I have ALWAYS been a fan of former president, Bill Clinton. But today, his cool points went way up. What a noble undertaking, and to do in with such style and grace. This was a private mission, and I'm sure he'll take a lot of flack in the days ahead. But, the bottom line remains-those 2 journalists are home, safe and sound. To quote Malcolm X, "by any means necessary." I'm proud to be an American!

Your comments--priceless!!

So, we've bailed out the banking industry, we've invested millions into the auto industry--including cash for clunkers, we're helping homeowners. But why is it that in the world's most powerful country, our education system is far inferior to our European and Asian counterparts?

When are we going to dump some cash into educating our youth? Why can't our kids compete in the areas of math and science? Why are public school budgets being slashed to bare bones all across the country? Why aren't we holding our elected officials accountable for these decisions?

What message does it send to the students--are cars and banks more important than them? Are they truly our most precious resource? Do we have "jacked up" priorities?

Your comments--priceless!!

Do any of you have vision boards? Does it work? If you don't have a vision board, how do you keep track of your goals and your progress towards them?

Your comments--priceless!!

So, it's that time of year again. Next week is BEACH WEEK. It's the week that my family and friends descend upon South Florida for merriment, mirth, and mayhem. In other words, we have a ball!

Though I live very close to the Atlantic Ocean, I don't regularly visit. I do "see" if often, driving by. But next week, the visitors generally want to hang out on the beach--both Fort Lauderdale Beach and Miami Beach. We'll also visit those local attractions that they have come to love--including Sawgrass Mills Mall, Aventura Mall, Taverna Opa, Pollo Tropical, Bubba Gump's, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, etc. etc.

This year, there are also planned jaunts to the Miami Dolphins training facility, Spa Boulevard, and the Dolphin Mall. I think they spend a lot of time online, trying to figure out where they want to go, but then we always seem to hit the same spots. Last year, we ate breakfast and dinner at the same restaurant--the restaurant staff found it quite amusing, since we took up half the place.

At any rate, blogging will continue, in fact, there may be pictures of some of the funniest moments. Please readers, if you don't pay attention to anything else that I've ever wrote, please digest this--FAMILY is the most important thing of all, at least for me. I love my family, even with all the craziness and drama. I was overjoyed to marry into another loving family. I would not be who I am today, had it not been for my family. I love them all, from the babies to the seniors.

What about you? What's your take on family? Could you live without them?

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I love makeup. I love all the colors and all the brushes. I even own quite a bit of makeup and all the accessories. I follow faithfully many makeup blogs. The problem is--I don't wear makeup. Usually, my face is bare. If it's a special occasion, I may throw on lipgloss. The last time I had on more than "just lipgloss" was when I got married. I think I added eye shadow that day.

What is my problem with makeup? Why don't I wear it? I simply don't have time for all the fussing and blending and shading. Do I like how it looks? Absolutely. Do I stop at all the make up counters in Macy's? Absolutely. Do I take in the entire makeup wall in the drug store? Absolutely. Do I even make purchases? Absolutely.

Well, guess what? I've just realized that I am no spring chicken, so I may need to "spruce up" a bit. Starting soon (lol), I'm going to wear makeup regularly. Not a lot, but I'm certainly going to put forth more effort. How about that?

Your comments--priceless!!

Ok, I just couldn't let this one slide. Today, July 27th, has been celebrated since the middle ages as "Natl Sleepy Head Day." On this day, the last person sleeping, in a household, is awaken by either being thrown in a lake or the sea, or having water thrown on him.

In one Finnish town, a local celebrity (usually a politician, writer, or businessman) is chosen to be thrown into the sea, as part of the celebration. No one know who it is until the ceremony. Crowds gather to watch.

Since I'm ALWAYS the FIRST person awake in my home, this is one that I would definitely LIKE to celebrate. Since my husband is usually the LAST person awake in my home, this is one that I will definitely NOT celebrate. Somehow, I don't think he would understand, especially since neither of us is Finnish. But, this is definitely someplace that I want to travel to, right around July 27th. I'm putting it on my bucket list now.

If this was celebrated in the United States, who would be likely to get wet, in your home? You? Spouse? Child? Pet?

Your comments--priceless!!

Today marks the 19th anniversary of then President George H W Bush signing the ADA. It's the law that protects individuals with physical or mental impairments. It protects them in the areas of Employment, Public Entities & Public Transportation, Public Accommodations, and Telecommunications, among others. It prevents discrimination.

What does it say about society when we need laws to protect the least of us?

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I do not think it is a good idea to have bad blood with the folks that would be "first responders" to my home.

I do think there is enough blame to go around.

That is all.

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Please let me introduce Shelby M Hill, a professional relationship coach and also an FOJ (Friend of Jewel). He coaches women regarding dating, relationship and social barriers. Interesting work, huh?

After watching women in his life experience unfulfilled, volatile, and dysfunctional relationships, he decided that he wanted to educate women about men--in addition to educating them on loving and working on themselves, rather than expecting a man to do it for them. He's challenged with making his clients understand that by investing in themselves, they can change the outcome of their personal situations.

