Author: Sondra Forsyth

Dr. Marie's Hemorrhoid Advice

article

One of our favorite experts, Marie (Dr. Marie) Savard, M.D., confides that back when she gave birth for the first time, she ended up with a huge hemorrhoid that made having a bowel movement exquisitely painful. "I was so preoccupied with my sore bottom that I could barely enjoy my new baby," says Dr. Marie. She adds, though, that this incident inspired her to teach her patients how to prevent and treat hemorrhoids, also called "piles." Here is what you need to know about this nuisance ailment that strikes an estimated 90 percent of us at least once.

Parlez Vous Ballet?

blog

 'Tis the season when rehearsals for myriad annual productions of "The Nutcracker" are underway across the country. If the beloved holiday ballet is coming to a theater or high school auditorium near you and you're not a regular balletomane, here's your chance to bone up in advance with my Q&A about the history and lore of the liveliest art's classical dance form.Q. Why are all the ballet terms French?

How the Pumpkin Patch Photos Stole Nana's Heart

blog

 I wasn't planning to visit my daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons for Christmas this year. Plane fare from NYC to Phoenix isn't cheap, and I have a heavier workload right now than usual. I just didn't see how I could spend the time and money for the trip. Also, holiday travel is never my idea of a good time what with bad weather, overbooked and overpriced flights, cranky children, and wailing babies. So I told my daughter we would just schedule a Skype session for December 25th. She sounded disappointed, but she understood.

I Walked My Daughter Down the Aisle

blog

On a blazingly beautiful July afternoon in 2003, I walked my daughter down the aisle. Well, actually, it was a hill since the ceremony was on the grounds of a lodge in Montana's Glacier National Park. The point, though, is that she was on my arm and not her father's. 

Memories of 9/11 in NYC

blog

 On September 14th 2001, three days after 9/11, I posted "Attack on New York: Report from the Front Lines" on DanceArt.com where I've been "The New York Dance Scene" blogger since 1997. Here is what I wrote when the tragedy was still so fresh:

Well-being

How Doing Good Helps You

article

Like a lot of Boomers these days, you may be leading a full and fairly stressful life. Here's a counterintuitive way to make yourself feel better both emotionally and physically. Add one more item to your To Do list: volunteering. And if you're retired with a little leisure on your hands, filling the void with projects that reach out to others is a scientifically proven way to boost your morale and your immune system at the same time.

Wild Cat

blog

On summer Sundays near my apartment in Manhattan, volunteers from Kitten Little Rescue bring cages full of captured feral cats and set up camp. When I walked by one afternoon in 2010, I spotted a white kitten doing its winsome best to attract attention by sticking a paw through the bars and letting out plaintive meows that seemed to say, "Pick me! Take me home with you!"

To The Pointe

blog

During the New York City Ballet's seasons at the David H. Koch Theater in Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, a film offering a backstage glimpse of the dancers' lives plays as a loop on a screen beside the box-office windows. People waiting to pick up tickets invariably watch with particular fascination during the segments about pointe shoes. 

you may also like

Recipes We