I have heard before that you begin aging the minute you are born. Pretty depressing don't you think? Aging definitely has its mysteries but it also has a lot of fun surprises-little unexpected twists and turns-that happen when you least expect them and that is what makes this journey we call "Life" so interesting. There hopefully are a lot of years between birth and the end of life, so my dear friends, I ask that you Enjoy the Journey. Enjoy my journey as I share the wisdom and sense of humor I have been forced to develop in spite of Mother Nature's attempt to try my patience every chance she gets. You will find that we women around the world are all sisters on this trip. Aging is inevitable, so why not make the best of it?

In my particular journey, there are so many things my mother didn't tell me As a result, growing older has at times been an agonizing challenge so I am sharing some common sense secrets to make your journey more fun. I have injected humor throughout. After all, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can and still get away with it?

Taken to a slave auction with his father in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1836, twelve-year-old John Wilder tensed as he heard a pregnant black teenage girl's pleas not to be separated from her son. While others in the crowd told John that black people were different from them, with different sensibilities, he knew that was not the case.

Sensing his son's consternation and being a compassionate man himself, John's father purchased the entire family at the auction, including the pregnant teenager, and her young son, a child a few years younger that John. Having already studied with the local doctor, John soon helped deliver the teen's baby and watched his mother help save its life. By the age of twenty-three, John knew that slavery could not be a part of his life's work. He left his family's home and struck out on his own.

John worked for the railroad and experienced many life-changing events in the time in which he lived, including the American Civil War. Would John's sense of loyalty sustain him through this difficult time? "In Rocking the Cradle of Liberty" explore the fascinating and unpredictable story of a man who lived more than 150 years ago.

Like cowboys turning in the saddle to look at where they came from, Searching for the Castle documents the backtrail of author Barbara Leigh Ohrstrom's adoption. It begins with her urgency as an eighteen-year-old woman initiating her search for her birth parents. Her recollection includes court petitions, letters, Division of Social Service documents, and other original documents usually buried behind the lock and key of the law. In this memoir, she narrates the unearthing of her history and that of her family. Some of her discoveries are filled with pain, while others are joyful, including locating sisters, another brother, and eventually nieces and a nephew. A story of how one woman comes to terms with her identity, Searching for the Castle tells of real people doing the best they can to live and love in the often heartbreaking circumstances of life. As Ohrstrom shares her journey to find her birth parents, she reveals her emotions throughout the process, discovering that her identity is self-created, but also that her being is governed, in part, by her ancestors and family lines. Searching for the Castle communicates the message that love creates families and that the family to which Ohrstrom belonged in foster care gave her a mother, father, and family filled with love and decency.

Reasonable Risk examines the concept of risk as it applies to everyday life in general and to alcohol consumption specifically. The book addresses how we assess risks (and benefits), and the strategies we use to manage them. It examines the elements that shape our perceptions of risk-cultural influences, social factors, and how we are presented with information about risk. The final chapter of the book focuses on the role of risk in policy formulation, examining in particular how alcohol policies are developed within the context of individual and societal responsibility.

Reasonable Risk examines the concept of risk as it applies to everyday life in general and to alcohol consumption specifically. The book addresses how we assess risks (and benefits), and the strategies we use to manage them. It examines the elements that shape our perceptions of risk-cultural influences, social factors, and how we are presented with information about risk. The final chapter of the book focuses on the role of risk in policy formulation, examining in particular how alcohol policies are developed within the context of individual and societal responsibility.

Like cowboys turning in the saddle to look at where they came from, "Searching for the Castle" documents the backtrail of author Barbara Leigh Ohrstrom's adoption. It begins with her urgency as an eighteen-year-old woman initiating her search for her birth parents. Her recollection includes court petitions, letters, Division of Social Service documents, and other original documents usually buried behind the lock and key of the law.

In this memoir, she narrates the unearthing of her history and that of her family. Some of her discoveries are filled with pain, while others are joyful, including locating sisters, another brother, and eventually nieces and a nephew. A story of how one woman comes to terms with her identity, Searching for the Castle tells of real people doing the best they can to live and love in the often heartbreaking circumstances of life.

As Ohrstrom shares her journey to find her birth parents, she reveals her emotions throughout the process, discovering that her identity is self-created, but also that her being is governed, in part, by her ancestors and family lines. "Searching for the Castle" communicates the message that love creates families and that the family to which Ohrstrom belonged in foster care gave her a mother, father, and family filled with love and decency.

I have heard before that you begin aging the minute you are born. Pretty depressing don't you think? Aging definitely has its mysteries but it also has a lot of fun surprises-little unexpected twists and turns-that happen when you least expect them and that is what makes this journey we call "Life" so interesting. There hopefully are a lot of years between birth and the end of life, so my dear friends, I ask that you Enjoy the Journey. Enjoy my journey as I share the wisdom and sense of humor I have been forced to develop in spite of Mother Nature's attempt to try my patience every chance she gets. You will find that we women around the world are all sisters on this trip. Aging is inevitable, so why not make the best of it?

In my particular journey, there are so many things my mother didn't tell me As a result, growing older has at times been an agonizing challenge so I am sharing some common sense secrets to make your journey more fun. I have injected humor throughout. After all, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can and still get away with it?

In June 2013 hundreds of leaders journeyed to Guatemala to ignite transformation. These are the stories of 20 of those leaders, interpreters, and support staff who give the back story behind the campaign.

A young groom does not arrive at the church for his wedding, but the loyal bride is adamant that she has not been stood up. It is only a few hours later that a glider enthusiast gazes out his plane window and then calls the police to report seeing a body lying in a remote farm pasture. Sympathy floods in for the poor, devastated bride. Everyone who knew them thought they had made the perfect-perhaps too perfect. Within days, the city is rocked again by the murder of a prominent physician. This time though, the killing does not occur in the isolated environs of the rural countryside, but amidst throngs of people gathered for the popular annual Soupfest in the core of the city. Detective Sergeant Timothy Earley and his team of investigators are led through a myriad of confusing, dead-ended scenarios until they begin to realize that the two murders are connected. The link lies beyond their wildest imaginings and hides a scam that has the potential to devastate the lives of many families within the region.

Taken to a slave auction with his father in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1836, twelve-year-old John Wilder tensed as he heard a pregnant black teenage girl's pleas not to be separated from her son. While others in the crowd told John that black people were different from them, with different sensibilities, he knew that was not the case.

Sensing his son's consternation and being a compassionate man himself, John's father purchased the entire family at the auction, including the pregnant teenager, and her young son, a child a few years younger that John. Having already studied with the local doctor, John soon helped deliver the teen's baby and watched his mother help save its life. By the age of twenty-three, John knew that slavery could not be a part of his life's work. He left his family's home and struck out on his own.

John worked for the railroad and experienced many life-changing events in the time in which he lived, including the American Civil War. Would John's sense of loyalty sustain him through this difficult time? "In Rocking the Cradle of Liberty" explore the fascinating and unpredictable story of a man who lived more than 150 years ago.