Listen to the radio and you hear bad news; sad, depressing and soul killing. Turn on the television and you get a double whammy of visual and audio. Where does it end and the unfortunate answer is that it's never ending. People will always feel the need to hate. They will always feel the need for revenge. They will always feel the need to begrudge someone else their due. It's sad but nonetheless, true.

My tree has a path leading to it that everyone and anyone can use. There are no conditions and there is always an unlimited supply. An unlimited supply? Of what? If you are downtrodden, my tree will lift your burdens, giving you renewed energy. If you are poor and hungry, my tree will gift you with unlimited supplies of resources to guarantee the positive changes you need. If you are angry with yourself, others or even the world, my tree as soon as you approach it, will fill you with peace and the bitterness in your heart will melt becoming a distant memory. If you feel prejudice and are racist toward another race, color or creed, my tree will open the window of enlightenment, truth and wisdom. It will show you the truth starting with these immortal words; all men are created equal, one nation under God. If you have lost all hope, my tree will rejuvenate your weary spirit. If all is good with your life, my tree will give you even more blessings so that you will, in turn, share them with others.

And so the vicious cycle of hate, greed, revenge and all things that keep strangers, friends and entire families apart will be broken. Now that's a tree worth having in my yard.

Okay, they're at the top of my list but certainly not the ONLY decadent chocolate I occasionally indulge in. How sweet it is!

Heaven must be missing an angel
Pick up lines? I bet I've heard them all. As an ex-stewardess (oh, excuse me, flight attendant), they came at the girls from all types of men who sadly were either extremely nervous around females or were just plain arrogant, narcissistic boneheads with really high hopes and rocks for brains. The list is far too long to list here but I will tell you what my answer was.

To be fair some of the guys who approached me weren't arrogant sleazy type males. There were some who perhaps didn't have the self confidence they would have wished but I believe, deep down, were really good guys who wanted to meet and spend time with someone they were attracted to.

Then we had those guys who, for whatever reason, and no matter how many times and ways we said 'no', it wasn't good enough. I was approached by a young man once who was wearing a yellow see through lace shirt (don't snicker. It was the style in the 70s when disco was king). To add insult to injury, it was unbuttoned almost down to his navel, the collar was flipped up around his neck, bell bottom blue jeans with enough flare to make a skirt, the ugliest faux crocodile shoes I had ever seen, hair moussed to the extreme and way past his shoulders, and last but not least, jewelry. He was wearing four gold necklaces one longer and thicker than the other with the longest sporting some sort of very large and very ugly medallion on the end.

Now picture this ... he began walking towards me with a wannabe John Travolta and Fonzie thrown in for good measure. His eyes were focused on me. Truth to tell, I felt like I was a sitting duck in a carnival. When he reached my side, he didn't put out his hand in greeting as any normal person would. That would have been too mundane for this guy. Instead he grabbed both my hands and put them against his chest (where his heart should have been) eeww, eeww, eeww, leaned thisclose to my face and almost brushed his lips against mine, all the while mouthing that stupid, cheesy line ... "Heaven must be missing an angel." I had to say this for him, he was fast. All this happened in less than 10 seconds, 15 tops. I was used to guys hitting on me and my colleagues but this touchy feely approach was a little foreign.

I don't enjoy hurting peoples feelings. If there is a way to avoid doing it, I will but this guy gave me no choice. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I tried to be nice but he saw a green light. I tried indifference but that only made him try harder. After being badgered for more than 2 1/2 hours, I had had enough, and this is what I did in answer to his cheesy line.

I smiled at him very sweetly and grabbed my purse. I opened my wallet and took out twenty five cents. I asked him to hold out his hand and to close his eyes. I wonder what was going through his little pea size brain but he did as I asked. I opened his hand and put the coin in his palm and gently closed his fingers around it. I told him it was now safe to look and he did. He opened his hand to see the coin and looked at me with a quizzical expression. To me he looked like the back end of a horse going north but to be nice, let's refer to it as quizzical. I waited for him to ask me what having given him the coin meant. It took a while but he did and I told him "That quarter is for you to go and buy yourself a new personality. I thought of giving you a penny but really believe you can use the upgrade. Quite clearly, you were dropped on your head as a child."

I felt guilty that I had hurt another person and wanted to take back the words as soon as I had said them but it was what it was. I couldn't take back the words. All I could do was apologize for being so mean, and I had made up my mind to do it, too but when I went looking for him to say I was sorry there he was, not more than 10 minutes later, using the same exact line and acting the exact same way with another girl. What a maroon! My instincts were right.

Today, I am very happily married to the love of my existence and my best friend. Not once has he ever had to use a line on me.

1800s Photogravure of Franz Liszt
I'm not an expert but have been told by those who are that this photogravure is a valuable little piece of history. It's already worth a tiny fortune. Wonder what it'll be worth a century from now. Interesting thought. The thing is huge and measures 3' 7/8" x 3' 7/8". It was appraised by Sotheby's. Eventually, I'd like to get rid of it but until the right buyer comes along, it's staying where it's been for the past five years. I have a few other items such as prints and original pencil drawings from Walt Disney right down to Trisha Romance. I love collecting.

I'm very fortunate not to have allergies to seafood or fish and one of my favorite dishes is pork tenderloin & clams. It is a traditional Portuguese dish served throughout the country with some differences between ingredients. For folks who enjoy shellfish, it's yummy.

Way up there with going to the dentist, getting a colonoscopy, and perhaps childbirth. Very painful. Here's one book that can effectively be used as a tranquilizer.

