I typically use this forum to encourage you to be the biggest cheerleader for yourself, the President of your own Fan Club, and to put yourself first and foremost. I want to make sure that you always put your own oxygen mask on first. In the spirit of the holidays, now is the perfect time of year to talk about concentrating on giving to others.   This past weekend was the 69th Miss World Competition held in London. You would think by the photos and videos (which have gone viral) of Miss Nigeria's reaction that she was the clear and present winner. What we are actually looking at is photographic evidence of what it looks like to be a true and supportive friend. The winner of the Miss World pageant was Miss Jamaica and even though she was probably very happy to hear the news, the memorable reaction that everyone is talking about this week is that of her friend and competitor, Miss Nigeria. On Saturday, there were three contestants remaining on stage (Miss Nigeria, Nyekachi Douglas, Miss Jamaica, Toni-Ann Singh, and Miss Brazil, Elis Coelho) during the beauty pageant’s final round. The three contestants were waiting to find out who would be crowned Miss World 2019. When Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica was announced as the winner, her reaction was one of complete shock and amazement. Miss Nigeria, Nyekachi Douglas, was so excited for her friend's win that she began dancing, stomping her feet and shouting her congratulations! She then embraced the two other finalists into an enormous group hug.   There was an immediate reaction on social media as many people began praising Miss Nigeria as the ultimate example of being a graceful and perfect loser as well as a beautiful and touching display of what it means to be a true friend. Read More

There is something about snowfalls that make me pull out the puzzle boxes. They sit on the shelf of our board games closet all year collecting dust until the darker and colder days arrive. Several years ago I cleared the framed photos off of a table in my living room and declared it the family game table. I love displaying on it the Scrabble Board that I made for my family during one of my crafting phases or the gorgeous chess board that my husband's grandfather made over 30 years ago which has recently been handed down to my sons. The Scrabble and Chess Boards have been replaced by a 1,000 piece puzzle of my family's favorite ball park - Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. At the moment, my son and I have been working together on it and little by little, piece by piece, we have been putting that puzzle together. It is finally starting to look like something recognizable.   Even if it's been a while since you dusted off your own puzzle boxes, you can probably easily recall the important steps of the puzzle- making process. First, you need to start with a flat surface which will not be disturbed where you can lay out all of the pieces. Next, you will want to turn all of the pieces face up, separate them by shape and color, pull out the ones with straight edges, and keep the box cover handy for future reference. Most people follow the age-old rule of "putting the corners together first." It makes sense when you think about it...you need to start somewhere and why not create a "frame" for your masterpiece. The corners serve as the anchors within which every other piece will fall into place.   Read More

"Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar." Remember that catchy jingle for the popular chocolate bar? I was impressed by this marketing marvel, not only because once you hear the words, they are stuck in your head all day; but also, because of the double entendre - of taking a break by breaking off the pre-perforated candy treat. Kit Kats have long been a favorite of mine, but sadly, my breaks no longer include this calorie-rich, high sugar snack.   Recently, a friend of mine gave me a gift card to a lovely local tea shop. She told me when she gave me the thoughtful gift that her intention was for me to "build in a break." She said, "you are always busy going from appointment to appointment, class to class, at various locations around the community. You need a make a point to build into your schedule some time to take a break." What a fabulous gift as well as much needed words of wisdom from my very sage and thoughtful friend.   Perhaps you have a job that mandates a break time. If you do, then you know the power of even just having 10-15 minutes to yourself. After several hours of working, you have the time to finally go to the bathroom, get some fresh air, return a phone call, refill your drink and/or grab a bite to eat. If break times are not built into your daily work life, then you are like me and you have to make a point to create your own. Read More