By popular demand: Jim’s Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Making the Fudge Put 4-5 candy canes into a plastic bag. Bang with a hammer till in small pieces. Set aside. In non-stick saucepan, mix the following over low/med heat: 1 lb bag confectioner’s sugar ½ cup powdered cocoa – Hershey’s Special Dark is wonderful. If you … Read more
Since I completed a three-week detox just over a year ago, I’m much more mindful of the food that I eat. I learned then, and have reinforced many times since, that I am what I eat — when I eat junk, I feel like crap; when I eat good food, everything’s easier in my life, … Read more
A reader from Singapore sent me this cartoon. Happiness in the workplace is a global concern. In an era of cost-cutting and bad news, this presents a clever, low-cost strategy for improving morale ** **Funny, yes? The thing is, studies have shown that even FAKE SMILES can have an impact on mood. That stems in … Read more
While in Costa Rica, I picked up a package of Chiclets Fusion gum — a luscious blend of chocolate and mint. After consuming the last piece of my stash today, I turned to the web to find out where I might find more. Alas, it appears this gum flavor is only sold in Latin America. … Read more
Zip Lining over the Costa Rican Rain Forest I had a lot of adventures on my recent vacation in Costa Rica — I explored coral reefs, climbed a mountain on horseback, and allowed myself to be strapped to a steel cable and pushed out of tree — upside down. Yikes! I took this video on … Read more
–>While shopping for some gifts on a budget, my daughter came across incredible deals at a high-end store. She came home with two gorgeous messenger bags orginally priced at $75, marked down, and down again, then then unloaded for $10 each. –>Several regional auto dealers are offering a BOGO –Buy One, Get One free. This … Read more
My eldest child, Kelly (a regular reader of this blog), has been bugging me since I started it, asking, “when are you gonna write a column about ME?” For a long time I put her off by pointing out that this is my professional blog, not personal. Well, since I recently wrote about BOTH of … Read more
In two days I’ve spent a total of 23.75 hours on a plane, most of that on two Japan Airlines (JAL) flights from Chicago O’Hare to Narita International in Tokyo and then from Tokyo to Singapore. I’ve been unconditionally delighted with the meals four meals I’ve had thus far. I’m a vegetarian, and so am … Read more
One consequence of aging is that one gets up in the middle of the night more often. I hate it when my butt hits that cold seat in the night. So it’s 3AM in the middle of my first nite in Tokyo, and I gotta go. I stumble into the hotel bathroom and… OH. MY. … Read more
Last weekend I delivered my “Five Prescriptions for Happiness” talk at the annual Reunion Weekend for the Baldwin Wallace College chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta. Most of the attendees were current students or recent graduates; there were also a few tables of alumnae with babies in strollers; and a smattering of alums my age. The … Read more