Did you know that October is National Pizza Month? Who doesn’t love a piping-hot slice, fresh from a brick oven with a crispy, golden crust covered in rich tomato sauce and melted mozzarella? According to pizza.com/national pizza month, the soldiers returning from Italy during World War II brought with them a hunger for pizza pie and pushed its popularity over the top. America has been in love with it ever since.

The terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 had a profound effect on our country and has been described as the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil in American history. People watched in horror as the South and West towers of the World Trade Center were struck by hijacked planes, bringing them to the ground. We watched Flight 93 crash in Western Pennsylvania and another plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. On this day 2,996 people lost their lives.

Foodie that I am, I like nothing better in the summer than going berry-picking! And August is prime time for picking blueberries in Michigan. Those luscious little berries are a burst of sweet, juicy flavor and so good for you! I like to freeze the berries to bring a little taste of summer to the winter months by making fresh blueberry muffins on a cold January morning or a blueberry pie for dessert, served steaming hot with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

I know I’ve said it before, but one of my favorite things to do is to read a good book. I’ve been known to stay up into the wee hours of the morning to finish a good thriller or suspense novel. Because I love reading so much, I was interested to see PBS launch its Great American Read series, which according to its website, invites people to vote from a list of 100 books that were selected as finalists from a prior survey. “America’s Most Beloved Book” will be revealed by PBS on October 23.

It just wouldn’t be summer without baseball! I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid, walking into town with my little sister to watch our big brother, Joe, play on the Little League team. After a game, we would walk to the store for a popsicle and candy. I grew up in Maryland, so I was a Baltimore Orioles fan – still am. But, I love the Detroit Tigers, too. I enjoy watching when the Detroit Tigers play the Orioles because I’m not disappointed, no matter who wins the game.

The history of Memorial Day dates back to the American Civil War and was instituted to honor soldiers who had died during the Civil War. It has been said to be inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored the dead. Previously known as Decoration Day, the first national observance took place on May 30, 1868. In the late 19th century, the holiday became known as Memorial Day and was expanded to include the deceased veterans of all the wars fought by American forces.

I am a bird watcher. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be a bird watcher because when I was a kid, I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense thriller, The Birds, and it terrified me! It’s the story of a series of sudden, unexplained and violent attacks by birds on the people of Bodega Bay, California. Things start going a little crazy when seagulls attack kids at a party, and before long, the whole town is under attack, with birds nearly breaking through barricaded doors and windows! I can’t believe my parents let me watch it! They probably wouldn’t had they known how scary it was. For days, I couldn’t walk outside without looking nervously to the sky.

Spring is in the air! Well, maybe, not really. But it sure beats the brutal cold and snow that hung around here for the last few months. Just the promise of warmer weather has helped me beat the Winter Blues. And, there is so much to look forward to: like Daylight Saving Time, which begins on March 11, giving us a little more “daytime” to enjoy.

Have you ever had trouble forgiving someone? I mean, some things are just unforgivable. Right? I just finished reading a recently published book about forgiveness which I found to be very inspirational: Taming the Tokolash – Through Fear into Healing: A Trauma Survivor’s True Story, written by Mandy Bass. This is a story about a woman who was brutally attacked by a young man and how she forgave him – an act that changed his life, and hers – forever.

I always look forward to a brand-new year – it’s like starting over with a clean slate. But, I want to take a few moments and reflect back on my 2017. It was a challenging year in some respects, but I like to view challenges as learning experiences and opportunities for personal growth. I had many positive experiences in 2017 – here are of few of the highlights.

My Christmas Eves now are filled with visits from my three children and five grandchildren. For them, I like to re-create the simplicity of Christmas Eves I enjoyed when I was growing up. The day was always filled with excitement for me and my three siblings, and we’d spend most of the day wrapping gifts for each other and our parents, and putting them under the tree. We always put up the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and decorated it while drinking hot cocoa, eating sweets and Christmas cookies, and playing Christmas carols on the piano. There was a lot of laughter and a lot of love.

I’m sure you’ve heard Sarah Palin’s quote about hockey moms: “They say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull – lipstick.” I’ve never really completely agreed with that. Hockey moms are so much more. They are tough, dedicated, hardworking, caring, and they have the gumption to help their child to succeed in the fast-paced world of hockey.