Spring awakens my senses; I love the smell of fresh flowers in the air. I am inspired by the splashes of color that Mother Nature amuses us with. I enjoy the crisp air upon my skin.

There is a disturbing trend going on here in Chicago. The recession as we know, has hit nearly all American businesses hard, causing many companies to close stores or reduce the merchandise that they offer.

After Tiger’s little speech he was the talk of water coolers around company offices everywhere. He certainly was at my place of employment. And everyone had an opinion, of course. Many women said that if they were married to him they would give him another chance. There were some women who were totally against reconciliation with him, while the men tried to figure out how he allowed himself to get caught.

Now as for the use of the N word, that is inexcusable but I think that no matter who says it—black or white. Look there are way more important things to be pissed over than a second rate artist like John Mayer. I can’t even name one song of his.

I am also not willing to give up my impulse buying of books. Yep, I am one of those people who can not pass by books without buying at least one, especially if it is on sell. I buy books at the grocery store, Walmart, Target, Amazon, teacher stores, Walgreens; you name it…

I was an active kid. My friends and I often played for hours outdoors. We engaged ourselves in such activities as: Hide-n-Seek, Hopscotch, and Double-dutch (I couldn’t jump or turn but I tried my best every time), and Follow the Leader. We raced one another on foot or with our big wheels, skateboards and bikes.

The most poignant story to emerge from Facebook is that I recently found my best friend, Kerri from elementary school. For years we were inseparable. Yet, we stopped communicating in our teens.

I watched stunned as images of distraught Haitians tried to pull family and friends from underneath the rubbish that the quake left behind. I watched with sadness as images of battered and dead Haitian bodies littered the streets of Porte-au-Prince, while thousands more were still trapped underneath the walls of buildings.

I was recently told by a wonderfully vibrant 65 year old that if you can do something for 30 days straight it will become a habit. The statement intrigued me so much that I am willing to give it a try. Could it really be that simple, if I stick to something for 30 days straight it will become nearly effortless, like second nature?

Enjoying My Winter Vacation by Rambling Raven
I am in the last week of my Christmas vacation and I am going to enjoy every last minute of it, come hell or high water. I spent an entire week with my family for Christmas, and although I love them dearly, I am glad to be back in [...]