There is a statement that is a personal ugh for my husband and me, which goes "so-and-so went missing." What can I say? The grammar 'bugs' us. Well, my friend, my article just 'went missing,' the nanosecond I pressed 'submit,' to the Huffington Post. No doubt it's joined the missing...

"I'm bogged down," 60-year-old Sam said with a sigh, as he sank into the easy chair, beside the hearth. A psychiatrist of some renown, Sam admits the events of this year are "getting" to him. "You know, as a 'shrink,' people don't think much about the fact that there are...

Falalalala. Silver bells are ringing. The Salvation Army's kettles await donations. Shoppers are deciding how much to spend, if they shop at all, this year.

Workplace budgets are lower for holiday parties. Workers wrestle with the strain of expectations. With more length on the gift list than width in...

Need I say it? Gossip and complaint is not good for our health. Despite this, complaints and rumor mills are having a field day. Here, in the Pacific Northwest, rumors abound regarding the suspected killer, Maurice Clemmons, who was killed hours ago, after gunning down four police in service to...

We may live 150 miles from Forks, Washington, the setting for the Twilight Series' "New Moon," but we're hardly free from vampires. Neither are you. At least, when it comes down to 'Vampire Thinking.' Maryde, a native of the Pacific Northwest and 43-year-old C.P.A. has first-hand knowledge of this subject!...

"Runners, to your starting gates!" With Halloween a thing of the past, and 'leaf slush' pretty much every where you step, it's not hard to imagine that in a few more days, the smell of roasted turkey will fill the air of American kitchens. It will be preceded, however, by...

"We touch the future based on how we interact with and what we model with our children." Michael Mendizza

Part 2. After interviewing 40 children, (36 in the first group, and 4 more this past week), I came to a frontier beyond what Art Linkletter dubbed "Kids Say the Darnest...

We love our children. We'd do almost anything to support their happiness, enjoy their smile. In fact, many of us have been so busy doing everything we can to give them what we believe they need, we might have overlooked the input kids are giving these days. And, yet, the...

Are you, or those you love, at risk? Who do you know who's living half-heartedly? What about you in the past 48 hours at home, work, and in your community? Are you aware that doing so places you at higher risk of a heart attack? Yes, it's true. Not only...

Each of us has deep and equal value. No surprise here. It's when we lose connection to this reality, however, that the trouble starts. Add to that, the mistrust. Think about it. If you do not know that you are more than enough, 'as is,' the need for posturing is...

Dogs are dogs. Cats are cats. Monkeys are monkeys. Nurses are nurses. Engineers are engineers. Children are children. Right?

Exceptions to the Rule. Well, maybe. My family's experienced some exceptions. We've had dogs who think they are people in fur suits, at least by their behavior, and cats who lick...

"...I am on my own journey/battle with forgiveness...and I find it very difficult. I feel as if I have reached a standstill. ...perhaps there is a dead end in terms of how much forgiveness you can offer a person sometimes, while still remaining true to how you feel....I am confused,...

"The only thing to fear is fear itself."
-F.D. Roosevelt

It's everywhere. Here's a few of the expressed fears I've heard over the past few days: "When will the demand for more troops to Afghanistan end? What if Ahmadinejad keeps heading in this direction?" "How many terrorist...

"Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest."
-Georgia O'Keeffe

It's unclear whether it was today's news, or the enjoyment of the theatrical production of "Wicked,"...

Just putting the names Ted Kennedy, Michael Jackson, and Buddha in the same title might seem like quite a tossed salad. In a way, it's true. And, yet, I wonder. Each and every day we face a kaleidoscopic set of stories in the news. You'd think they're unrelated. Maybe they...

"If it weren't for the fact that he died, I'd like to kill him! Can you imagine leaving us in this mess?" Amanda, a widow with three little ones under tow, was reeling from her 35 year old husband's sudden death. Apparently, Jack reassured his wife repeatedly that he'd handled...

"These town hall tirades and guys carrying guns outside them 'because they can' are driving me crazy," Marnie told me during her consultation session. "They push my 'can't-stand-conflict' button, big-time! I want to run but can't. This is the world we live in."

A few hours later, Norm, a...

Sometimes, it's just when you can least afford to take a break that it turns out to be the most necessary. If you are anything like me, you've heard a number of people this year, (maybe even yourself,) say something like this: 'We could really use a vacation this year,...

Here's the truth. I was headed for a vacation this week, to give my back some more corrective rest after the great train mishap last week. But, as the week evolved, the governmental spin-doctors have been so busy with their twist on the news, that I simply could not live...

Dr. Cara Barker

All I can say is 'what a week!' I don't know about you, but mine has been pretty much a kaleidoscope of sounds, events, sensations. Monday, we heard President Obama build a bridge with the Chinese, who are increasingly becoming our landlord, while in Alaska Sarah Palin's...