I love to read and I often recommend it as a daily practice for personal growth. But how do you stay well-read if you’re tight on cash or even tight on time? Books, after all, can be expensive, especially if you want to read the latest best sellers. And, sometimes, you just don’t have time for two trips to the library – one trip to borrow and one trip to return…

I’ve struggled with occasional insomnia for years, but, fortunately, have found some strategies to help me cope with the madness. Some are conventional sleep wisdom and others are more along the lines of unconventional Melissa wisdom, but all of them help me fall asleep faster when my anxious mind and busy body are keeping me awake.

Whenever I think of the word “grace,” I’m always reminded of the scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, when Clark asks Aunt Bethany to say grace at Christmas dinner and she responds, “Grace! She passed away 30 years ago.” Then Uncle Lewis speaks up, pointing to his mouth for emphasis, “THE BLESSING!!” Aunt Bethany nods as if she now understands, bows her head, folds her hands and proceeds to say the Pledge of Allegiance.