The music of Ireland: it is a source of connection, a way of celebration, a path for reaching across borders and boundaries. It can be a way of sharing and creating stories, of connecting families and welcoming strangers, remembering absent loved ones, and gaining perspective on present troubles.

It's 1679. Place yourself in the mindset of a Portuguese ship's captain with a full cargo of port. Now, place yourself on one of the most beautiful islands of the world. No, not in the Caribbean - you're in Newfoundland, Canada, and in avoiding pirates (those rascally knaves), you've veered to St. John's and had to winter over. 

Welcome to the year of the monkey! February 8th marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, celebrated by people throughout the world, especially in China. The 15-day festivities are a time to come together with family, express gratitude, and look forward to another year. In some ways, it’s like the American version of Christmas, New Year’s, and Thanksgiving Day all rolled into one, long celebration.

Now...it did not start well. A wifely expletive, just as I'd closed the door of the apartment; the gut-chilling realisation that the security swipe card and keys were inside. So too, the bag containing the flight tickets and a wad of currency. Duck indeed! Contact the building manager. He'd gone home. Messages left, taxi cancelled. Time critical, called Wendy's daughter Emily, a last resort. She had a spare key and security swipe card, but was also 25 minutes away, and with Sydney traffic ...

I met my friend from Minneapolis over a decade ago and we’ve been friends ever since. She was one of the first to show me the joys of Midwest life, explain the intricacies of a lock and dam, share the roadside attraction of the Jolly Green Giant, and take me to the mecca that is the Mall of America. She was with me when I set foot in Lake Superior, crossed the border into Wisconsin, ogled at the Spoon and Cherry in the country’s largest urban sculpture garden, and even took the picture as I posed with Mary Tyler Moore throwing her hat in the air.

I spent time just letting Jillian’s paintings speak to me before I ever read any of her words.

I see the warmth of human beings, animals, and plants, evolving in a rough nature, made of thick layers of elements. I wonder about the mist which is lying over what I can perceive in the background of her paintings, and about the snow. These paintings speak for themselves.

The Carnegie Science Center, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is one of the most wonderful places for anyone, especially children, to learn about science through all five senses and interactive experiences. I remember as a young child taking field trips there in primary school. I visited about five years ago when my brothers were still little and a family friend treated all of us there because her daughter worked there.

Did you have a New Year’s resolution to start eating healthier and making more dishes from scratch in 2016? Cookbook authors Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman, both contributing photography and food editors for VegNews magazine, understand. The Toronto pair recently published DIY vegan: More Than 100 Easy Recipes to Create an Awesome Plant-Based Pantry (St. Martin’s Press, 2015) to help guide readers toward making more food at home.

On a recent trip to Barranquilla, Colombia, I discovered that dental travel has been a trend for some time.  Dental travel is where travelers choose to vacation outside of the United States and obtain dental services as well. 

We heard about inexpensive dental services in this Latin country through a relative. That’s when my husband decided to plan a trip to have a root canal and denture adjustment done and include a little rest and relaxation.           

The city of Savannah, Georgia, has been a place where cultures meet and mix and mingle ever since its early days centuries ago. Blues, bluegrass, country music, jazz, gospel, and Celtic music are local traditions in music that continue to flourish in Savannah. Over the years, it has also become a crossroads for classical musicians, those who work in opera, and musicians who bring their native traditions from many parts of the globe. The Savannah Music Festival celebrates and encourages all these aspects of music.