Cereal is boring. I don't care what anyone says, that's a fact. The only way I can eat cereal is if I combine one quarter cup of different types. If your household is anything like mine was when the kid was growing up, I would begin by serving her breakfast and all I picked up was an almost empty box with only a little at the bottom. Of course, it was far too logical to just simply add that little bit to her bowl. It made much more sense to leave an empty box on the shelf. I began to add the little bits she used to leave and mix it with the new box of cereal. I watched as she ate and there were no howls of protest. (I had a very picky eater.) I noticed that over a period of two months she didn't snack as much on the stuff I didn't want her to snack on. She became more alert and she seemed to eat better at dinner, too. If I was working late and didn't have the time to fix a proper dinner, that's what she would eat and if I allowed it, it would probably be what she would eat constantly for no other reason other than she was lazy.

I began buying other cereals, all different. I bought cereals with no sugar that were hailed as being good for you. I would mix a little bit of each cereal into her bowl in the morning but I knew that if I didn't liven things up a bit this experiment was doomed to failure so I added just enough of Lucky Charms as this was her favorite. I went wild after that. I began adding dried and fresh fruit and she ate it. I realize that adding fruit to cereal isn't a novelty but when you have a kid who eats on her own terms, necessity becomes the mother of invention. She still eats cereal that way and when I go to her house, it's reminiscent of what I used to do while she was growing up. It's nice to be emulated.

If I'm in the mood for the best steak and eggs this side of Heaven, 3-Coins is the place. They've had the same chef for well over 20 years, since it opened actually, and he is a marvel at greasy spoon cuisine. It may be a small space but it's full of character, charm, good cheer and delicious food.

I am normally a verocious reader. The love of my life and I have an understanding. He enjoys reading as much as I do. We both read the same book at the same time and then have a discussion. Currently, he is reading Homer's Illiad and I am avoiding pouring over this particular tome. I've been watching him and whether he's actually reading is the question. I've watched as his head nods off to the side. When I prod him he instantly goes on the defensive and says that I disturbed his concentration. Yeah, right!

This subject, at least with me, is like pulling teeth from a chicken - marriage! It reminds me of winter when it gets colder than a mother-in-law's kiss.

No, I haven't seen Gone With the Wind or Titanic, and no, I most definitely do not plan on seeing either. However, if I was given a choice to watch either of the two or any of these so-called 'reality' shows, the former wins.

A delicious and compelling read, this tome transported me into another era. Amid truisms the book gave me not only insight into a world long past, it also helped me to accept the countless differences in human beings and their cultures. It was just another realization that the world is truly beautiful and we are indeed blessed. Each new day brings with it new perspectives, new life lessons, and if we allow it to happen, new friendships regardless of differences, subtle or otherwise. We may not always agree but from each culture, each race, each creed, each man, woman and child, there are truths we can not only accept but embrace, making us better people.

I remember after a particularly grueling flight, I just wanted to call it a day, curl up and sleep for forty eight hours. I had just finished my flight assignment which had started in Rio de Janeiro and ended in Malaga, Spain. I was standing in line waiting to check in when I heard the sweetest sounds this side of Heaven coming from somewhere in the hotel. If you've ever watched Fred Flintstone, you'll remember what he does when Wilma cooks one of his favorite foods, the ribs. As soon as he gets a whiff of the aroma, he doesn't walk or run, he floats towards it. Well, that's exactly how I felt. For all I knew it could have been piped in music but I didn't care. I just wanted to find the source and found it, I did. A few minutes later, after practically scouring the hotel, I stood in front of one of the hotel's conference rooms from where the most beautiful sounds I had heard in a long time were emanating. I didn't think that perhaps it could have been some sort of a private session. I opened the door to see a small group of people on a makeshift podium, performing. I had never seen these people before and didn't recognize the lead singer either. Mesmerized, I sat down and was treated to a private performance. I didn't know it but I was listening to a group called Demis Roussos. I will never forget that the lead singer was wearing a mumu. He was a little bit obese for his stature but for all I cared, he could have looked like Frankenstein. The music this man created was, well, magic. He transported me into Heaven. He stirred my soul with his words. He spoke to me. When they took a break, the lead singer approached me, introduced himself as Demis Roussos. We talked at length about his music and I told him that I had never heard of him before. We had a nice conversation and he gave me tickets to his next performance. He also gave me seven LPs (I realize I’m showing my age here but in the 70s they were popular) which he and his entourage signed. Demis Roussos is not well known in North America but in Europe he was an extremely popular 70s icon, and he’s still going strong. As a matter of personal taste, his earlier music has much more impact. In any event, I had no idea I was going to meet such a musical talent. These days, the people I go the distance for are my family.

On the coast of Portugal by the water's edge nestled in what was once a tiny fishing village, is the town of Vale de Lobo. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular travel destinations in Portugal. Celebrities own property there some complete with helipads. Among them, oil rich tycoons and Arabian princes. The weather is a perfect blend of summer heat and cool ocean breezes and has been compared with California's weather. Despite offering every modern convenience for the comfort of its inhabitants and visitors, it still manages to maintain a lot of the charm and allure of yesteryear. As you walk down cobblestone streets which were laid primarily for horse and buggy, you can't help but notice the old in a congruent relationship with the new. There are no high rise buildings so as not to disturb the spectacular panoramic ocean view. At the end of the main road there is a magnificent half shell podium the size and length of two high school stages. It is a permanent fixture on the cement boardwalk which separates the pink sandy beach from the footpath and claims an entire block ending against the stone cliffs. Due to its strategic location and the very large speakers dotted along specially constructed shelving units built right into the cliffs, everyone is treated to whatever delightful sounds are being piped along the water's edge that day. It is virtually impossible not to feel good when being serenaded with a variety of soul pleasing music or other first-class, first-rate entertainment. It's like having a big tall cold drink on an exceptionally hot summer day.