Illustration by Jensine Eckwell

Once the holidays are over, it’s easy to view the winter season as a bleak, frigid time to curse the weather and your daily commute. But it’s not all gray slush and missing mittens! Winter in New York City is the time to explore, away from the throngs of summer tourists and ubiquitous street fairs. It’s the time for real New Yorkers to dig deeper into our city and see what it has to offer up. In our 2013 Winter Guide, we scoured Manhattan to find the best cold-weather picks, whether it’s where to curl up with a nice spicy drink, who can fix the zipper on your down coat, or what to do with your stir-crazy kids home from school on a snow day. Lace up your boots and get out there.

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We all know about the city’s holiday trees–but here are four lesser known spots for holiday lights that are totally worth visiting.

By Meredith Greene

One of the best parts of the holiday season is the glittering lights and snazzy decorations, and we all know about the city’s plethora of holiday trees. But here are four under-the-radar spots to see holiday lights that Manhattanites might not immediately think of that are definitely, totally worth seeing:

1. Holiday Light Spectacular
South Slope’s Holiday Light Spectacular is the amazing two-man show of homeowner Chris Schneider and friend Ryan Powers, who make all their displays by hand. Each annual show features a different theme and storyline—think “The Grinch House” to 1950s styles–and this year it’s North Pole’s Got Talent. Shows are every 20 minutes from 5-11pm daily. 310A 22nd Street, Brooklyn.

For the complete list, please visit newyorkfamily.com.

“Merry Christmas,” I casually wished a guy I’d seen working out at my gym in Prospect Heights as he passed me in the locker room. He stopped with a quizzical look on his face.

“Err, bro, I’m Jewish,” he said.

“Oh, sorry,” I mumbled, shocked. This was the first time in my life I’d been reprimanded for trying to be nice. As if to dispel any hardcore religious significance he may have perceived in my seasonal greeting, I told him that I was not a Christian either, but a Hindu.

At least Hanukkah was on the radar in New York. The gym I attended had both a Menorah and a Christmas tree. As a Hindu, I was disappointed that Diwali didn’t even get a mention outside the Indian community, falling marginally outside the festive season. I didn’t take it personally, but perhaps I should have. I’d moved to the States from my native England a year prior to the gym incident and quickly realized that part of being an American was choosing your spiritual side and sticking to it. A Hindu wishing a Jew a Happy Noel was clearly politically incorrect.

My wife, a Catholic from Trinidad, had both Christian and Hindu relatives, and from an early age was raised to celebrate all her island’s diverse cultures. She’d been fairly relaxed about marrying someone outside her faith. We had a Hindu wedding ceremony in Danbury, Conn. But when we looked for a church in New York to allow us to have a “blessing of the rings,” we were turned down by several before finding a liberal denomination in Greenwich Village. Would my wife become influenced by U.S. culture and pick her side, too? What about our kids? With the unrelenting marketing muscle that St. Nick wields over other religions in the States, I could imagine all my family joining forces with him and his throng, leaving me a lonely, isolated Hindu. I’d be banished to the outer fringes of ragtag global religions along with Sikhs, Buddhists and Muslims, a kind of shantytown outside the Emerald City of Christianity. Maybe that was why the Jewish guy at the gym reacted so forcefully when I misnamed his holiday. I wondered if Jews feel that they are one overly zealous right-wing Christian president away from joining the rest of us in America’s religious soup kitchen of homeless faiths.

Now I understand the delicate protocol of correctly naming each person’s specific religious celebration. In England, wishing someone a Merry Christmas did not connote a solemn remembrance of three kings being led by a star, a stable and a virgin birth. If anything, it means going down to the pub, eating lots of food, opening presents and time off work. A joke I remember from my childhood, told annually by one of my friend’s parents, was, “The problem with Christmas is that they always have to bring religion into it.”

The U.K. has its issues and may be a long way off from electing a non-white prime minister, but it is a largely secular country. The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, is an atheist, and the leader of the opposition, Ed Miliband, is Jewish (an unheard of combination in the U.S.), and Christmas describes a season more than a religious observance.

My Hindu family, along with my relatives, partook in the seasonal activities of decorating a tree, opening presents and eating a traditional turkey dinner while the Queen gave her annual speech, as did most of England’s multicultural society. It never occurred to us to do otherwise.

