Football fans all around the country eagerly await the annual contest between the champs of the NFC and AFC … the final game of the National Football League season and the year’s biggest sporting event – the Super Bowl. I have to admit, I’m not a big football fan, but I love to watch the Super Bowl! There is something special about watching the “best of the best” compete, and gathering with friends and family to cheer for your favorite team. Or, maybe I like it because of the abundance of yummy food that is involved (not to mention a friendly wager among friends and football squares). In any event, much of the world will be watching on February 5 as the Atlanta Falcons take on the New England Patriots.

Goodbye, 2016. Hello, 2017! It’s a brand new year, and I’ve already made up my mind: this is going to be a very good one. I made a few resolutions; but before I do that, I always take some time to reflect on what happened in my life in the last year. I then decide what memories I will leave behind, and what I will take with me and hold on to.

There is no flower that says Christmas more than the poinsettia – with its vivid, red leaves that have been said to symbolize the Star of David. Just how did it become known as the Christmas flower?

I remember the very first year I was old enough to vote. My father asked me who I was going to vote for the presidential election. When I told him who I was voting for, he literally cringed. He didn’t try to discourage me from voting for my choice – what he did do was ask me to do my homework and truly look at the candidate to see if they stood for the values I believed in. I never forgot his advice.

The days are growing shorter and the evening air is crisp and cool. The leaves are changing and autumn is upon us! I love this season – and what I like best about it is the food.

For those of you who are, don’t you just love being a grandparent? From the first moment you hold that little bundle of joy in your arms, you’re in love. National Grandparents Day is observed this year on September 11, and as a grandma to five – ranging from three months to 14 years old – I have many happy memories. Brennan, Mack, Gianna, Noah and Elijah have all brought my life much richness.

I can hardly bear to turn on the morning news shows anymore. The reports are always horrifying – shootings, stabbings, politicians fighting. I feel so lucky to have a job that allows me to see the good things that are happening right here in Greater Flint. As a writer for My City Magazine, I have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and the honor of sharing their stories with our readers.

I love day trips! And, there are many fun things to do in July just a short distance away. I did a little research, and this is what I found. Pack up the car with a cooler of refreshing beverages, a picnic lunch and let’s get ready to go.

June has always been my favorite month of the year. For one thing, two of my grandkids were born in June – I call them my “Junebug birthdays.” I was also born in June, so there are lots of birthday cakes and barbecues at my house this month.

Pomp and Circumstance. what does that mean? Well, the definition is: splendid ceremony with celebration and fuss. It is also the title of several military marches played at occasions such as graduations. This month, many students will don caps to take that walk of honor to receive their hard-earned diplomas. To me, a graduation is a truly momentous occasion – the recognition of an accomplishment worthy of “celebration and fuss.”

For some reason, many bad things have happened in the month of April. A few examples: President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865. The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, claiming 1,500 lives. The Columbine School Shooting happened on April 20, 1999. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. The terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon also occurred in April.

As I write the story about Women’s History Month, it got me thinking about the women in my life who have inspired me. They weren’t famous – not a movie star or politician – I’ve been inspired most by everyday, ordinary women.