirror

Chronicling the Chic, Classic and Casual Style Duchess of Sussex (the former Meghan Markle)

Mara Movies

Fun, Fashion, Frivolity: An insider guide to Metro Detroit and beyond

snapshotsincursive

Interesting stories about everyday moments.

Motown Savvy

Fun, Fashion, Frivolity: An insider guide to Metro Detroit and beyond

Chevrons & Éclairs

Fun, Fashion, Frivolity: An insider guide to Metro Detroit and beyond