There is a mysterious forest within the woody area we all have near our homes. In this forest children are able to witness experiences that are so incredible that they carry the memory well into their adult life. Upon becoming an adult they stop sharing their story because they are embarrassed by th...

September 30, 2004, 4:15 Sitting here in an Internet Cafe in Cala Llonga on the east side of the island. We spent about 2 hours in Ibiza today, me just sightseeing, climbing up to the fortress and taking pictures, Theresa finally getting her souvenir shopping done. From about 1 pm on we have been sp...

Francine adopted a philosophical attitude the moment the stores replaced the Christmas decorations with the Valentine merchandise. Presto! Hearts of red or pink or of polka dots seemed to be everywhere. There were flat hearts, embossed hearts, box hearts. Aisles of greeting cards were awash with Val...

A friend of mine was looking to buy a horse that could be a backyard horse for her and her son to ride around and be friends with. She didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I suggested we go to the local auction to see if we could rescue one of the horses from that fate... For those of you who are...

One of the beauties of Toronto is its diversity, the fact that hundreds of ethnic groups from all over the world congregate here in this metropolis and give their distinct flavour to this urban mosaic of cultures. Since I had already taken my European visitors on a walking tour of downtown, covering...

Hotel Havana Libre, Tuesday April 5, 2005, 6:24 pm So Saturday I had already planned to go to Vinales, a beautiful area in the province of Pinar del Rio, 190 km west of Havana. I took the Viazul bus from the Havana station, which is a modern bus network more or less for tourists and the one way fare...

Once upon a time (in the fifties), a Chinese princess married an Indiana Hoosier. She was indeed the descendant of royalty, had played in Chang Kai Shek's home, and was well aware of her full and rich heritage. He was an Indiana man taught staunch middle class values of hard work, nuclear family, an...

If someone had told me this story, I wouldn't have believed it. But from the get-go, I was a witness and before the beginning had become yesterday's news, my best friend and I observed the metamorphosis of Paula - Pudgy Paula, we called her which wasn't kind but hey, between us, Best Friend and I pr...

Gerry arrived at the assisted living wing of the multi-tasking facility for the warehousing of the aging with an expectancy reminiscent of the first day he went to school - excited, optimistic, but a tad apprehensive. He was a shadow of his former robust self - not as tall, not as much hair and now,...

While the Venus Flytrap cannot actually swallow humans whole, or talk, it is true that the plant exists and is in fact carnivorous. Feeding mostly on insects and arachnids, the plant is one of the only in existence that is not autotrophic (able to produce its own food via photosynthesis). The Venus...

When your child decides they want to tale up dance lessons, the most important piece of equipment you are going to need to purchase will be the shoes. The right shoe makes a difference is ease of learning and quality of performance. If your child is looking into ballet, a simple soft beginner's shoe...

Joanie collapsed onto the couch and sighed, "Oh, thank you, all you saints and sinners, for helping us survive another Christmas!" No wonder she was exhausted. As usual, the home she shared with her husband, four children (two theirs plus one each from their previous marriages), dog, cat, fish and a...

Women with particularly small feet have great difficulty finding shoes they like in a size that fits. The smallest size that most chain shoe stores carry is a size 6 ½ to 7. This is the result of teenagers outgrowing the previous generations and the majority of shoes sales ranging from size 8 to siz...

For those of us who own a wristwatch, it is often more than just a utilitarian timepiece. We want form as well as function and that can be easily achieved by turning to a reputable watch manufacturer. While there are many brands of watches that have achieved a pinnacle of popularity, Citizen Watch c...

Cameras are a big part of every person's life. Even if they're not into taking photos of them selves and their families, which most people are, there are still reasons that people have to be photographed. Employee badges and driver licenses are just a few reasons. Some people use cameras for their p...

Many people will agree that nature is a beautiful, relaxing thing. Many will risk their lives to go into the woods to take pictures of nature. They may do this for many reasons. One major reason is usually for a television show, magazine or newspaper. These people take a chance on getting killed in...

October 24, 2005 Hello from Chicago - The Field Museum and Pompeii - "Stories from an Eruption" Yesterday I got up early again and typed up my travel reports on the free computer at the Arlington House. Then my friend Linda and I made our way to one of our favourite Chicago hangouts for breakfast: t...

The supposedly good natured rivalry in Birchfield among the town's best cooks was the biggest scam ever perpetuated within a county noted for sleights of hand. Back in 1747, Joshua Prentiss won a drinking contest and possession of Nathaniel Mapleton's pregnant mare by quaffing more tankards of plain...

Bred about 2100 years back in Mongolia, the Chow Chow makes a great companion and an excellent watchdog. It's a medium size dog which has thick fur coat and appears as a living, growling teddy bear. These dogs are normally solid black in color but also come in shades of brown and red. Unlike other d...

Many people have the physical parts of the game down but can't get their mental golf game in check. The best way to begin improving your mental game is simply, to simplify. You have time between each shot to think and plan, but this can, at times, be a disadvantage. Over-thinking a shot can lead to...