An Evening at Temple Sinai - Great Evening and a Great Honor!

I had the great honor of speaking to the Temple Sinai Sisterhood in Middletown, NY last Monday. Organized by my good friend and retired colleague Arline Friedman, it was a night filled with amazing food, (delicious homemade minestrone soup - thank you Gerry!), an outstanding salad bar and so many lovely desserts to choose from. The ladies working in the kitchen truly outdid themselves.

I met a lot of wonderful people and everyone made me feel so comfortable that I was able to conquer one of my biggest fears - speaking to large groups, (unless they're 18 and under which I do every day), and using a microphone ...at a podium no less! I love Arline so much that I was able to do this. With such a warm and receptive group, I felt comfortable in no time at all. Much of the book talk was about my writing journey over the years that finally resulted in the publication of Tales from a Dog Catcher. There were several future authors in the group so some discussion was about writing and the process involved in getting a book published. I was able to catch up with some old friends like Pet Therapist Marian Zaritsky who will once again be bringing in Sasha the pet therapy dog to visit with the students in my Psychology Class. Sasha is now a professional, certified therapy dog - but I don't think it's gone to his head! It was also great to see Lucy Fox, another dear friend and retired colleague. It reminded me how much I miss seeing her at work each day. I met some great ladies, Sherry, Gerry, Lisa, Irma and especially Shirley who actually grew up in the City of Peekskill and won one of the copies of Tales from a Dog Catcher. I hope she enjoys the book - she will most definitely recognize most of the landmarks and perhaps even some of the characters in the book!

I also met a great lady named Aviva Schwab M.Ed. She runs a training program for Systematic Training for Effective Parenting, (STEP). Aviva has been featured on NBC's Live at Five and also on Eyewitness News. This program promises that it is possible to have happy cooperative kids without yelling, bribing or punishing. I think meeting up with Aviva was fate! She gave me some great advice - exactly when I needed it most. Check out her site at www.tiredofyelling.com. Incredible testimonials! The program is great for parents and teachers of children of all ages. She has free trial classes within the New York and New Jersey area, but if that's too out of the way for you, the training program is also available on tape and CD. If you would rather contact her by phone, drop me a comment and I'll pass along her number, although her number and tons of great information can be found on her website.

Thanks again to Arline and to everyone at Temple Sinai on Highland Avenue, in Middletown, New York for a wonderful evening and for letting me join in the sisterhood for the evening!

This is such a close knit and friendly place with so much to offer the local community.

Photo courtesy of Temple Sinai