A TIME FOR ALL SEASONS

With assurances from the master medical expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, I am happy to report that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy have all been vaccinated against the COVID virus, so children can be comforted. Would that there would be additional confirmations for schools getting back to regular sessions rather than virtual, theater openings, movie screenings, restaurants indoor numbers, hospitals without COVID wards, not to mention hugs, and family and friend get togethers as well as celebrations for birthdays, baby births, bar mitzvahs, baptisms, weddings, graduations and the inevitable funerals. We have come a long way, baby, and the end of the tunnel is around the next bend. We need to be patient and keep washing our hands and our masks. Netflix will continue to be our best friend as we binge watch “Bridgerton”, “Private Practice” and “The Queen's Gambit.” Pairing the TV shows with ice cream or wine is still highly recommended. Have you learned to play the guitar or tap dance or do water color painting? Have no fear, there is still time to master these arts or learn to can your own tomato sauce or start writing a blog. After all, we have been gifted with time galore. Don’t waste yours. Read the comedies of Shakespeare, not the tragedies as they may strike too close to home. And you’re already washing your hands like Lady Macbeth any way. Now is the time for all good women and men to be passionate about a cause, cherish our freedoms and glory in the gratitude of just being alive. Hallelujah!

"BECOMING DR. RUTH” A FASCINATING JOURNEY

At the height of four foot, seven inches, Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a petite powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm. She is forthright and honest, especially if you have a question of a sexual nature. Her fascinating life adventure began when her parents and grandmother put her on the train, the Kindertransport, at the age of ten from her home in Germany and sent her to Switzerland to save her from the Nazis. She never saw her family again. Now at the age of ninety-two, her story is being told at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk and you are invited to this intimate one woman show until February 21, either in person or by streaming. Dr. Ruth Westheimer has packed a lot of living in her more than nine decades on earth. At the orphanage in Switzerland, Ruth helped with the younger children, protecting them and calming them. Through the many dark years that followed, she held on to her grandmother's philosophy: "Always be happy and cheerful. You are loved." Mark St. Germain has penned a delightful and intense look into the life of this astonishing woman. She is brought to vibrant and enchanting life in the hands of actress Amy Griffin. She embodies Dr Ruth in dedication, body and spirit, with actions and voice, as she relates her intriguing tale with anecdotes, photos and mementos. After residing for thirty-six years in the same New York City apartment, with views of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge, she is moving. Her third husband Fred has died and she knows change is good. As she packs her books, pictures and collections of dollhouses and turtles, she reminisces about her past, from losing her family, settling in France, Palestine and later in America. Can you imagine this diminutive lady as a sniper in the Haganah? Her size was actually a bonus in this spy work as a scout. You will learn that this woman who worked diligently to earn her doctorate, loved Shirley Temple, encouraged Governor Bill Clinton to run for the presidency and would have been happy to be a kindergarten teacher. Kevin Connors directs this rare portrait of a remarkable journey as Karola Ruth Siegel at the helm steering her way to her destiny as Dr. Ruth, on a homey set designed by Lindsay Fuori. For tickets ($39-70), call Music Theatre of CT at 203-454-3883 or online at www.musictheatreofct.com. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Pod discounts are available for 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 ticket purchases. Live stream the play, 90 minutes in length without an intermission for $28. Two lessons that Dr. Ruth learned through the collections she has saved over the years: her dollhouses are safe havens for her dolls because she didn't have any control over her life growing up and her turtles that are symbolic that it has to take a risk and stick its neck out if its wants to move forward. She feels she has an obligation to live long and large and to make the world a better place. That she certainly does.

Tragedy to Resilience

If tragedy truly defines us, then the year 2020 is a whole Noah Webster dictionary. We have been tested, quarantined, socially distanced and masked. We have been challenged to change our attitudes, perspectives and every day activities. How easy it would be to get discouraged and anxious and even depressed. How much better it would be to change our focus and concentrate on the things that have improved our outlook. How grateful we should be for the thousands of health care professionals who have so courageously stood tall at the front lines. It’s also time to salute the teachers and parents who now find themselves with the awesome task of creatively assuming new roles with math equations and writing memoirs. Truck drivers are now keeping our economy flowing by delivering packages and presents while mail people bring letters to our doors. Grubhub leaves pizza and pasta on our porches while businesses are adjusting their hours to leave us equipped with the necessities. Zoom meetings are now a virtual fixture in our lives, and Netflix and television are now streaming movies and lectures and novel entertainment galore. You can tour Van Gogh’s museum, take a trip to Israel or Italy, take a train ride anywhere in the world , all while seated safely on your sofa. And if you were smart enough to invest in the stock of Quilted Northern, Angel Soft and Charmin’, you wiped up your finances quite well. Factories also changed their facilities to produce masks and ventilators to aid the cause, and donated food to feed the hungry, while many people concentrated on kindnesses to family, friends and neighbors like picking up groceries for seniors or sharing pots of chicken noodle soup. As we speak, lines are forming to get the COVID vaccine and protect our world. Thanks to a new concerned and involved administration. Together we have weathered the medical storm and found the spirit of reliance and resilience that will see us through today’s tunnel to a brighter tomorrow and a return to normalcy. Amen.