5 Ways to Beat the Holiday Doldrums
Dad used to say there were two “heavy seasons” for depression. He would know, he was a pastor and he heard it all. In second place: June. You know, that month when all your friends are getting married, or wishing they hadn’t. Too much time and money spent on ceremonies, and very little on the actual care of the relationship. In first place: December. The month of broken dreams. The month we are supposed to be happy and singing carols. The end of the “Magic of Christmas” probably came when we saw mommy kissing Santa Claus. Who knows

7 Phrases to Avoid at Thanksgiving Dinner
My favorite holiday movie is “Home For the Holidays” with Holly Hunter. It’s a classic peek into the trainwreck we call the American family. I’ve often wondered if the same thing happens all over the world. People are, after all, just people. The movie shows what happens when people leave home and pursue their own lives: we become influenced by our new surroundings; we expand our perspective; we change. The ones that never left have a hard time grappling with the changes in the ones who left. And the romantic “homecoming” of greeting card

Quotables ~ Politics
“I have nothing to say and I am saying it.” – John Cage “Honesty pays, but it doesn’t seem to pay enough to suit some people.” – F. M. Hubbard Fortune does not change men, it unmasks them.” – Suzanne Necker “Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book.” – Ronald Reagan “Outside of the killings, Washington

What Matters Most
It’s important to remember what really matters: · The love & support of friends and family · A healthy body & mind · A Resilient Spirit Each of these feeds the other, and without them we are poor, indeed. No amount of money can buy those things. My recent surgery afforded me a reminder of these principles. Before I went in, I believed “a positive attitude” was the most important element to surviving the assault on my neck. I confess I pre-wrote the newsletter message… filled with positive outcomes from my surgery. My philosophy: if you fear something, write a positive outcome fo

Social Media Snit
OK, time to take off the gloves before this goes too far. I keep threatening to show my feisty side on this blog, the place from whence the name of the blog was created. So here goes: How in the name of Steve Jobs would anyone else be able to tell me “Who to Follow” or “How to decide who to Unfollow?” How would they know? They are not me. They don’t know why I’m on Twitter or Facebook or