What is one thing you think you would never dare do? Jump from a plane? Join match.com? For me, it was signing up for the Santa Cruz Half-Ironman triathlon in 2019. This race includes a 1.2-mile ocean swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. And two transitions, where Continue Reading
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I am a substitute teacher at a college preparatory school, an avid triathlete, and a published author. I live with my husband and two sons in the San Francisco Bay Area. After acquiring an "incurable" rare pain disorder, I wanted to share my journey of health and recovery, in order to pass on the hope that special healing professionals once gave to me.
Dreams That Turn to Disasters
Have you pursued a dream that turned into a nightmare? Like that perfect home that morphed into a money pit. As with many big decisions, the path to home ownership can take years to see the gains, not only in your bank account! Our real estate investments all had their Continue Reading
Seven Secrets of Super-Agers
What sets super-agers apart from mere mortals? How can tap into the secrets of staying young? I became intrigued with seniors who defy aging while doing market research for a book on super-agers. To explore this special group, I needed to look no further than my own father. My family Continue Reading
Gifts of Love
What is the greatest gift you have ever received? For me it was the gift of a child through adoption. Other than an organ donation, it’s hard to imagine a greater gift. How can you possibly top that? A few years later, my son’s birth mom donated a kidney to Continue Reading
A Christmas Truce
Have you heard of the Christmas Truce of December, 1914? This had to be one of the most bizarre war-time stories to emerge in wartime. It has been documented in soldier diaries, on camera, and in movies and books. Prince William recently dedicated a memorial in the location where this Continue Reading
Water: An Instant Fuel Pack
Which health goal do you hope to finally conquer in the new year? Mine is to hydrate more. We’ve all heard the recommendation of drinking eight glasses of water a day. After once suffering an acute kidney trauma, and later landing in the ER hooked up to an intravenous pole, Continue Reading
Teen and Tween Travails
During my husband’s late-morning computer class, chatter unexpectedly drifted towards mental health one day. One of his students mentioned the food served in the ‘mental hospital.’ “Were you a visitor there?” a fellow classmate asked her. “No, I was a patient,” she replied. Upon seeing their puzzled face, she added: Continue Reading
Beyond Counting Sheep
Who has trouble staying or falling asleep? Since the pandemic, I’ve heard of more and more people struggling with shut eye. I feel your pain. In this article, I hope to outline strategies- beyond counting sheep – to hopefully demystify this activity and erase some of the dread you may Continue Reading
She’s Going to Blow!
Are You going to Blow? What makes you blow a fuse? Do you burn slowly or erupt quickly? When author Julie Barnhill wrote a book for moms about anger, She’s Going to Blow, she wondered if anyone would want to read it. After a local radio station featured her book, Continue Reading
Dream Dashers and Hope Restorers
How do you react to people squelching your dreams or selling you short? Does this make you dig your heels deeper to prove them wrong, or surrender to low expectations? Balancing Potential and Goals A former colleague of mine, Jeff Atkinson, dug deeper. We both worked in thankless jobs at Continue Reading