So this trip with my mother, I had no idea what to expect. We have not traveled together alone for many years…almost 25 years, although she has been to visit me wherever I’ve resided.

I know for a fact that she does what she can living alone. She used to do her daily routine of a Chinese Form called “Luk Toong Kuen”, but has since only committed herself to certain parts of the form. She had intergrated her Seniors Aerobics with her morning workout and continues with the Senior Aerobics three times a week. (more…)

My mother and I are traveling along the Amalfi coast, taking in its breathtaking beauty. So much history in this area of Napoli (Naples).

Never in my life have I had to do so much translating for my mother. Not only is she hard of hearing but when English is a second language, that surely does not help matters. (more…)

So last week I hit the proverbial brick wall – BAM. I’m still not sure what happened. One minute I felt fine, and the next I felt totally drained and “zoned out”. (more…)

Last week, I went to my hairdresser’s for a long overdue haircut. The first thing my hairdresser did was muss up my hair. The second thing she did was point out a large bald patch on my crown.

“I think you need to see your doctor right away because you may have alopecia”, she said. She went on to explain that alopecia is a condition where some or – in worst cases – all of your hair falls out. It could be due to menopause or stress or many other factors. But the gist of it was that I had that bald patch on my head. Oh joy. (more…)

I’m looking at the moon more often these days (or should I say nights?). And it’s all because of Laura Cornell.

It was my privilege to host Laura and eight other speakers in a preview event for the upcoming Virtual Yoga Conference. During her session, Laura introduced some of the postures and the theory behind the Moon Salutations. (more…)

In the future, medical science may eliminate the need for surgery. However, we happen to exist in the present and surgery is still a very important treatment modality for various human conditions. My guess is that many of you will have one or more surgical procedures in your lifetime.

Surgery is a team effort. The surgical team does its part in preparing through education and training. But how are you preparing? (more…)

This morning I woke up fuzzy and with a headache. I slept well last night, but I felt hung-over. No, it wasn’t because I had overindulged at a wild party. It’s been a long time since I’ve attended anything that could be classified as “wild”. I’m fast asleep before anything remotely resembling wildness starts. The reason for this hangover was a little less spectacular. I’m cutting down on sugar.

Again. (more…)

Traveling with my mother is a great experience after so many years of long- distance living.

The one thing that I had been contemplating for months was how my child was going to handle his mother being away for so long. I had not been apart from him for more than 20 hours since his birth. What was this going to be like for a 3-1/2-year old? (more…)

I was in Boston last week for the Boston Book Festival and I had a lovely time. Books and Boston – my idea of a perfect combination!

Getting there and back, however, was not as much fun. I detest flying at the best of times, and having to drag myself out of bed at 4 in the morning to catch a four+-hour flight to Denver and then change planes for another two+-hour flight escalated my stress level. Even though Hubby had gone with me to Boston, he stayed on for a few days on business so I was on my own. (more…)

I moved away from my home town many years ago and made a life of my own away from family and school friends. I was the only one in my family to have taken the challenge to find my own path – and on my own at that.

I am so fortunate that I have a wonderful family. Very tight-knit and caring of each other. The nephews and nieces have all grown and are starting families of their own. Time flies and the universe keeps us all on our toes. (more…)