When it comes to the festive season, Britain, along with most of Europe, just doesn’t take things that seriously. It’s why many American far-right Christian firebrands believe it’s a continent of socialist sinners. I prefer to see it as a spiritually tolerant place that has enough to worry about without bringing religion into the mix to complicate matters further.

With that said, just in case, I wish you Happy Holidays.

Surely, seeing really is believing and is bound to generate more empathy and tangible help. And just being there helps the tens of thousands afflicted, literally in our own backyard, know they are not forgotten and it’s not business as usual elsewhere. It’s up to the media, especially, to keep showing the ongoing devastation and telling the heartbreaking stories.

Before my dinner companion made this most telling remark, the column in progress began with the televised Rockefeller Center tree lighting extravaganza and how I thought calls for Hurricane Sandy aid should have been center-staged and not occasional, relatively low-key requests. And before they performed, the featured artists could have showed some sympathy and brought attention to the massive hardship and loss in places only a few miles away.

But mostly it was showbiz as usual, with too much spectacular background décor. The magnificent tree is all we need, and indeed less is more when it comes to its lighting. As always, I wished the performers had asked the adoring crowd there to sing along, but with fewer ho-ho-ho songs and no “can’t live without you” lyrics. Include family, close friends and good neighbors in the lyrics of the wildly popular “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” And “a home” is what tens of thousands in the tri-state area now most desperately need.

On a closing note, the Park Avenue memorial trees are the most meaningful and serenely lovely of all the city’s December traditions. Once again, this parade of illuminated fir trees are in hallowed memory of those who gave their lives in this nation’s wars. This blessed tradition was started in 1945 by several Manhattan mothers whose sons perished in that war, which so tragically was only a taste of more to come. As the holiday season hits full swing, don’t forget that above all, we must pray and work to prevent this most awful of all human-made disasters!
Dewingbetter@aol.com

Turkey Day is the time to fly to small town America, where no matter how successful you’ve become in the big city, your family will find a way to ensure you haven’t gotten too big for your britches. For your own arsenal, offer to tend bar and use these cocktail recipes to soothe the beast in everyone. You may even learn to not regret having made the trip.

1. The Granny Slammer: Grandma’s been up since 5:30 a.m. with her hand up the backside of the turkey. Hence she’s already downed half a bottle of sherry.  If she’s going to go the distance, (i.e. finish cooking your dinner) she’ll need sustenance. Solution: One large glass of water with a shot of sausage gravy on the side.

2. NFL Win-Win: Dad’s getting his annual exercise, sitting in front of the TV screaming “Run, bastard, run” to the running back on the football field. Make sure to have a chilled pony keg of Labatt’s and an I.V. hookup. Serve with Swedish fish and Cheetos. With luck, by the second half, he’ll be pacified.

3. Mother’s Little Helper: Mom doesn’t drink, so serve her a Long Island Iced tea (1 oz. of tequila, vodka, rum, gin and triple sec, splashes of lemonade and Coke, shake well.) By the time she’s complained for the eleventh time about you not being married, she’ll change the subject to “that’s sure some good iced tea, hon.” Smile and nod, smile and nod.

4. Aunt Margie’s Aneurysm:  Auntie’s been chattering incessantly about everything from her bunions to the neighbor’s thyroid, and if she doesn’t shut up soon, you’re going to drive up to Make Out Point and throw yourself off the cliff. Time to calm her down with a Bloody Brain. Make this in a travel cup with a lid. Using peach schnapps as the base, slowly pour Bailey’s Irish cream to curdle like a brain. Add a dripping of Grenedine or Tabasco for the blood. Your choice, but remember she did show you the oozing sore on her thigh.

5. Brother Joe’s Boogie Monster: Your brother hasn’t gotten off the couch since 1989. Mix one bottle Ginsing extract, one Monster energy drink, and 2 shots low quality bourbon. Serve with a smile and mention quietly that if he doesn’t rake the leaves by dinner time, you’ll blab about the blow up doll he’s got stashed under the bunk beds.

6 & 7. Nap Time Jello:  For Carter and Jackson, ages 5 and 7, who have pushed crayons in their every orifice and eaten all the wax fruit off the table centerpiece.  Make up a batch of Nyquil Jello. Serve in Dixie cups. Assume there are no ill side effects in conjunction with the turkey’s tryptophan. Watch them sleep til Saturday.

8. Uncle Mervin’s Monkey Gland: The only classic on the menu from the 1920s. Merv the Perv will enjoy the gin, O.J., grenadine and anisette concoction. Maybe tie him to the chair next to Aunt Margie. Serves him right. Then again, he has to live with her.

