A video of Stephanie’s marriage to Mark in 2004 is the stuff that inspires envy. Pretty young woman meets handsome young man. The son of one of the most successful men on Wall Street, the groom earns a great deal, too, working for a division of his dad’s company–along with his brother.

The happy couple is blessed with the birth of two children and leads charmed lives. Then, it all falls apart, overnight. Literally. Mark’s father is convicted of fraud, to the tune of billions of dollars, and is shipped off to jail for the rest of his life.

I wouldn't call this house in Greenwich, CT "normal," except in Greenwich

or this home in Nantucket

By now, you probably know that Mark’s last name is Madoff. You also probably know that Mark hung himself while his infant son slept in the next room and his wife and daughter were visiting Disney World.

Did or didn’t Mark know about his father’s Ponzi scheme? Stephanie adamantly says “No!”  in her new book, “The End of Normal,” but it hardly matters at this point. Mark is dead.

and if this is "normal," where did I go wrong?

this is definitely “the end of normal,” by anyone’s definition

I would not have called Stephanie’s life “normal,” at least once she became a Madoff, even a pre-Ponzi Madoff. But whatever it was, it no longer is. Life has a quirky way of being inconsistent, surprising, challenging, maddening, depressing, tragic and darn irritating. If we’re lucky, we weather the storms. If we’re not, we lose control of the ship and sometimes even drown.

When I looked out our 11th floor bedroom window a few nights ago, I saw the pretty flowers on sale outside the grocery store, directly across the street. Since most Manhattanites don’t have backyards and gardens of our own, it’s a treat to see so many flowers, even if they’re 11 flights away.

Appreciate beauty wherever and whenever you can!

“Action is the antidote to despair”–Joan Baez

A lawyer in affluent Westchester County, a NYC suburb, killed his wife and two sleeping children yesterday, then shot himself. The couple reportedly was going through a bitter divorce. The kids were 8 and 10 and neighbors said they were a “beautiful” family.

It is impossible to fathom what could trigger such a horrific act. An extraordinarily stressful situation can lead to psychosis, which can show up in a variety of ways, including delusions–a break with reality. Whatever the case, the report momentarily unnerved me and has haunted me throughout the day. So many people across the country are experiencing stressful situations. They’ve lost their jobs and homes and are losing their hope. Young people can’t get jobs in the first place.

I am not suggesting that everyone who is stressed will develop a psychosis. But we must try to alleviate the stress of our loved ones and friends as much as possible. If we can offer someone a job–even if temporary–or a helping hand in some other way, we must do it. We cannot simply thank our lucky stars that we’re employed and have wonderful homes.

Deep despair is one of the worst illnesses that can affect us. Words don’t provide hope; actions do.

The first time I went into Chico’s, about a decade ago, I took one look at the clothes and knew they weren’t for me.  I remember appliqués, uninspired patterns, oversized tops, gaudy colors, cheesy fabrics. My mom, who was with me, loved everything. I bought her a top. I glanced at the Chico’s windows every time I passed the store, but never saw one single item I liked.

My, how Chico’s has changed. FOF sister, Shelley, and I stopped into one a couple of months go, when we were in New Orleans, and I could tell immediately I wasn’t going to walk out empty handed. The clothes were cool. Distinctive silhouettes (that’s a highfalutin industry term for shapes); sophisticated colors; fluid fabrics. I bought a  capped-sleeve microfiber “coat”  with a shawl collar, in taupe. It was priced at $160, but I paid $80. Shelley said Chico’s often has great promotions.

When I heard last week that Chico’s is using FOF Diane Keaton as its holiday spokesperson, I thought “what a smart move.” Diane has a style all her own, not unlike most FOFs, which is exactly how Chico’s wants us to look at its collection (another fancy term for line of clothes.)

Diane has been the FOF face of L’Oreal since 2006. Now, Chico’s is publicly joining the smart group of major brands that understands the value of getting into our corner. Three cheers for Chico’s.

Shelley in her new Chico's jacket

Diane in her new Chico's

And Geri in hers