Here's a link to a very nice nod from our local social columnist.  He's right...we're so shameless.  http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/outandabout/entries/2008/11/20/as_much_time_as.html?cxntfid=blogs_out_about

Before the Food Network and hit shows like "Top Chef," I was laboring away in the then unglamorous restaurant industry. My family has been running restaurants in the Central Florida area since 1948. For more than 30 years, the Central Florida landmark...

Although my book is all about growing younger, from the inside out..this blog is really about listening to that still, small voice inside all of us, no matter what our age, that keeps asking, "Who are you?" and "What do you want?" Whether trying to be...

 On Saturday, October 28, 2006 I woke up to a wind-driven rain storm.  What a day for a book signing with four other local authors in a nearby bookstore!  But - it was the kind of day “bookaholics” liked to spend browsing, so my...

Four times each year the people of St. Croix take to the streets of Christiansted for Jump Up, a Caribbean flavored festival showcasing music, art, food and dancing. The town is packed with revelers on the oceanfront boardwalk and throughout the narrow,...

Join CRF Communities June 13th and 14th and you could be walking around your new dream home in its newest gated community, Vienna Square, located in the Heart of Winter Haven, Florida. Vienna Square is the perfect option for both local folks looking to...

I was amazed at the speed that the election process took last night. I turned to several stations to see how each covered the election. CNN had its own panel and tried to be unbiased giving both sides equal time. But as I listened to other stations, Fox...

The US Economic Crisis: Business As Usual For Local EntrepreneursORLANDO, FL - October 1, 2008 (PRB) - In an article published today by ‘The Canadian Press’, an analysis of a survey conducted by Ewing MarionKauffman Foundation showed where the...

I've been a Red Cross volunteer for a little less than a year and had done several jobs prior to this deployment, but that's another story. This is just a bit of my experience as a volunteer in TN after the tornados of Feb 5, 2008, DR# 136-08 (that's the...

One word seems to unify us all in dread: cancer.  The disease doesn't discriminate based on race, gender, age, income, attitude or resume.  It can strike at any time, and most often leaves the patient with physical, emotional and financial...

The Italian island of Sardinia (Sardegna) brought out the adventurer in us. Our first stop was Sassari, a city of about 120,000 with a rich history dating back to the early Middle Ages. A college town, home to the University of Sassari with about 18,000...

The Pensacola and Jacksonville Local Senior Games qualifiers have kicked off the fall series of Senior Games events leading up to the State Championships in December.  Eight local senior games events will be contested through mid-November and...

Think about the ways that hearing loss has impacted those around you.  As State Chapter Coordinator for the Hearing Loss Association of Florida, I'd like to give you a personal example: "My hearing loss was detected when I was...

It’s a pleasant thirty minutes ride from Sassari, where we were staying, to the seaside gem of Alghero on the famous "Little Green Train" (Trenino Verde).  This popular narrow gauge railroad serves Sardinia and dates back to 1888. In 1921,...

Around the end of October of 2006, I bought 2 bags of candy to hand out to trick or treaters. I live on a street where no children reside and we seldom get Halloween visitors. Few came and someone had to eat all that leftover chocolate. It was gone in...

Early in 1999 I took yet another, seemingly small step, but one that would lead to even bigger changes.  I put an ad in my local neighborhood paper looking for women to form a walking group.  Struggling with my own weight, I needed walking...

I am the author of “Lucky’s Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos – History and Values”. If you're interested at all in collecting, or in the history of this amazing creation, the book is a must-read! I am also the chairman of the American Yo-Yo...

About a year ago, Fred and I wrote and ebook with some of our networking friends here in Florida called Expanding Your Circles Of Influence.  This ebook was about the basics of law of attraction in your business, but more importantly about...

I also love to write about it!  My story was selected for inclusion in the Woman's Day archive for 2007.  You can view it online at www.ilovelibraries.org.I sent the info to the Orlando Public Libray and they liked my story as well, so they...

I want to call attention to the Red Hat Society.   It is great for the over 50 woman that enjoys socializing and having fun.  I didn't realize that a lot of women had never heard of the Red Hat Society until I joined our local Mayberry...

I once met with an Orlando FBI special agent with information regarding an unsolved murder case. I had been playing around with local authorities on another matter and something pertaining to that case crossed my path. Unfortunately, I didn't tell him...

As the volunteer coordinator for RSVP of Orange County, Florida, I have the privilege of working with some of the most interesting and diverse people in this area. Our volunteers range in age from 55 to 96, and each makes his or her own contribution to...

Calling All Teachers - Pay Attention Or You could Be in Detention! I have had the wonderful pleasure to be able to work with students in classrooms, after school programs, and on playgrounds for a number of years. I have had more great days than...

OK, so be honest. Have you ever Googled yourself? C'mon, aren't you curious about what comes up when you enter your name into Google's vast search engine? I'll admit that I've done it more than a few times. Mostly it's to see where some of my...

It's the regular suspects at the Thursday Tasting Group, and we're tasting Merlots. We know the rap...Merlot has become a bad word in the wine business. A novice entry level wine. Over-produced. Wimpy. Red Wine for girls. The Apple-tini of the Napa...

It's been a wild couple of weeks for me -- on the job, and off!  Here are some of the highlights.First, let me deal with some "business."  In last Thursday's Insider newsletter, the bottom of the page previewed a story we hoped to bring you...

Several ago Ardell Lein was sleeping 18 hours a day. He was so weak he had to crawl up the steps to his bedroom.  "I couldn't even help my wife carry groceries into the house," he remembers. Ardell suffered from congestive heart failure and when his...

Well, I just got back from a most wonderful 2 weeks away 'on tour' and I must say I am tired and still reeling from all the events! All 3 concerts were a real joy to do. The St. Paul United Church of Christ and...