Thousands of years ago, a wise person named Lao Tzu said the following: "Fill your bowl to the brim, and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife, and it will blunt. Chase after money and security, and your heart will never unclench. Care about other people's opinions, and you...

I admit I am not always the most optimistic person you’ve ever met. Sometimes, I see the half-empty glass and become convinced it’s closer to a third. I’m not always shocked if things don’t turn out how I want them to. On the flip side, I can then enjoy...

Well, I've been promoted. To President! Last week, new officers and the executive board were elected at the International Friendship Club's annual general meeting. Like me, most of those elected have previously served this all-volunteer charitable organization in some capacity. We are excited to have Tricia Lyman of the wildly...

My parents are flying in today, and I couldn't be more excited. I love having my parents come to stay. When my kids were little, my parents coming meant that Nana and Papa were also coming, and they were bringing gifts, clothes and distraction. They were babysitters, advisors, and...

When a person discovers, through new science or some spiritual text, that the world, with all of its problems and all of its ups and downs and all of its situations and all of its perceptions, is an illusion… there is great relief … much like the relief that...

All volunteer run, the not-for-profit International Friendship Club (IFC) has a long list of upcoming events, some fun and some fun and educational, supporting its charitable activities. I am delighted to report that happy hours are resuming as of this Friday, January 20, at 5 PM. Stroll over to...

The rat girl died long before I found her in the center shed, where I keep the bee supers, extra kitchen stuff, and fishing poles. Oh, and canning jars and camping and diving equipment. Also, the French dishes and my boogie board from 1976 that I still use. Last...

They say leading by example is one of the most important ways to teach your child about money management. So I've already put my kids behind the curve, I guess. Managing money is not my strong suit, probably because a) I don't like math, b) I'm a teacher, and...

Many times in present-day life, some of the most seemingly insignificant things are metaphors for the experience you're presently having. They're hiding in plain sight. There's a popular movie that was made in the 1980s called "The Blues Brothers." It was a comedy loaded with very talented people. While...

It would be easy, as I once did, to mistake Vallarta's International Friendship Club (IFC) for a social group, given its happy hours, High Tea, meet & greet events at various venues, and its dine-around at interesting Vallarta restaurants. One might also easily think of the IFC as an...