9. Yours Truly,  aka “I need a damn drink”:  You know very well the liquor stores in your home town only stock Frexinet and Korbel, not champagne. Buy a few bottles of each, add vodka and sit in a long, hot bath with Calgon. Dream of going home. Pass out. Repeat as needed.

10. After Dinner Digestif : Everyone gets a perky mélange of Pepto Bismal and dark rum. Just think, only 33 days ‘til Christmas! Happy Holidays.

9/11 MEMORIAL Northeast corner of Albany and Greenwich Sts., www.911memorial.org

With free admission to both the 9/11 memorial and museum, it’s nice to give back with a gift shop purchase—net proceeds go toward developing and sustaining the organization. While the museum shop offers everything from FDNY and NYPD ornaments to 10th anniversary jewelry, our favorite picks can be found in the book section, particularly Listening Is an Act of Love ($24.95), a medley of StoryCorpxs’ 30,000- plus recorded interviews arranged to show a portrait of American life. For the shopper looking to give a small piece of the memorial to their loved one, the 9/11 Memorial Lapel Pin ($6) is a good pick.

FILM FORUM 209 W. Houston St. (betw. 6th Ave. & Varick St.), www.filmforum.org

While Downtown is known for its selection of indie movie houses, few know that Film Forum is indeed a not-for-profit. The cinema had humble beginnings in 1970, when it consisted of 50 folding chairs, one projector and a $19,000 annual budget. It has since flourished into a three-screen space that shows a fascinating, out-of-the-ordinary collection of films (see Cullen Gallagher’s piece on Film Forum’s silent film series at OTDowntown.com). For the cinéaste or art lover in your life, consider buying them a Film Forum DVD set on varying themes like fashion or dance. The dance set ($65) includes three carefully curated DVDs: Stormy Weather, The Red Shoes and Ballets Russes. Or grab the Maira Kalman—author of the Max books—T-shirt, with six canine cinephiles watching a 3-D movie ($14.95).

GREENWICH VILLAGE SOCIETY FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION www.gvshp.org

The name is misleading; the GVSHP fights to preserve the architectural heritage and cultural history of buildings in the East Village and Noho as well as Greenwich Village. Founded in 1980, the GVSHP also offers public lectures, tours, exhibitions, school programs, an oral history project and publications. Tucked on their website is a roster of locally themed wares like the GVSHP porcelain holiday ornament bearing an anthemion ($9.99) or a poster of Tony Sarg’s classic 1934 Village map ($17.99).

HOUSING WORKS

For the location nearest you, visit www.housingworks.org While running thrift stores with amazing bargains and a coffee house/bookstore with great brews and good reads, at the end of the day Housing Works’ main mission is to help homeless and HIV/ AIDS-afflicted New Yorkers. Their various entrepreneurial pursuits, which also include a catering company and screenprinting business, all go to fund their main goal. If you are unable to make it to their brick-and-mortar storefronts, Housing Works also boasts a well-organized website, where you can place bids on some truly remarkable items. Last time we checked, a vintage Gucci cross carry bag was going for $75, along with a monogrammed zip case at $45. You can also purchase art, accessories and even furniture, like an Avery Boardman Sleeper Sofa for $175.

TENEMENT MUSEUM 103 Orchard St. (betw. Delancey & Broome Sts.), www.tenement.org

The Tenement Museum aims to preserve and interpret the history of immigration to the Lower East Side by telling the personal experiences of immigrants past and present. While the museum is known for its neighborhood tours, exquisitely restored apartment exhibitions and thought-provoking talks, it also boasts a large selection of funky and chic merchandise at college student prices. Pick up the Tenement tote bag ($8.95) for your farmers market fanatic friend or the gold Skyline desk organizer ($25.95) for your officemate. For those family and friends who celebrate Chanukah, how could you say no to a set of four glasses of the “Heroes of the Torah” ($22.95)?

THE MOTH www.themoth.org

While The Moth, a live storytelling series that started in NYC but is now aired on select NPR stations, might not have a physical store, the not-for-profi t is based in Soho. If you aren’t able to make it or get into the live show—they often sell out—we suggest giving the gift of The Moth by purchasing their Best Of box sets (Volume 1 or 2, $55 each). The stories on these CD compilations are told by some familiar voices, like Jonathan Ames, Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Savage. For a Moth-related present that won’t leave a dent in your wallet, take a peek at their line of “I Moth Stories” T-shirts ($20).

