Creatures Great and Small…Mother Nature’s Precious Gifts
Turn off CNN. Turn off MSNBC. Turn off my phone. Look out the window. Step outside. Look, look, look. What do I see when I look ? I see that…
Best Children’s Books for Ages Eight-ish to Eleven-ish
At the moment, I’m very into great children’s books. I dream about them. I wish I could write a great one. And I talk to parents about them. Wondering why…
The Funniest Birds Ever!
Whenever I talk with someone about current events in our nation or around the world, I find that I am not alone in feeling apprehensive. It’s like constantly waiting for…
Inspirational New Year’s Thoughts In An Election Year
Dearly beloved, thank you for inviting Me to speak at today’s services. It is an honor that warms Me to the deepest depths of My soul – that is, if…
How Children Learn…With a Shoutout to John Dewey
In a previous story, I offered ideas about how to play with your child. Now I’d like to explore how children learn. I know this is a biggie, but I’ve…
Best Movie Comedies Ever!
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” “Laffter is the best medicine.” Yes, a laff a day, plus a sweet ‘n juicy Macintosh, just might help keep that nagging…
Something Funny To Cheer You Up
I’ve been thinking about how best I could add a little bit of sunshine to a very dark autumn, especially geopolitical-wise. Ya know, something funny to cheer you up…After spending…
Three Reasons to Become an Animal Shelter Volunteer
I volunteer at the animal shelter in Stamford, Ct. and I do so for a number of reasons, which I’d like to share with you. Perhaps I can motivate you…
Authoritative Parenting: The Gold Standard
There are three main types of parenting styles: permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative. In my work with young children, I have observed parents and other family members engaging in each approach,…
Blowin’ in the Wind©
Lately I’ve been thinking about big picture questions that go way beyond my personal needs and dreams. I worry about global crises related to the loss of democracy, our ailing…
Four Good Reasons to Adopt a Rat
Ever since I listened to an NPR interview with a man who adopts baby rats, I’ve been thinking about these little critters. More specifically, I’ve been thinking that you should…
Spring Things To Do: A Quickie
Spring has sprung! Humans are cleanin’ their homes. Squirrels are diggin’ up dirt in da yard. And bees are so bizzy they don’t miss a tree. Yup! Everyone’s jazzed up…
Five Tips For Playing With Your Child
As an educator for the past 20 years, working in classrooms and homes, I’ve learned a lot about how to engage with a child. I’d like to pass some ideas…
Sometimes When We Touch…The Best of Soft Rock
Soft rock is a subgenre of rock ‘n roll that’s gotten a bad rap lately. Perhaps it’s because many of the` songs are, quite frankly, silly, goopy, and downright sappy.…
Tom Ball and His AGT Auditions: He’s an All-Star!
It is time for me to confess something. Before I do, I ask that you not share this confession with anyone. Agreed? Great! I am besotted by America’s Got Talent…
Three Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas
I’ve been trying to think up a Valentine’s Day story for you, my dear readers, but couldn’t come up with anything original. So I’ve resorted to offering you cheap Valentine’s…
Eight Mottos to Live By Now & Forever
Hello, dear readers and welcome to a new year! Made any resolutions yet? I have. Or, perhaps I should say, I’ve been creating a list of mottos to live by.…
Dark Humor: How I Cope With Mental Health Issues
Dear readers, this is a very serious three-part series about dark humor and coping with mental health issues. I am, of course, the star of each episode. {Please note: everything…
Thanksgiving 2022: Your Best Gratitudes Ever!©
Hey suckers, Thanksgiving 2022 is just around the corner! Yeah, I know…bummer. “Bummer???” Ha! Yes, bummer! And ya know why? ‘Cause, after two plus years of being thankful for every…
A True Story. A Life Story.
During the hot, hot months of summer on the east coast of the USA, I connected by Zoom and email with an amazing woman, Liana Vioa, living in Orléans, France.…
Does Maroon 5 Suck?
