Publisher's Note:

You will notice that this issue is a combined January/February issue. All About Women is going bi-monthly. We are doing this for several reasons and the most important is our desire to bring you a magazine that just gets better and better.
While we won’t deny that the current economic situation did play a part in our decision, it was just one factor among many. Each month we have regretted not having quite enough time to explore some topics more fully. Sherrie and I both felt we no sooner sent one month’s magazine to press than we had to be off and running doing the next one. There was little time to catch our breath or plan. So we are changing things.
We are excited the change because it will mean an improved product for both our readers and our advertisers. So stay tuned; as usual, it will be a great ride!
As I write this column at the first of 2010, the High Country is in the grip of some of the worst winter weather in years. January and February can be brutal months in terms of weather. But our area is known for its winter sports and the snow brings us many visitors who stay in our lodging places, eat in our restaurants, and enjoy our attractions. So snow is a good thing!
Besides, the cold weather of January provides a great chance to sit around the fire with friends and sip hot cider or – my favorite – hot buttered rum. Snuggle up with your significant other if you have one (or a nice warm throw if you don’t!) and watch a good movie or read that book you’ve been saving.
Soon we’ll be into February where the weather isn’t any better, but it is closer to spring! Valentine’s Day is a great time to do small, random, acts of kindness for anyone needing a lift. In fact, the whole month of February can be warmed up with just a little thoughtfulness.
So Happy New Year and Happy Valentine’s Day and we’ll see you again the first of March.

Nancy




Happy New Year!

As we welcome 2010, I send my warmest wishes to all of you for good health, happiness and success in the coming year.
I don’t recall entering another year with greater anticipation than this – unless it was the one in which my 18th birthday and high school graduation were just around the corner. But that’s been so long ago, it is little more than a fleeting memory!
Could it be because I’ll actually be making the “over-the-hill” trip that I seem a bit anxious? I remember when I thought 30 was old . . . then 40. Suddenly, 50 is looking younger every day!
2009 zoomed by faster than I could comprehend with a lot of personal challenge, growth and opportunities. I like the idea of putting the past behind me and moving on, but I’ve not always been very good at doing it.
I stopped making resolutions a long time ago. I mean well and mean to do a lot of things better, but if I put it all on paper, it would be a long list for sure and way too stressful to tackle.
There are certainly areas of my life in which I am currently striving to improve, but making resolutions just doesn’t seem to work for me.
At the closing of each year and the dawning of a new one, I do tend to put things in perspective and strive for “new beginnings,” without becoming overwhelmed – whether related to health, relationships, work, personal goals, etc. So often, one area needing concentration depends on all the others and those making the effort really need encouragement and support of those around them.
Is it any wonder, then, that January is known as Family Fit Lifestyle Month, Image Improvement Month, Quality of Life Month and Reaching Your Potential Month? Oh, and don’t forget – it’s also
National Gourmet Coffee Month, Creativity Month, Mentoring Month, Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month, Random Action Month, National Oatmeal Month and Hot Tea Month – just to name a few.
(There’s also a Women's Self Empowerment Week and Someday We'll Laugh About This Week, but hopefully, they do not fall in succession!)
Here’s to self-empowerment, my friends! Not just for a week, but for the entire year and beyond!

My best to you as we become our best together in 2010,

Sherrie