Christmas Day service
Sunday, Dec. 25, 11 a.m.

John Street Methodist Church
44 John Street (betw. Dutch & Nassau Sts.), www.johnstreetchurch.org.

Christmas Vespers: lessons, carols and candlelight
Sunday, Dec. 18, 5 p.m.

Christmas Eve Mass: carols, candles and Holy Communion
Saturday, Dec. 24, 7 p.m.

Christmas Day Mass: celebration of God’s word and table
Sunday, Dec. 25, 11 a.m.

Lower Manhattan Community Church
P.S./I.S. 89 Auditorium, 201 Warren St. (at West St.), lowermanhattanchurch.com.

Third annual Community Christmas Service
Sunday, Dec. 18, 11 a.m.

Trinity Church
74 Trinity Place (betw. Rector & Barclay Sts.), www.trinitywallstreet.org.

Christmas Eve services
Saturday, Dec. 24, 4 p.m. (children, youth and families), 6 p.m. (Eucharist) & 9 p.m. (choral prelude & Eucharist).

Christmas Day services
Sunday Dec. 25, 9 a.m., 10 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.

Second annual Candlelight Christmas Eve Service
Saturday, Dec. 24, 4 p.m.

The River Vineyard Christian Fellowship
250 Greenwich St., 7 World Trade Center
(betw. Barclay & Vesey Sts.), rivernyc.org.

Special Christmas services
Sunday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 6 p.m.’

St. Paul’s Chapel
74 Trinity Place (betw. Rector & Barclay Sts.),
www.trinitywallstreet.org.

Christmas Eve midnight mass
Saturday, Dec. 24, 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Christmas Day Holy Eucharist
Sunday, Dec. 25, 8-8:45 a.m.

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church
22 Barclay St. (betw. Church & Broadway Sts.), 212-233-8355.

St. Peter’s Church Mass
Saturday, Dec. 24, 8 a.m. & 4 p.m.,
Sunday, Dec. 25, 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. & noon.

St. JOSEPH’s CHAPEL
Gateway Plaza 500 (near World Financial Center),
212-466-0131.

St. Joseph’s Chapel Mass
Sunday, Dec. 25, 10 a.m. & noon.

Synagogue for the Arts
49 White Street (betw. Church & Broadway Sts.),
www.synagogueforthearts.org.

Chanukah services
Tuesday, Dec. 20–Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m.

Photo: Trinity Church

By Dr. Cynthia Paulis

It’s that time of year again, when friends and family get together to celebrate the holidays and your diet gets ditched as you indulge in all of the wonderful and fattening treats of the season. But before you despair, there is actually one treat that is good for you: dark chocolate.

For centuries, chocolate was revered more for its medicinal qualities than its taste. Aztecs reserved chocolate (which was usually consumed in liquid form) for priests and the very wealthy, but it was also given to soldiers because it was believed to make them strong.

When the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés arrived in the court of Aztec ruler Montezuma in 1529, he was impressed by the magical drink and returned to Europe with trunkloads of cocoa beans, writing to the King of Spain that he had found a drink that built up resistance and fought fatigue.

The drink was quickly viewed as a cure-all, with eventually more than 100 medicinal uses for chocolate. In one document dating from 1590, a mixture of cacao beans, maize and herbs was used to reduce fever and panting and treat heart ailments. They even used it in baths, which were thought to cure fatigue in government officials and those who held public office. Maybe that’s what our Congress needs today!

In the 1800s, chocolate was given to pregnant women, since it was believed to help nourish the mother and child. Even Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying, “The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.” Soon, chocolate had sugar and milk added to it, taking away its medicinal qualities. At one point, Milton Hershey, the founder of Hershey Chocolate Company, advertised his milk chocolate bar as: “Hershey’s: More sustaining than meat.”

So why is dark chocolate so special? Chocolate is made from the cacao bean, which grows on the plant Theobroma cacao. The solid part of the bean is roasted and ground to a powder. Cacao powder, if not too sweetened, has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. The cacao has flavonoids that have antioxidants, enzymes capable of neutralizing the damaging effects of toxins in the body. One ounce of dark chocolate or cocoa has more antioxidants than blueberries, green tea or red wine.

