I recently heard a story about a couple who had to cancel their anniversary celebration vacation to Las Vegas because of the pandemic. My heart broke for them. I think many can relate to this disappointment of canceling a vacation. I already have had to cancel two trips to Orlando, Fla., a wedding in Sweden...

GALENA, Ill. — Kathy Willauer sprung a surprise on her sister, Linda Hartlep. “I told her, ‘I signed you up for goat yoga,’ and she said, ‘Oh, no you didn’t,’” Willauer said. Oh yes, she did, and Willauer and Hartlep were in attendance during a class at Original Goat Yoga Galena, where six young goat...

“I always can be distracted by love, but eventually, I get horny for my creativity.” — Gilda Radner Where do ideas come from? A pragmatist might say from daily life. A scientist might say from the hippocampus, the horseshoe-shaped part of the brain that houses emotion and memory. A poet might say from the Muses...

Have you ever come down with a case of shingles, needed a knee replacement or undergone emergency surgery? Let’s hope not, for the sake of your finances. Many people don’t realize just how much an illness can impact their financial lives. Independent contractors, business owners and even employees who need to miss work due to...

In a time in which we are trying to keep physically, mentally and financially healthy, the experts encourage us to harness nature’s power for your family. One of my heroes is John Muir (1838-1914). He was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, glaciologist and early advocate for the preservation of the wilderness in the...