Upon hearing Maroon 5’s Memories (not the song from CATS!!! the Musical) in the gym, and immediately loving it, I was excited to learn more about the band behind it.…
Personal Growth on the Cheap: An Easy Read©
This is an idiotic story about personal growth that also delivers cheap tips on mindfulness and self-reflection. But, if you really pay attention, you’ll find upon further scrutiny that these…
Don Quixote & The Impossible Dream© Hope Versus Cynicism
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of Don Quixote, was a playwright, poet, and tax collector. But, despite the success of his masterpiece, published in 1604, Cervantes died 12 years later…
Funny Videos: Laffter is the Best Medicine!©
From kids and cats to popular culture and political satire, funny videos are a perfect antidote to summer doldrums. And, since laffter is the best medicine, the cure for what…
Macavity: The Mystery Puss With Bad Cat Behavior©
Today we introduce a new member of the F-Puss and P-Boo category. Also a pussycat, this furry fellow happens to be imaginary. But imaginary at the level of genius. T.S.…
Fake News? Or the Real Deal?©
The year is 2022. We are in the backyard of Trudi Glockenspiel and Mr. Snuffy, a typical ‘Burbian couple living a typical boring life in ‘Burbia, the land that time…
Happy July 4th! Stars & Stripes Forever!
Stars and Stripes Forever is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa and published in 1897. In 1987, in an act of Congress, it became the…
Summer Breezes and Vodka Cocktails©
My dear connoisseurs of the good life, you are about to embark upon a sublime summertime adventure, the creation of a jewel-toned vodka infusion of delicate taste and fragrant aroma.…
Healthy Aging Means Never Stop Dreaming©
When life throws you lemons, you can suck ‘em, get heartburn, and run around burping. Or you can make the proverbial lemonade with just enough sugar so you enjoy your…
June Is Bustin’ Out All Over© From the Greatest of Broadway Shows
June Is Bustin’ Out All Over, from Carousel©, one of the greatest Broadway shows, is the second musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Their 1945 masterpiece, adapted from…
My Bucket List, Boosters and Sainthood©
Hellllooo, world! I have BIG NEWS! Listen up: 14 days ago precisely, I got my 27th COVID booster! Yup! On National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. And now, baby, I’m…
Somewhere Over the Rainbow© The Song of the Century
Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwoʻole was a Hawaiian ukulele player, singer-songwriter, and activist best known for touching the world with his beloved rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” first made famous by…
Good Morning Quotes to Get You Out of Bed
How much does your day’s happiness depend on your morning wake-up? If I wake up on the right side of the bed, my day has a solid chance to be…
Funny Stuff…How to Get a GED. Not!©
Some high school students are close to getting a diploma, but don’t quite make it. However, these students can take a series of exams called the GED (General Educational Development…
One of the Great American Poets: Walt Whitman©
Walt Whitman is one of my favorite American poets because he weaves beautiful images using words anchored in reality and, simultaneously, imbued with universal truths. He inspires me to think…
Gonna Fly Now© Rocky’s Song
“I believe any success in life is made by going into an area with a blind and furious optimism.” Sylvester Stallone The latest entry into the UGottaLaff Songbook is Gonna…
Inspirational Ideas and Inspiring People©
This story is about inspirational ideas. You see, as of this writing, Russia is destroying Ukraine, a democracy of 44 million souls. Needlessly. Criminally. Barbarically. Why? Because a megalomaniac with…
I Will Survive© One of the Great Inspirational Songs
Gloria Gaynor first performed I Will Survive©, her remarkable anthem to female empowerment, in 1978. In 2016, the Library of Congress deemed it “culturally, historically, or artistically significant” and selected…
PB & J Delight…One of the Simple Things©
“It is the sweet simple things in life which are the real ones after all.” Laura Ingalls Wilder Hey, there, eaters. Listen up: I have a new recipe! It’s been…
It Is What It is. Hoax? Hustle? Con?©
Hi! My name is Amelia Meschuggeberger and this is my story. You and I met at the Stinky Dive ‘n Jive Saloon in Brooklyn when COVID sidelined me from my…
“Copacabana (At the Copa)” And the Foo Fighters©
The Copacabana was a New York City nightclub where showgirls, jet setters, stars of the silver screen, and regular folks in town from Joisey danced the merengue under swirling disco…
How To Be Happy on Your Absolute Worst Days©
We all have our bad days. Our rough moments. When self–empowerment feels impossible. And, sometimes, we get down in ye old dumpster. The question is, “what little things can we…
Andrea Bocelli & the Muppets Sing “Jingle Bells”
Italian tenor Andrea has recorded 15 solo studio albums of both pop and classical music, three greatest hits albums, and nine complete operas, selling over 75 million records worldwide. Singer…
Online Shopping, the Supply Chain & Holiday Hacks©
Okay, everyone! Thanksgiving is over and done with. It’s now time to SPEND MONEY. Yay! Can’t wait! So excited! Why not? We have it. Lotsa, lotsa money! Yup, like well-trained…
ADAM SANDLER’S CHANUKAH/HANUKKAH SONG©
The Chanukah Song©, written by Adam Sandler with Saturday Night Live writers Lewis Morton and Ian Maxtone-Graham, was originally performed by Sandler on SNL’s Weekend Update on December 3, 1994.…
Sweet & Funny Self-Care Quickies: Happy Hour For Your Soul
Do you know someone who’d benefit by a free ‘n easy self-care routine? Perhaps your spouse who puts in 12 hours a day at the computer? A friend who’s down…
How COVID Built Me a Stronger Self: My Mental Health Story©
This is a true story about COVID, mental health and the discovery of Self. With a shoutout to Viktor E. Frankel and his masterpiece, Man’s Search for Meaning. Let’s start…
She’s a Maniac© And What a Music Video!
