Many expats living in Spain fail to recognise the importance of family and community to the Spanish people. Unlike many Northern European countries, where the sick and elderly are shipped off to hospitals, care homes and hospices, it is still the culture in many Mediterranean countries that families generally take care of their own. I …more

In 2008, we launched on a multi-year “Green Global Trek”. For years we had yearned for the freedom to sculpt a more nomadic lifestyle, once our four teen-age boys would be off to college. We prepared the terrain, gradually, by doing some research about potential launch points for our global trek and decided on Nicaragua …more

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Be a peasant, campesino, paisano, paysan or peon. Macerate some fruit (or rice, or grape stems, or sugar cane) in an old jar, let it ferment, filter it through a cloth, maybe purify and extract the alcohol by distilling, add botanicals for color and / or flavor or not, and you might just wind up …more

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The first week of August is National Responsible Gaming Education Week. Over the last two years, I have traveled through casinos in Louisiana, Iowa, New York and Florida talking to older Americans to learn first-hand why they come, why they stay, and why it’s so dangerous. In honor of Responsible Gaming Education Week, let me …more

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My rank in the Civil Air Patrol was Lt. Col… My designation was National Liaison Officer to the U.S. Congress. My job was to lobby members of Congress so the members continued to support the CAP, as they had in the past, and possibly to increase that support to provide aircraft for each unit. Our …more

“Thank you,” said the teen. She added excitedly, “I never knew these things about my father.” My high school students didn’t often say thank you, and every compliment is a teacher’s greatest treasure, hoarded up like memorabilia. This one came after students engaged in a family history project. Our creative writing class at Cane Ridge …more

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I recently sat in an Edinburgh departure lounge, patiently awaiting a call on the airport broadcast system to welcomingly transmit that my flight to London was now boarding. Due to the inclement Caledonian weather at the time, the Scottish aeronautical infrastructure had succumbed to the horrendous meteorological conditions that prevailed outside – therefore, delays became …more

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I’ve previously talked about the reasons for homesharing. If you are a single adult somewhere past the age of 40, it makes sense from a financial perspective to share your housing costs with someone else. It also makes sense to have a companion and not live alone. You can watch TV together, share a cup …more