Children's books tell tales of life in other countries

Author Dedie King and illustrator Judith Inglese successfully open readers' eyes to the daily life of children living in foreign lands through their children's book series, "I See the Sun in... "

If you have grandchildren, these books are a wonderful way to share more of the world with them.

In the first book, "I See the Sun in China," chidren will learn about the daily activities of a young Chinese girl as she gets up and ready for the day in her small village and then travels to visit her aunt in Shanghai. Along the way she meets her aunt's friends and the people she works with, and she falls asleep thinking about all she has experienced that day. This book has won several awards.

In the second book, "I See the Sun in Nepal," the author again writes in simple prose about another young girl and what her daily life is like, accompanied by beautiful collage illustrations, as are all of the books in the series.

Other books planned for the series include ones set in Afghanistan, Russia and India.

What a wonderful way to introduce young chidlren to others who live in different cultures; to learn how their lives are different and how they are the same.

To learn more about the books, visit here.

Tough Loss for Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers lose to Packers in Super Bowl

As you probably have heard by now, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost in the Super Bowl last night to the Green Bay Packers.The team didn't play well (giving up three turnovers which resulted in 21 points for the Pack). It's hard to overcome that, no matter what storied  history of big comebacks a team might have.

The fans here are completely committed to the Steelers and won't let this small bump in the road stop them from rooting for the team. The Terrible Towels will live to wave anotther day.

I wore my Steeler sweatshirt today as one last hurrah before we put them away till next season. There won't be a parade to attend in town this year, unfortunately, and we can no longer ignore February in Western PA. with all of its drabness. Sigh.

But the Pitt Panthers are still riding high and the Penguins are always  fun to watch, and a new season of Glee has started. . . Spring can't be too far behind.

Partying with the Groundhog

What a great idea: Get up at 3:30 a.m., drive through freezing rain on back roads for 45 minutes, park the car in a muddy field and then walk across treacherous ice down into a valley to find out what a groundhog has to say about the weather.

Sounds crazy but that's just what we did this past week. And it was a blast! So glad we went.

Back at home in Pittsburgh, we were suprised to find out how many friends we talked to who have not had the pleasure of meeting Punxsutawney Phil and his pals, the Groundhog Club Inner Circle. Members take great care of Phil throughout the year, prepping him for his solo in front of the world media on February 2 each year.

This is one of those crazy adventures that we should all do every once in awhile, just to say we did (and still can). When has a little inclement weather kept a Baby Boomer back from having a good time?

To read more about our experience, click here.

Punxsutawney Phil: A Shadowy Kind of Guy

You may not be aware of it yet but a Big Event is on the weather horizon, and I don't mean more snow for the East Coast. The World's Most Famous Groundhog -- Phil as he is known to his friends, is gearing up for his big day in the sun -- or the clouds, whichever may be.

On Wednesday, February 2, Phil will come out of his cozy burrow on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, PA, the town he has called home for 120 years. The furry prognosticator will stand tall in front of friends and family and make his long-awaited prediction. If Phil sees his shadow, we will have 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn't, well, say hello to an early spring.

If you can't make it to Punxy yourself, Boom This! will have special correspondents on the scene when Phil has his annual moment to report back on all the festivities. Stay tuned for updates.

To learn more about Groundhog Day, read my interview with an insider at BoomThis.com or visit Groundhog Central.

Enjoy the Ride Along I-75

Dave Hunter, Author of Along I 75

Remember those car bingo games we used to buy for our chidren to keep them quiet in the car on long trips? We'd have the little ones searching for cows and sheep and barns and silos and anything else that would pass the time.

Dave Hunter's book, Along I-75 is a lot like that except for adults and way more fun. Dave takes the drive from Detroit to Florida  along the interstate and shows readers what to expect on their trip and also what to look for to provide a fun and interesting trip rather than one designed to be over as quickly as possible.

We Baby Boomers often have more time now for side trips when we travel, which is what can often make traveling memorable. Dave shows you where the interesting, the odd and the necessary are located on easy-to-read maps in the book, which lays flat for ease of use. The well-marked maps are accompanied by a writen description of highlights you might want to seek out. Things like the birthplace of Colonel Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken, abandoned stills in Tennessee, and the most romantic place in Georgia -- Barnsley Gardens.

So if you are living up north and a lot tired of this winter, here's hoping you can jump in your car and travel the I 75 all the way to the sun and surf in Florida. Happy trails.

Life After Sixty

Guest blogger Bob Morris wrote about this experience which happened the week he turned sixty. Sound familiar?

The way my office window is situated, the sun just moved to where it's shining in on my face.

I get up and walk around the other side of my desk to pull the blind, moving for a moment into shadow, thinking while doing this about an email I just received.

I stop short, because I now can't remember why I got up.

I return to my seat. Oh yeah, the sun.

Life after Sixty? Aint' it grand!

What You Can Change....

...and what you can't. An Alzheimer's Association representative recently told an audience of Boomers and seniors that there are two things we can't control for our health: our age and our genetics. We can't fight Mother Nature, no matter how hard we try, but there are lots of things we CAN control to be healthier.

Every action we take and every thing we put in our mouths comes down to a choice. Sometimes -- maybe even most of the time -- it's easier to make those choices based on habits and routine. In the end though, we aren't giving enough thought to what we are doing and how it will affect our health.

Make choices based on a decision to better your health. Choose to walk rather than drive when you can; take the steps instead of the elevator; peel a banana instead of grabbing for a few cookies.

We can't fight Mother Nature but we can get in a few jabs.