Years ago I went to visit a good friend in Knoxville Tennessee for a long weekend. Yes, Linda bravely went to the bible belt because of friendship and curiosity. In those days when I traveled, I would bring enough paraphernalia to clothe the entire state even though my clothing was probably not state regulation. On the second day I was taken to the lovely tourist town of Gatlinburg which…

Always wear comfortable shoes when you go to an estate sale; so today I chose my new pirate shoes as this sale had a fashionista theme to it. No, Tim Gunn from Project Runway would not be there but no telling who might look at your feet. These shoes are a replica of a $200 pair that I got at Wal-Mart for $19.99. What you do not see are the layers of band-aids under my socks that keep my feet comfortable.

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Hidden off Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley near the University of California lies the legendary People’s Park. During the day it is a sanctuary for the homeless and anyone who needs a meal is fed by Food not Bombs.

In the 60's Michael Delacour presented a plan for developing the university-owned land into a public park and one Sunday in April of 1969, over 100 people arrived at the site to begin building the park.

They gladly contributed trees; flowers, shrubs, and eventually many…