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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

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 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.

A Benevolent Bully: Woof! Woof!

25 Jul

No need to run to the pet store. Your pet’s treats and toys can be delivered to your doorstep monthly with Bullymake. My Bullymake box arrived with three bags of treats and two toys. Juno, my dog (above), loved it — especially the orange toy where you can insert a treat in the cut-out slot. All the treats and toys are made in America except one rope item. The Bullymake team designs the durable toys catered to power chewers.

Bullymake offers a one month, three month, six or 12-month plan. You can customize your box. They are flexible with returns and cater to needs of the dog, even if your dog has allergies.

Bullymake is the perfect gift for dog lovers.Your first box is $19 with this code: Box19. Check out all you need to know at their website www.bullymake.com

I requested a Bullymake box for my dog in exchange for a post on my blog. We both were excited and happy with the box.

What If?

21 Nov

What if you could take the road not travelled? What if you could follow your dream? Meet Alisha Fernandez Miranda (right) who chronicled her journey in the memoir My What if Year. She became an intern at age 40. She pens an upbeat, fun, life-changing adventure. She literarily takes a break from motherhood and her job to become an intern on Broadway. She also worked in fitness, art and the hotel world. Her book is inspiring. I had the opportunity to meet the author at the recent Celebrating Sisterhood Luncheon in North Palm Beach, Florida.

When I returned home from the luncheon I turned on my Linkedin app to read about someone who also followed her dream. A Detroit cardiologist I know took a three-month sabbatical and trekked to 12,000 feet in the Himalayas.

What is your What If?

The Ultimate Dream Home

17 Oct

Detroiters Robert Taubman and Julie Reyes Taubman created an architectural legacy. They sought to renew modernist architecture in East Hampton with the team of architects Diller Scofidio +Renfro, builder Ed Bulgin, landscape architect and designer Michael Lewis.

Architecture Critic Paul Goldberger weaves the story of this remarkable home in the book Blue Dream and the Legacy of Modernism in the Hamptons published by Delmonico Books. Goldberger describes the significance of this extraordinary home. “In the end, the house the Taubmans built is important in three distinct ways: as a significant event in the architectural history of East Hampton, as a notable chapter in the development of Diller Scofidio +Renfro’s work, and as a major statement in the long history of distinguished and architecturally ambitious modern houses.”
As you can see below, the complex design is daring. The home faces the ocean with no defined staircase and evokes a futuristic abode.

Unfortunately, Julie Reyes Taubman passed away before living in her dream home. But her vision survives. The Taubman’s love of architecture was inspired by Robert Taubman’s father, A. Alfred Taubman.

On a personal note, as a former Detroit journalist, I interviewed the senior Taubman several times. I met Julie Reyes Taubman at a Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit MOCAD event many years ago. She was an integral part of the founding and organized the first major fundraiser.

Goldberger mentions the name blue dream was a homage to her friend the late author, Elmore Leonard, who liked the strain of marijuana “blue dream.” Leonard was also a Detroiter. See my post My date with Elmore, on this blog.

Perhaps one day, architecture aficionados will view Blue Dream like they visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water.

Photographs by Iwan Baan 

Courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro

ME is for Maine

7 Aug

I visited Maine for the first time. It’s a flora and fauna fantasyland with the bluest waters and an abundance of seafood. But as a Motown aficionado, I can describe it as Northern Michigan on steroids. Remember, the Michigan motto, “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” The state motto for Maine is neither as inviting nor catchy. It’s “I lead.”

Mottos aside, the trip was lovely. The hikes are glorious. In the photo below, I’m with my granddaughter on a winding path leading to the ocean. I must confess. I did not complete the final part of the hike where it was rocky, but the family members who finished said it was an impressive view.

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens with the Caterpillar Lab is a perennial favorite. I learned, along with my grandchildren, that inchworms are caterpillars. Please see the photo below on how the inchworm camouflaged on the branch of a tree.

This botanical site boasts beautiful gardens along with some interesting sculptures of trolls. Thomas Dambo, a recycle art activist, created the trolls that are scattered throughout the gardens.

We stopped at many small towns near Portland including Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor. The shopping and the ice cream were superb. Note the many ice cream flavors and the boutique shop.

For me personally, I really liked ME. What about you? Do you have a favorite ME town?

rachelmankowitz

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