One sure thing about the holidays: as the family gathers together there will be a discussion -or worse argument- about something that happened at a past holiday gathering. The kids received duplicate gifts 2 years ago -or was it three? Uncle Joe hit the eggnog a bit too hard and ended up sleeping it off under the tree when?? A simple way to help provide evidence of all the fun-filled events of holidays past is start NOW to document the evidence -uhm create a holiday memory scrapbook.  But how shall you do this?

Unless you've been under a rock all week, you have probably heard about the government task force that has recommended new guidelines for breast cancer screening.  It goes something like this... If you're younger than 50 or older than 75, you no longer have to worry your pretty little head about breast cancer, or getting those pesky boob squishing mammograms.

Every year around the same time my skin starts to change. I don't seem to notice it until I'm trying to apply makeup and it doesn't quite "sit right" on my face. It's not that this sneaks up on me. It's more that I'm thinking it's always other environmental changes and work becomes so busy in the fall months that it appears that I've not been taking care of my skin.

You know the feeling. There you are, waist deep in the troubles of the world, the stress of your life, and you just need to change the channel! Even for a minute! It has been a long week. The news has not all been good. I was haunted by images of tragedy and violence and hatred this week. The news seemed so full of hard things. I needed to "lift my eyes unto the hills" and find some higher ground, some inspiration, some sights and sounds and blogs that made me feel uplifted, encouraged.

Since yesterday, we knew the official public announcement was coming and today we got it.  Oprah Winfrey announced on a live broadcast that she will end  "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2011 after 25 years.After much prayer and months' of careful thought, I've decided next season, season 25, will be the last season of "The Oprah Winfrey Show.With those words, the most powerful woman in television shook up not only the daytime TV world, but the TV world as a whole.

 I've never really cared for the holidays.  Once I outgrew the excitement about the glut of stuff under the tree on Christmas morning, I just kind of lost interest.  There are a zillion reasons I could give for not caring for this time of year, weather and light (or lack thereof) chief among them.  I'm not a winter person, and I realize that's the very reason we do all this in the winter--to cheer us up about it all--but for me, it has an opposite effect.

Will you be spending Thanksgiving with friends who tell great stories, a relative who has wonderful tales from "back in the day," or just someone special whose life you'd like to celebrate? Why not record their story in honor of StoryCorps' National Day of Listening the day after Thanksgiving (November 27th).

Lending money to friends or family is a tricky subject. Blogger Laura says that money and friends don’t mix. Indeed, if you’re not careful, you can end up losing not only your financial resources, but your friendships as well.

With the American Music Awards scheduled to air on Sunday, I can't help but obsess about what Taylor Swift must be thinking. 

With this week's release of the Senate's health care reform bill, the timing couldn't have been better for BlogHer's chat with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Women bloggers discussed the new bill, as well as Stupak, breastfeeding, and even childhood obesity and food safety. You can listen to the audio:

Happy Friday and happy Fall.  The weather is changing here in Northern California and I must say, it feels good; just in time for the upcoming holiday and BlogHer parties.Yes, I said parties!  Woo hooo!!!

As last year's holiday season sputtered out and the relatives left our house, I exhaled, then smiled. I'd really enjoyed all the feasting and fun, from the morning moment the kids' cousins started frolicking underfoot, until the last precious late-night conversation wound down. But there is no way in hell we can manage another holiday season like that one, because floundering in all the happy happy joy joy was one miserable, disoriented, sleep-disturbed little boy with autism and his equally disoriented parents.