(Author’s note: The idea of the happy recap is borrowed from Bob Murphy (1924-2004), the revered and beloved radio and TV announcer for the NY Mets from 1962-2003. Murphy always assured you that, win, lose, or draw, there was always another game tomorrow.)…..

‘Tis the season of shopping and all through the valley
Everybody was eager, preparing to rally
For the bargains were tempting from here and from there
Seemed the sale signs…..

New York’s winemakers were nervous all summer.  Grapes need hot, dry weather to reach full maturity. Without adequate heat and sunlight, sugar levels remain too low for the juice to ferment into wine and the flavors tend toward green and vegetal rather than lush and ….

Lots of people drink coffee or tea on a daily basis. It wakes them up, relaxes them, or they simply like the taste of it. Tea and coffee, to me, are regular drinks, while hot chocolate has always been a special occasion drink….

The holidays are a time for family, celebration, joy, and giving. They can also be a time of loneliness, financial strain, sadness, and an endless list of activity. While the holiday season can seem over-whelming at times…..

The holidays are a special and busy time of year!  The shopping, holiday parties, baking, cooking, wrapping and decorating can wear you down at times and if you’re like me and have a desire to make every year better then the next, then it can be downright exhausting! I am the host for the holidays…..

A camel crossing sign looms ahead through the bus window. Bedouins herd their goats. Yes, she has some tough neighbors. Syria sits to her north; Iraq is to her east. While it discourages a lot of people from visiting Jordan, it shouldn’t. The Jordanians are some of the nicest……