Janelle's Blog

First Lady Michelle Obama and President Obama were recently criticized for enjoying a private night out. It made me stop and wonder why people in any position in life are not allowed to have some time off high-pressure situations to refresh their minds, emotions, and bodies without criticism.

Life is demanding, and when pressures build without a release valve, you cannot be as mentally sharp to make decisions that may have weighty consequences on your life. What concerns me is that people do not handle the small things and allow them to build into an out-of-control explosion. Could it be that strategically placed time-outs are good for your health?

Let's Hear What Women Have to Say

USA Today recently published a Frigidaire Motherload index survey of 1,170 married women, ages 25-50, who have two or more children. The question, "How often do other moms say they have a date night with their spouse?" Here are the respons

For centuries the Rosetans, a close community of Italians, forged trails to work in the marble quarries in surrounding hills of the Italian province of Foggia or cultivate the terraced fields in the valley beneath the mountain where they lived. These peasants had little hope of ever overcoming their illiterate and poverty-stricken condition. Malcolm Gladwell tells this amazing story in his book, Outliers.

In 1882 eleven Rosetans ventured to the New World of opportunity to New York. The following year another fifteen Rosetans from their province traveled to America. By 1894, twelve hundred Rosetans immigrated to America. Those who migrated to Pennsylvania had such a thriving community that the town where they lived was renamed Roseto. The Rosetans' diligence and tenacity is worth reading about.

Occasionally I am able to upgrade my American Airline ticket to First Class, using my air miles, which means I can fly for a minimal $5 fee. But, I have discovered that First Class isn't what it used to be. This picture is of a guy sitting in front of me in First Class with his stinking bare feet propped up during the flight. I just wanted to clear that up in the beginning of my story so you wouldn't think those were my feet.

What Has Happened to First Class?

Since the weather was cold in NYC, I had to travel with my winter coat. When you board the plane, shortly after you are seated, the flight attendant in First Class hangs up your coat. This time it didn't happen. Buried under a pile of wool, computer, and enough reading material to last three days instead of the 3 ½ hour flight, I finally asked the flight attendant if she could help me out. I got the "attitude" look when she said, "I'll get it later."

The stage was set for a bumpy flight.

With an upcoming video shoot at the NBCF Headquarters in a few hours, the timing was unacceptable to have a sinus cold. As I awoke with head spinning and blurry eyes, I thought, I'm going to have to stay in bed a while longer this morning to shake this loose.

11:00 – I forced myself to get out of bed to start getting ready. The shoot was at 2:00 p.m., so I had plenty of time.

1:00 – While walking around my house in slow motion and still not ready, I finally sat down and called the office to postpone the shoot until the next day.

1:30 – I flipped on the TV while buttering an English muffin. If I'm going to stay in this afternoon, I might as well watch some day-time TV, I thought.

A long-standing soap opera was playing. "I haven't seen this in ages," I said aloud. "I remember this guy. He hasn't aged in 20 years." Then I noticed his face was stretched so tightly that he never changed expressions during the entire dramatic scene.

I thought about all of the soaps I have managed to dodge during the past few years: The Guiding Lies, The Botox and the Beautiful, The Not-So-Young and the Rested.

For years women believe they have been falsely labeled as imagining physical ailments. When I was in the doctor's office one time, I was describing a physical problem that I had never experienced before. The doctor's response was, "Well, you are over 40, you know."

If looks could kill, he wouldn't be in practice today.

You may have heard a doctor say an illness is psychosomatic. The words go in one ear and come out the other meaning, "You really don't have anything wrong with you. You made it up." Now you are fighting mad because you hurt and the pain is real. The muscles tighten in your neck and shoulders, clinching into a full-blown headache. Your stress has raised to a high level, and you are frustrated at the lack of understanding you receive at a moment of discomfort.