Amy Oestreicher — daughter of Westport dermatologist Dr. Mark Oestreicher — has had a tough life.
At 18, a blood clot caused her stomach to explode. After a months-long coma, she endured 28 surgeries, and 7 years without food or drink. She also came to terms with a long-kept secret: sexual abuse by a trusted mentor.
She persevered, and developed a one-woman show about her challenges and triumphs. Then she wrote “My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful.”
On Thursday, October 22 (7 p.m.), she’ll talk about her book at the Fairfield University Bookstore. The inspiring event — celebrating positive mental health strategies and the transformative power of creativity — will be broadcast on Facebook Live.
Amy Oestreicher
After a very successful summer, Joey’s by the Shore is pivoting to fall.
It’s a slower time for the beach deli, but they’ve made some menu tweaks and added a few features.
There’s are seasonal specials, like pumpkin spice latte, along with homemade peanut butter chocolate pie, Boar’s Head meats, fresh salads and rotating soups. Breakfast is offered all day long.
Monday through Thursday, they open an hour earlier — 7 a.m. — to catch the Old Mill sunrise. They close those days at 2 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Joey’s has added more (socially distanced) outdoor seating.
Jamie Lebish has led quite a life. He left Staples High School before graduating with the Class of 1977. He’s battled drug addiction and been incarcerated.
He’s also used music to heal a relationship with his father Irwin, a noted jazz pianist.
After moving to Maine, Jamie founded El Rancho De La Vida (“The Ranch of Life”) — a fully licensed substance abuse agency and non-profit recovery home.
But COVID has hit El Rancho hard. Federal and state funding dried up. Potential residents are finding it tough to go there.
Jamie says, “As my fiancee and I look at the road we left behind, from what was once our hometown on Main Street to the home we have built here in Maine, in the spirit of recovery and living a life with dignity and purpose, it is our hope that our hometown will support us as we navigate through these turbulent times.”
Click here to learn more about El Rancho De La Vida. Click here to contribute. (Hat tip: Stevi Lee)
El Rancho De La Vida
And finally … happy 43rd birthday (!) to Fairfield’s own John Mayer.