Studies at the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic have shown that these flavonoids can improve blood flow and keep vessels healthy. One square of dark chocolate can benefit the cardiovascular system by enhancing blood flow and lowering blood pressure by two points. It can also prevent the buildup of plaque that can block arteries, and it possesses mild anti-blood clotting effects. Dark chocolate has also been known to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by as much as five points.

Cocoa may have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels because it consists mainly of good fat, mono or polyunsaturated fat in the form of stearic acid and oleic acid, the same fat that is found in olive oil.

Chocolate and cocoa contain copper, magnesium, iron and potassium, which are essential for good health. An average bar of dark chocolate has 4 percent of the daily requirement of copper, a mineral critical to the absorption of iron and key in skin-strengthening collagen. Copper also helps the heart.

Magnesium reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. One bar of dark chocolate can deliver 12 percent of your daily requirement. Magnesium deficiency can lead to leg cramps, migraines, fatigue, loss of appetite, depression, nausea and vomiting. In addition, an average bar of dark chocolate can deliver up to 7 percent of the amount of iron a body needs. Iron is essential for carrying oxygen to parts of your body. If you are low in iron, you can become anemic, fatigued, irritable and prone to headaches. Chocolate also contains potassium, a key element in lowering blood pressure and preventing strokes.

Chocolate also contains more than 500 natural chemical compounds that are mood-elevating and pleasure-inducing. One of these is theobromine, a mild stimulant similar to caffeine but not as strong. It has been used in medicines as a cough suppressant. Chocolate also releases mood-elevating chemicals known as endorphins and serotonin in your brain. Eating chocolate really does make you feel good!

Chocolate maker Marilyn Maguinness has a less scientific view of its benefits. “It gives you a good feeling when you get chocolate, roses or a box of candy,” she said. “I have heard that the dark chocolate is actually good for women, for their hearts, so I think you should eat chocolate every day.”

Remember that chocolate is still loaded with calories and fat, so limit your consumption to just one square a day. Look for chocolate that is at least 60 percent cacao; the higher the cacao number, the lower the sugar. A 75 percent cacao bar is 25 percent sugar, while a 65 percent cacao bar is 35 percent sugar.

Milk chocolate and white chocolate have no health benefits. Avoid drinking milk with dark chocolate because it binds with the antioxidants, making them unavailable.

When the big man in the red suit comes calling this month, instead of leaving cookies loaded with saturated fats, leave him a few squares of dark chocolate. Don’t forget some carrots for the reindeer, loaded with vitamin A, which are good for their night vision!

During the holidays, everyone drinks more.

It’s just inevitable, with holiday parties at work, seasonal soirees with friends and multiple family occasions—almost every night is another opportunity to socialize and celebrate, cocktail in hand.

The stress of the season doesn’t help, either. Long lines and crowded stores, your rapidly decreasing account balance, and hours spent with grouchy relatives who love to talk politics will drive anyone to throw back a hot toddy…or five.

And while it seems intuitive that health-minded individuals would be less likely to reach for the booze, the opposite may be true.

“People who are weight-conscious tend to hold back on the food and go for the drinks as an alternative,” said Lisa Cohn, a registered dietician and the founder of Park Avenue Nutrition on the Upper East Side.

It makes sense—if you have to pass on something, it may seem like a healthier choice to skip dessert and sip a martini. But overdrinking can seriously impact your physical and mental health, causing negative side effects like weight gain and depression.

Don’t worry; becoming a teetotaler is not your only option.

“A celebratory toast with glass in hand can actually enhance your healthy eating,” said Cohn. Allowing yourself occasional pleasures and partaking in socially enjoyable activities will have positive effects on your health.

You just have to do it right.

Here are some of Cohn’s easy tips for toasting your health without compromising it.

Pay attention to calories
Don’t become obsessive about adding them up on your iPhone calculator, but be aware that many drinks you indulge in could be adding empty calories to your already holiday-stressed diet.

The caloric danger is often not in the alcohol but in the mixer. “Avoid heavily sugared and highly salted mixers and creamy, rich options that are high in fats and sugars,” said Cohn.

Here are some handy calorie count estimates for standard servings of popular holiday beverages. The numbers are approximations—they can vary depending on the type and brand of the alcohol, on the bartender’s recipes and serving sizes.

