BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

Boy do I relate to this article! - but this girl is much taller than I am. It wasn't until I moved to New York City 29 years ago that I realized I wasn't the tallest girl on the planet. Thank goodness my Nana, of blessed memory, made all my clothes... or my arms would have hung out and I would never have been able to find a proper inseam in my size back then. Things have changed and we are more aware of the differences in people's bodies. Especially women's. Though we are still fixated on unhealthy skinny-ness. By Rebecca Thomas Everywhere I go people stare at me. At the grocery store children gawk at me wide-eyed, craning their necks and pointing as they tug their mothers’ shirts. When I pass people on the street, I hear them mumble comments about my appearance. I am not deformed or handicapped, I’m not a circus attraction. I have strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. What makes me different is that I’m 6-foot-4, and I’m a woman. My entire life has been influenced ...

MY CELLPHONE RANT Cells phones are wonderful inventions. They make sure my children's schools or sitters can reach me almost anywhere if I am needed. If I have an emergency I can reach their father. I can do business just about anywhere now too. Every one of my doctors is programmed in along with family and my kids' school nurses. But as with all conveniences, there are those who abuse them. If you live or work in NYC you will know this scene well. You are on the subway, LIRR or PATH going through the tunnels to Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island or New Jersey. All's quiet while you are under the great city of Manhattan, or the East or Hudson Rivers. You hear the clacking of the wheels and squealing of metal to metal and then there's light. You are out of the tunnel. And not a full second goes past when either multiple cell phones start ringing or people pull out their cellphone and start dialing or texting. Do we really need to be THAT in touch? Is it that importan...