STYLING WITH ANNIE

                                     Happy Haunted Halloween                                                                                            All Photos by Anne Neborak  As the pandemic continues, Halloween takes on quite a different tone. Running through haunted houses as goblins breathe on you is not happening this year.  So I am keeping the Halloween alive by walking through cemeteries and looking for spirits. Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill is one of my favorites.   As a child I would go with my Nana to visit her mother who was buried there with her sister.  We walked up the hill to get water from the pump and then water the ge...

 I t’s been a couple of rough months.  Covid-19 has left us in a perpetual state of living in the movie, Groundhog Day.    In Southeast  Pennsylvania we are slowly opening up.  Slowly! We are innovative; working from home, having zoom meetings and birthday parties.  Teachers and students connect on the  internet. Shopping online doesn’t replace the feeling of touching items but it sure is easy.  Ah the deals and free shipping.  Car birthday parades and graduation parades  are happening every day  We have time to learn new things,  complete puzzles, binge watch series and bake banana bread. We can try new recipes but sometimes are missing ingredients.  So we improvise. Adding to the fears of Covid-19 are the protests that have left our cities spiraling out of control.  With the protests for George Floyd it has left us questioning our feeling...

Photo by Anne Neborak   I n the midst of all the glitter, the amazing fireworks, the thrilling rides of     Walt Disney World is an oasis of peace; The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe. Inside one can come to pray, light a candle, and meditate on the mysteries of faith.  Outside the magnificent Basilica  is a Rosary Garden, a place to walk the Stations of the Cross. Here you can find solitude escaping the lines of cars filled with tourists on their way to more lines of people waiting to experience the Magic Kingdom, Sea World and Universal Studios.  Photo by Anne Neborak Before the groundbreaking on Dec. 8, 1984, masses were held in a hotel. With the opening of Magic Kingdom it became apparent that the hotel couldn’t handle the great number of  tourists attending mass. Thus the first phrase of the Shrine opened on April 20, 1986. This Basilica is the 63 rd  minor Basilica in the Unite...

Photo by Annie Neborak Packing makes me go insane. You would think I’d be a pro at this. No, I am still packing as I go out the door. Believe me, I started weeks ago. How do you pack for six weeks with changing weather from winter to summer? How do you pack when you want to literally take your whole house with you? Of course you can’t but I try.   I am an over packer which only makes travel so much more difficult. I have to carry so many bags inside the  place I stay and carry it again when I am leaving. It makes me weary just thinking about it.  I want to bring five books when it takes me at least two weeks to read one. I imagine that all the projects that I left unfinished I will do while I am on vacation. So of course I want to bring them along for the ride. I have journals to write in. books to inspire me, puzzles that have sat on the shelf for months but  this seem the right time to bring them. Shoes, oh my. What shoes shou...

      Photo by   Lucy Heath   on   Unsplash National Pie Day started with a birthday celebration. Charlie Papazian, a nuclear engineer, brewer and author was born on Jan. 23, 1950. In the mid-1970s. he declared his own birthday as National Pie Day.  According  to the American Pie Council, pies were first discovered in Ancient Egypt.  The first pie recipe published was by the Romans. It consisted of rye-crusted goat cheese and honey. Sounds yummy.  The first pies eaten were made with meat. It is believed that Queen Elizabeth l was presented with the first cherry pie for fruit pies and pastry made their debut in the 1500s.  America’s favorite pie is Apple. The second favorite is Pizza Pie. Those  ancient Romans weren’t far off in knowing what tasted good. My favorite is Sweet Potato Pie. What’s yours? The American Pie Council plans a National Pie Championship for amateurs and profe...

We all age but we have to keep styling! If you are reading this hoping to find the fountain of youth, sorry, I have no answers . I try to believe that I am only 26 when I am 66. It amazes me. How did this happen?  I think it had to start three years ago when I was on a football field and one of the football players said excuse me ma’am do you want me to help you carry that.  I replied “ No, no I am fine.” I love seeing politeness.  But ma’am? Did I hear right?  Yikes how old do I look? He was  so young. I did start noticing that the coaches seemed a lot younger than before. The players seemed very young. When I started in the field of  photojournalism the coaches seemed  so old, so did the teachers the newscasters, lawyers and doctors. It's not true anymore. A year ago, I am buying a movie ticket. The clerk charged me the senior price.  I deny being that old. I figure it must be because, ...

  Bring in the New  Decade by being you A new year! A new decade. The possibilities are incredible.  What will you do with this year? What will you create? What will you change in your life? How will you challenge your self? Every year, we make resolutions. Sometimes we fall short, sometimes we reach  our goals.  Through it all we must remember to be gentle with ourselves. When things don’t go as planned pick yourself up and go forward.   Keep following your path.   Your path at your pace. Living our lives to the fullest means different things to each of us.  Just live your best life so when you fall asleep at night you are at peace with who you are whatever you accomplish. Make time for laughter! Make time for those you love! I am amazed that I am alive to see this decade.  When I was in school I thought 2000 seemed so far away. It’s hard to believe it’s 2020. I...