Sparkle Up!

I was really touched when I went to visit Mom at the nursing home over the weekend, and saw the enthusiastic staff of Sparkle Up doing hair, makeup, and manicures for the residents. Sparkle Up specializes in glamour parties and has a full skin care and makeup line for special events.

Sparkle Up is located in New City, New York. Sunday was the first time they have done an outside event. The idea for the event came from co-owner Deborah Spagnoli who feels that "beauty is ageless."

Mom loved having her hair done. Another resident who was having her nails done, said that she loved having the opportunity to be pampered.

Mackenzie gives a manicure

Deborah gives a resident a new 'do

In Memorium

Arthur Nadel
1928-2012

On Thursday, May 31, my father-in-law Arthur Nadel passed. He was 84. Through his actions, Artie raised the bar on what it meant to be a good husband. His love and devotion to his wife Mildred is the stuff they make movies about. While Artie was in a nursing home on a rehab floor for a broken hip, he voluntary moved to spend the rest of his days in an Alzheimer's ward so his Millie would not be alone. Through 61 years of marriage, Artie and Millie were deeply, madly, passionately in love. Throughout his illness, he never cared about his own declining health, only about the well-being of his beloved Millie.

In addition to Millie, he is survived by the three sons he was so proud of, Michael, Steve (Sue), and Gary (Denise), and the grandchildren he adored, Adam, Matthew, Daniel, and Lauren.

Artie's funeral was on Friday. When we arrived home, there were a couple of messages on our answering machine asking if Artie had anything to do with Johan Santana pitching the first no-hitter in the history of his beloved New York Mets. We like to think he did, and if there's a heaven, he's holding court playing cards and telling his jokes to a whole new audience.