Red wine (5 oz. glass): 125

Bailey’s Irish Cream (1.3 oz. on the rocks): 94

Eggnog (8 oz. glass): 224

Hot Toddy (6 oz. glass): 150

Scotch (1 oz.): 69

Irish Coffee: 100–200 (This is a hard one to peg. Some people make it with whiskey, some with Baileys, and the addition of creamer or whipped cream makes a huge difference.)

Make better choices

You can take avoiding fatty mixers one step further by opting for drinks that have health benefits built in. Red wine, for example, has antioxidants like resveratrol, a polyphenol that has been shown to reduce heart disease risk factors in mice.

Practice moderation
No matter what you’re drinking, the amount you imbibe is key. Cohn suggests aiming for no more than two to four drinks per 24 hours.

Keep portion sizes in mind when drinking as well—12 ounces of a winter lager is not the same thing as 12 ounces of whiskey.

Counteract with healthy habits
Drinking taxes your liver and your brain, but there are lots of things you can do to help reduce its effects. Cohn says that staying hydrated is the most important; she recommends matching every ounce of alcohol with 16 ounces of water.

And the whole eating-instead-of-drinking thing? Forget it. It’s a bad idea to drink on an empty stomach, and it will seriously mess with your already strained digestive system. Snack on lean, healthy holiday foods like shrimp cocktail, roasted vegetables and turkey.

Speaking of your digestive system, it’s going to need some help to deal with all of that acid you’re adding. “Eat foods that are soothing,” Cohn suggests. “Blueberries, ginger tea, aloe beverages and coconut water can be helpful.”

If you’re unsuccessful and the holiday mania drives you to go a little overboard, don’t sleep all day (and don’t fall for the hair-of-the-dog approach). “Hydrate yourself and take a light walk to get the system moving,” Cohn said.

If nothing else, comfort yourself with the fact that it will all be over soon and you’ll be back to your healthy routine. “It may look dramatic,” said Cohn, “but in reality it’s just temporary.”

The annual Christmas photo card from the Maloney family shows Congresswoman Carolyn and daughters Christina and Virginia standing in front of a large fir tree. Thankfully, my son Todd turned the card over to learn that, “This tree located on Park Avenue in front of Brick Presbyterian Church of New York was donated in memory of Clifton H.W. Maloney.” You may remember how this cherished husband and father, seemingly in excellent health, died suddenly last October after summiting a mountain in India. It was so shockingly unexpected and achingly premature, as my column then noted. Boys and men are so vulnerable in myriad unaddressed ways, which Carolyn and her daughters will be sure now to explore.

May they revive the internationally renowned Boys Choir of Harlem, which was shut down after three decades. The New York Times noted its “quiet end,” and that the experience lifted countless young choir members out of “most difficult New York neighborhoods.” But, reports the Daily News, there’s an alarming rise of “difficult neighborhoods” in inner cities everywhere.

This choir should surely not go quietly; indeed it should be many times multiplied, with President Obama being the most ardent supporter. As should all faith groups and medicine, what with health care now such a dominant issue. But again, the music prescription, like the Park Avenue trees, is so woefully “under known.”

And so is music, for those whose minds are failing; I so regret missing the Alzheimer’s Association forum on music therapy last month. Incidentally, having forgotten several events, a well-meaning friend said medication might help. Two neurologists suggested that human “reminders” are more likely what’s needed.

And how the city needs loud and persistent reminders to really crack down on inadequate snow shoveling (especially at crosswalk entrances and bus stops), which leave thousands homebound. When contacted, aides from Borough President Scott Stringer and Council Member Jessica Lappin said, “We’re really working on it.” Please, all of you remind our electeds and the media, which only show “fun in the snow” photos. No accidentally falling down pictures or saying how fortunate it is that Pope Benedict wasn’t injured when knocked down by a woman assailant—or how critical for an 87-year-old French Cardinal there to have suffered a broken hip.

Attention must be paid to societal sins of omission, even the well-meaning personal kind; a Christmas card verse that marks the holidays as a time to remember those we love most forgets the everyday times, when we get so busy. True, but what these “busy folks” need most is to get their priorities straight—find a much needed balance for everyone’s year-round over-all health care maintenance.

Related is the lead piece in the Times’ Dec. 27 real estate section, “When Mom is Just Floors Away.” About how not only “mom” (often a grandmother) but other kindred are more and more having separate apartments in the same building, and the benefits derived from such natural support systems. Mostly stressed was the under-age child benefit, but the elder and other kindred benefits were also noted. I must write an approving letter because likely nobody else will. Help!

–
dewingbetter@aol.com