She’s a Maniac© is the hit song from the 1983 film Flashdance. The song’s idea was originally inspired by a news report on a serial killer. It’s a long story…
What the Heck is the Meaning of Life?©
Today I’m going to talk to you about the meaning of life and how I found it. For most of my life, it never occurred to me to search for the…
Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)©
JANUARY 2022 Full amount Don owes Rent 2,406 500 Medicare Part G 420 210 ShopRite (multiple purchases) 182 91 Aquarion 21 …
Chicken Carcass One-Dish Supper with Shrimp Cocktail©
Those of you who know me know that I am not a domestic goddess. I do not cook. I do not clean. I do not do laundry. Such activities are for…
Collecting Bottle Caps, Bottle Caps…©
Singer and songwriter Laurie Berkner is known internationally for her work as a children’s music artist. Berkner plays guitar and sings lead vocals in the Laurie Berkner Band, along with pianist…
Gershwin’s Summertime©…And the Livin’ is Easy
Summertime© is an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, author of the novel Porgy, on which Porgy and…
Cloth Diapers, Cats & Parenthood: Part Three – The Jersey Shore Miracle©
Headin’ to the Jersey Shore Welcome back, my readers. All three of you. Time to take the choo choo to the Jersey Shore. {Note to self: stop calling them the…
Cloth Diapers, Cats & Parenthood: Part Two – Cat Adoption
Known across nations as “the Winky Apopoclipse,” l’événement tragique in part one of this trilogy demonstrated my unfitness for human parenthood, but pointed to cat adoption as a possible road…
Up On The Roof© A Rock and Roll Classic
Up on the Roof ©, by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, was recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. It evokes the tar “beaches” atop high-rise apartments in America’s cities where…
Cloth Diapers, Cats & Parenthood: Part One – Apopoclypse©
Fluffypuss and Peekaboo are the furry versions of the babies I woulda popped out if I’d chosen to go into parenthood instead of PR. And acting. And special ed. And…
What’s New Pussycat? A Love Song For Your Pet©
“Love is in the air everywhere I look around. Love is in the air every sight and every sound.”— Tom Jones And, thanks to Tom, we have What’s New Pussycat?©,…
Loyalty, Spy Games & Unconditional Love©
I believe in unconditional love. I am a loyalty-type person. And I play spy games on my husband. Oh, and my uttermost hobby is getting free things from other people. One…
Bohemian Rhapsody©
Bohemian Rhapsody©, by Queen, was performed by the Muppets in 2009. Yes, you are about to hear the Muppets do Bohemian Rhapsody! This music video garnered over seven million hits within…
I’m So Excited!..Your Best Dance Video©
Good morning, everyone! Time for something to wake you, shake you and make you…WANNA DANCE! t’s a newly released, spectacularly joyful, dance video set to I’m So Excited© by the Pointer…
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)©
Good morning, everyone! Time for 20 sit-ups, a bubble bath, and the 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)©. A love letter to my hometown, the Big Apple. New York. I…
You’ll Never Walk Alone©
I’ve been wondering if there’s one song that captures our communal and individual COVID experiences. Inspirational music. A song we could memorialize as the “pandemic anthem.” What an impossible task…
COVID-19 Personality Disorder Quiz©
Hola mis amigos y mis amigas! Estan locos? Are your lights on, but nobody’s home? If so, you may have COVID-19 Loony Tunes Personality Disorder (Ell-Tee-Pee-Dee). To determine if you have…
TEDDY TALKS: Moses and the Old Testament©
Bickford-Smythe: “Welcome to TEDDY TALKS, first in all things pretentious and elite. Today we launch a new series called Old Testament Giants and Their Scandals — oops, I mean Sandals.…
The Revenge of She-Who-Never-Forgets©
Reader advisory: this story has consumers and feminism, militarism and auditory hallucinations in it. Rage against the machine! “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us,…
Amy Klobuchar’s Fever Dream©
Reader beware: This story contains politics and satire! Fake news! Wishful thinking! Twas the night before Xmas and all through the house –… Voice of Doom: NO! NO! You pinheaded,…
M&Ms Mélange…Tune In. Turn On. Daze Out.©
I am not a domestic goddess. You all know that. But what you don’t know is that I have a recipe! For a one-dish M&Ms supper. Remember: M&Ms are comfort…
Mahna Mahna©, A Classic Muppets Sing-a-Long!
