True confession: an African safari was not on my bucket list. Not because I didn’t want to go, but the logistics of planning such a trip were dizzying for me. Long (and expensive) flights. Health and vaccination requirements. Logistics of getting around in a foreign country. Not to mention finding someone to mind the pets for an extended period. But when my brother suggested this as a special family trip, I acquiesced. And we ended …

Mo dog Bella was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and that began my fierce search to extend her life as long as I could. I started with a search for easy homemade dog food recipes and came up with my own concoction. The vet had given her three months to live, but she lived three years! I like to think it was my homemade dog food that helped give her more days with us. Bella was a …

I recently packed for my first trip since COVID and realized how many different things I chose. I used to travel so much that I kept a “go bag” of my essentials that never changed. I just threw it in my suitcase each time – you know, all those sample-sized bottles of everything even when I was following tips for packing light. I had a minimal first aid kit. But boy have things changed. I …

This is a personal story about hotel room security. A few months ago, I was invited to a new resort in the Caribbean to write about it. My husband tagged along (every chance he gets!). We arrived at the resort and I was struck by the beauty. And the newness. And the emptiness. I believe there were fewer than 100 guests at a resort that has almost 500 guest rooms. Granted, it was in the …