Changing perceptions gleaned from far away — We may have preconceived notions in life of what a city or state may be like, and then we visit and realize how myopic we have been. We were certain it was going to be one way, and then it’s the polar opposite. Had I known Houston was such a…

Ministers of State share their approaches to the new criminal landscape — It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s early March when the Commission on the Status of Women convenes at the United Nations for two weeks, and men and women from all over the globe attend seminars and events sponsored by Member States of the UN and NGOs. It’s…

I knew I had heard of Cocoa Beach — One place my husband and I never managed to take our daughter growing up was to Cape Canaveral in Florida. It is a tourist destination not far from Orlando, and in addition, as I found out firsthand, it is the nerd capital of Florida. In a good way. Nothing wrong…

With an eye on improving the environment, generally — Once a person is immersed in strength training, not even body building, but simply trying to add a little muscle, especially as one ages, the question comes up often: How much protein does the body need to grow and sustain muscle growth? I see plenty of men and women in…

And embarking on a real strategy to regain it — I may have reached a Personal Best in my life by sticking to a New Year’s resolution for six weeks. Now I’m into the 7th week. Yes, it’s an obnoxious resolution. It involves following a strength training program. Half my life ago, when I was 30, I weighed about 135…

Desperate times call for desperate measures — There’s a labor shortage across America. Everyone feels it. A one week tour of Florida this week brought it all into sharp relief. Restaurants from the Keys to Cape Canaveral had to give appointments to us for dining. Our meals were scheduled when the waiters would be available. My friends…

Fly like an eagle — I don’t even like sports but I love The Eagles. Why? They make everyone happy where I live. This week people are unusually kind in suburban traffic on the way to Shoprite and CVS. No honking. Letting other cars go first. No rushing. This week no one seems to mind…

And catching up on the fashion street scenes in Italy instead — My mood has improved by leaps and bounds the last few months by the simple act of cutting ties with streamed YouTube TV, which I had selected in 2021 to replace cable. Everyone streams now anyway, c’mon. Why wouldn’t they? Same cost as cable, but so much more freedom. I…

My education this week from an Uber driver in recovery — It’s the largest open-air drug market in the country, and it’s only 25 miles away from the tidy colonial town surrounded by greenery in which I reside. This week my Uber driver and I had a long conversation about it. He’s in recovery, after frequenting that drug market for years…