THINK! - Looking for someone to blame?

Katie Granju is a popular mommy blogger, author and activist who lost her son, Henry, to a drug overdose last year at the tender age of 17. Henry struggled with addiction throughout his teen years. He attended rehab programs with the support of his family but still could not seem to kick the habit. He was attacked and severely beaten and he overdosed on drugs before being taken to an area hospital where he died on May 31, 2010.

The Death of Osama bin Laden

Here we are nearly a decade after the al-Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and the United States is celebrating the death of the mastermind behind the attacks. Nearly three weeks after the raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader, the dust has settled, the flood of news reports has subsided, and the American people are moving on to the next order of business. I can’t help sit back and consider the implications of such a momentous event for America and the effect the behavior of our government and society at large has had on me. 

Do You BLUE?

My husband, Michael, and I just celebrated our second wedding anniversary. We are a combined family of five children and one grandchild. My husband works full-time and I have a home office, attend school full-time online and stay home with our youngest child who just turned one. Needless to say, we don’t get out much. This year, Michael decided he wanted to do something special and get us out of the house for the evening. He made arrangements for his mother to babysit, sent me shopping for a dress, and took care of planning the rest of the evening. The result… A fabulous dinner at Mamma Maria’s in Boston and tickets to BLUE MAN GROUP!

Finally, a book worth watching...

I love to read. Mostly crime drama. Some sci-fi/fantasy. Occasionally a romance well-buried in something intriguing and usually scientific or criminal. One series I was turned onto several years ago is A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. This is fantasy world building at its finest. Martin develops a couple dozen characters that you can't help but love to hate. Before you know it, you're talking about them as though they are real and you know them personally.

THINK! - Funeral directors harvest tissue without consent

The loss of a loved one is a difficult time made even more difficult if the burden of making final arrangements falls on your shoulders. There are so many details to address: where to have the services, burial or cremation, music, flowers, pallbearers, and more. Often the director of the funeral home you choose will help guide you through some of these arrangements. During an emotional time when you may not be thinking clearly, this is someone you can trust to have your best interests at heart, right?

Not necessarily…

THINK!

It should be no surprise to many of you that I like controversy. I love a good debate with intelligent arguments forcing people on all sides of an issue to think about how they truly feel about something that engages their heart as much as their mind. So, it should come as no surprise that I’ve decided to stir the pot and invite all of you to participate in a new series here on Take It or Leave It.

The new series is called THINK! and it is an opportunity for you to give me your reaction to controversial and hot button issues in the news. Fans of my Facebook page have already had a taste of the issues being discussed for the first article and I’m compiling opinions as we speak. 

The Joke’s on US!

I’m not really a prankster. I enjoy a good laugh and I think I have a pretty good sense of humor but the idea of dedicating an entire day to pranking others has always seemed a poor use of my day. It hearkens to my days of being picked on and made fun of in grade school – a time I’m not in a rush to revisit.

Yet millions of people will be celebrating today by playing tricks on their family, friends and co-workers.  I must ask myself, who’s brilliant idea was this? As is usual, I did a little research…