Growing up, I had the gift of spending a lot of time with my grandparents. One of the things we did most together was play games—namely, card games. Of course at first, it was Go Fish. Then as my sisters and I got older it became Rummy, Crazy eights, and Spades. I still remember my grandmother teaching me how to shuffle. But if there was anything all that time playing cards taught me, it was that it’s all about: What you lay down, and what you pick up. This is especially true in Rummy. If you’ve played it before, you [...]

I don’t know what kind of coffee drinker you are. I don’t know if you are the “get it on your way to work,” the “Starbucks barista knows my order,” or the “constantly using my Keurig” kind of coffee person. I don’t know if you take it cold brew, french press, Fair Trade, cream and sugar, black, latte or cappuccino. Or, if you’re even a coffee person at all (bare with me if you aren’t). But if you are, there is a good chance you will feel my pain over what I am about to tell you. For a while [...]

Not too long ago, I saw a news report about a house that had been built on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a big, beautiful house with lots of windows to take in the incredible view. When it was built, it was probably worth millions. But do you know why it was on the news? If you saw the same story on TV, you know it is because erosion has eaten away a chunk of the cliff. A good part of the house is now literally hanging over the ocean. And no one can go inside to collect [...]