Hello, my darlings, devoted followers, and autograph seekers. Starting today and every now and then, I will send you a song that will rock your world. This promise is backed…
Ziggy…A Love Story For 2021©
I Need a Kid…Get Me a Kid! Now it’s time to find a love story for 2021. It’s no mystery! Just open your heart and look! But, first, let’s go back…
Moo & Me: Sugar & Spice + a Dash of Vinegar©
Moo & Me is a love letter to Muriel Zelezny (“Moo”), a woman I’ve always known as a senior citizen and entrepreneur — and my guiding light not only during…
Mr. Snuffy, Soft Serve & Side Effects©
“COVID side effects are up! Eat more soft serve!” – Mr. Snuffy “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness” – Aristotle My name is Trudi Glockenspiel…
Is There Any Point at All in Saving This Marriage?©
The following transcript of a couples counseling session was provided by the esteemed psychiatric journal, Uppers, Downers & Boozers, with the explicit understanding that it would not be made public. Therefore…
Mental Health in America Today©
Since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve all been grappling with extremely disturbing challenges. And, for some of us, the words “mental health,” as well as “fruitcake,” have taken on a…
Revenge of the Antiquated©
Hello, everyone. I’d like to start by saying that, since the beginning of our relationship, I’ve been open and honest about my life. Except for one itty, bitty thing. Drum…
COVID Research: Your Viral Brain Gets Mushy & Squishy
Those of us tasked with worrying about everything (89.7% of whom are female) now worry about the relationship between our brains and a pandemic lifestyle akin to that of a…
Funny Cats! U Gotta Love ‘Em!©
This is a dead-serious story– a battle of wits, actually — about a seriously funny cat. Featuring a cast of two, it has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in…
Midsummer Madness & the Serenity Prayer©
Once upon a time, there were three bears. Papa bear, mama bear, and baby bear…Oh, darn it! That’s the wrong story. Wait: let me start again. Once upon a time in…
No Zoom Good Deed Goes Unpunished©
Friends, Romans, country persons, lend me your ears! Lend me 10 bucks!! Lend me your Tesla!!! I am about to tell you the most pathetic story you’ve ever heard. (This…
The Mindfulness of a Domestic Goddess©
Good morning, friends! Rise and shine! Let’s start our day with some inspirational clichés. Then we’ll hit the dirt and do 20 push-ups. Are you with me? But, first, I…
Covid 19 Looney Tunes Personality Disorder©
Hello, fellow prisoners! Thanks for taking our COVID-19 Looney Tunes Personality Disorder (Ell-Pee-Tee-Dee) questionnaire to determine if you are exhibiting clinical berserkitude. AKA going bananas. {FYI: Humans and bananas share 50% of…
Acceptance and Gratitude For What Life Gives Us©
In March 2020, ‘Burbia, the land that time forgot, became a claustrophobic clamshell. Work, restaurants, gyms. Shut tight. Chic dinner soirees a fading memory. My approaching birthday, one with a…
Pandemic Survival Tips for ‘Burbian Beings©
The world is eerily and catastrophically quiet. I sit at my desk, sipping coffee from the Fungulicious Ointment mug my husband stole from Stamford Hospital. Staring at the cheery little bug-eyed creature with…