One of the things that I love about Shelby is his unconditional and unabashed adoration for his wife, British. His blog, called My Life With My Wife, is a glimpse inside their relationship and never fails to make me smile. His honest accounts of those little "situations" that all marriages experience have given me great insight into the "husband's" point of view. He calls British his best friend, business partner, lover and confidante. When he even thinks of her, he beams--and I find it quite refreshing!

Shelby has extended an invitation to my readers to friend him on Facebook (Shelby M Hill), follow him on Twitter(@shelbymhill), comment on his blog, and visit his website. He also offers complimentary coaching sessions. Contact him via email at shelby@shelbymhill.com for more information.

I asked Shelby about his plans for the future and I wasn't surprised to find that they include writing books, hosting teleseminars and speaking engagements. And of course, British.

Your comments--priceless!!

It was on this day, 25 years ago, that Vanessa L Williams, resigned as Miss America. This came after she made history as the first African American to be crowned Miss America. Soon after, nude photographs of her surfaced and the nightmare began.

Now today, this would be no big deal. Beauty queen scandals are quite commonplace, usually ending with the young lady fading away into oblivion. Vanessa refused to let it happen to her. She held her head high and kept her career moving. She has become quite the entertainer, having been nominated for Grammy, Emmy, and Tony awards.

Personally, I think she is one of the most beautiful women in the world. Simply gorgeous. I admire her drive and determination and the fact that she "never let them see her sweat." She'll always be Miss America to me.

Your comments--priceless!!

My regular readers know that I suffer from severe anemia. These last few months have been full of medical procedures and weekly visits to my hematologist. I take a large amount of iron in pill form everyday. While the iron pills haven't done very much for my hemoglobin numbers, they have curbed my constant craving for ice. That's a blessing because, at my worst, I would have rather eaten ice than food.

Well anyhow, last night, while talking to one of my favorite folks in the world, I explained that I hardly ever have that overwhelming desire for ice anymore. This lead to a discussion about the "best" ice, and where to get it. You see, ice cravers like me have preferences. Of course, I have the fancy schmancy fridge that makes ice, but I don't like the shape of that ice. The cubes aren't cubes at all. They are long and curved and much too dense.

I believe McDonald's has the best ice. They have flat, circular "cubes" that fit nicely in your mouth and hold their shape in non-carbonated beverages. I would give McDonald's ice a score of 9. The next best ice comes from Pollo Tropical. They have the true square cubes, but again, the size and density are amazing! I would give them a 7.5. In fairness, I probably should mention that Pollo Tropical using an inferior cup, that starts to leak in less than an hour. (You can't expect me to eat a huge cup of ice in less than an hour, can you?) The worst ice is from Antonio's pizza. The ice there is crushed--YUCK! It's like eating a snowcone without the syrup. I give them a score of 1. The next worse is KFC--the ice is too watery and melts too quickly, though they do use a plastic cup--no chance of leaking.

As you can see, I've become quite an expert on the ice served in my immediate neighborhood. Have you ever given it any thought? Or are you one of those folks who chooses places to eat, based strictly on the food???

Your comments--priceless!!

What is your earliest memory? How far back can you remember? Do you remember when you were a toddler? a baby? in the womb? What things have stayed with you?

I have many snippets of memories from my babyhood, but since I wasn't adept yet on using the calendar, I'm not sure which was the earliest. I do remember the day that Martin Luther King was murdered. We lived in house off of Missouri Avenue in Northwest Washington. I remember that morning. I remember the hardwood floors and the bedroom furniture in my parents' room. I remember the black and white television and I remember my mother crying and when I asked her what was wrong, I remember her going into the adjacent bathroom, getting tissue, wiping and face and saying, "THEY killed Martin Luther King." I had no idea who that was, but I started to cry too. If I live to be 100, I'll never forget that clip of time.

What do you remember? Tell me about it.

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It was on this day, 40 years ago, that Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. It was widely believed that, at some point in the future, people would live on the moon. I'm not sure about you, but this notion is not appealing to me at all. I wouldn't want to live in Idaho, let alone the moon.

I would, however, be glued to the television, should a colony of humans decide to set up camp on the moon. I would hope that they would set it up much like the tv show, Big Brother. That would bring new meaning to the term, "satellite tv." I'd love it.

How would they handle everyday occurrences--suppose the kids wanted to run away? Where do you run away to on the moon? Suppose you got a serious case of the munchies late at night? Would there be Taco Bell on the moon? Suppose you got invited to a party and needed something to wear? Would Macy's overnight a little black dress to you? This is how my mind works. I am always full of the "what ifs?" What if my Kindle didn't work up there? What if there was no internet? What if my husband couldn't find a job? What if there was no tiramisu????

What are your thoughts? Would you move to the moon? Why not?

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So, I was thinking--If my home were on fire, and all humans and pets were able to make it out safely, but I could also grab 3 other items, what would they be?

Well, I would grab my photo albums, even though most of my photos are stored online. I'm hoping that even though there is more than one album, that they only count for 1 item.

I would also grab my purse. It would contain my iPod, Blackberry, and Kindle. It would also have my keys, my atm card, and lip gloss.

Finally, I would take my personal Bible. I've had it for a long time and it needs to stay with me.

What would you take? Why?

Your comments--priceless!!