When it comes to politics, there’s no escaping it. Every family has power dynamics. In every office and work setting, the most powerful people are the ones who speak up. Whether their thought is worth hearing is neither here nor there. In corporate America, if you don’t speak up for yourself, you’re nobody.

Watching the Republican debates is a bit like watching the conversation at the dinner table. One candidate may be very intellectual in his reasoning. Another may tap into emotional intelligence. Another may have neither brain nor sensitivity, but knows how to blow with the wind and fan the flames of fear.

You may not agree with any of them, but you have to bless them for being brave enough to be a politician in this partisan age. Same goes for President Obama. Whether or not you agree with his political decisions, he was strong enough to make some tough  choices and quit smoking at the same time.

The problem with most debates is that people aren’t hearing what candidates truly think  because politicians are too afraid to trust that what they actually believe will get them elected. So they say what they think people most want to hear. And let’s face it — most of us want to hear different things.

When did we become so angry as a nation that all we can do is demonize those who don’t agree with us? Yes, the economy has a lot to do with it. If you’re losing your retirement savings or watching your middle class income shrink while those at the top of the heap continue to get bigger tax breaks and more money, it’s impossible to stay silent at the dinner table.

But we have to do more than shout our anger. We have to elect people who actually know how to govern… meaning, we have to put people in office who will look out for everyone’s interest, not just those who made campaign contributions to them. People who will be strong enough to shame us when we are unwilling to sacrifice for the greater good. People who are caring enough to inspire us all to be better human beings.

We need politicians who are smart enough to know how to forge relationships, make compromises, and teach the country that we are ONE nation under God, not mini-fiefdoms that look out only for their own needs.

A friend who volunteers to read to disadvantaged school children in an after-school program told me a story recently about how far we’ve strayed from remembering what’s important.

She said, “I started to read to this little girl when she asked me, ‘Do you have anything to eat? I haven’t eaten since yesterday. My heart broke because she started looking around the room, looking for some food to eat, and there was none.”

We can debate the state of the economy all we want, but isn’t it time we pulled together at the dinner table? Tell the politicians that it’s time to stop worrying about who has a seat at the table. Work together to make the table bigger, so that everyone truly has a place to sit, and enough to eat.

Yes, I know their reading medium of choice will likely be in the form of an electronic tablet, but I still like the feel of holding an old-fashioned bound book and turning its  pages. So before that format disappears, I want to put books into their hands as often as possible.

Books, of course, are aimed at readers of differing ages. When it comes to picture books, my all-time favorite is “Old Turtle” by Douglas Wood (Scholastic Press, $17.95). This parable about a wise old turtle that reminds all creatures of our connection to God, to the earth, and to each other is illustrated with beautiful watercolors by Cheng-Khee Chee.

A new picture book titled “Extra Yarn” by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen (HarperCollins, $16.99) imparts another important lesson to readers… that hope and kindness can transform a community. The book, aimed at ages 4 to 8, tells the tale of a cold little town, where everything is either snowy white or sooty black. When Annabelle finds a box full of yarn of every color, she changes the town and its residents in ways they never imagined.

While the press materials for this book, now out in stores, talk about hope and kindness as a theme, I see a message of appreciating people of all colors in the illustrations. For once things are no longer just black and white, the world becomes a joyous place that  even greedy archdukes and robbers cannot spoil.

Since I’m a fan of fantasy and adventure, my taste in middle-grade books doesn’t always synch with my nephews who love the wise-cracking humor of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books). But I’m going to recommend that my  nieces and nephews try “The Grave Robber’s Apprentice” by Allan Stratton ($16.99, HarperCollins), aimed at those ages 10 and older.

This fairy tale about Hans, a grave robber in training, and Angela, a young countess fleeing an evil archduke, has all the elements of a good adventure — non-stop action, characters you care about, and a mystery that shows that everything in life is truly connected. On sale March 6, this book for fifth graders is one that will appeal to readers of all ages.

When it comes to young adult fiction, science fiction and romance seem to dominate the titles, dealing with adult topics in thinly disguised language. One of the best young adult novels I’ve started to read is “Tangled” by Erica O’Rourke ($9.95, paperback, Kensington). The second paranormal book in a series of three, “Tangled” takes the reader into a conflicted world where Maureen (Mo) Fitzgerald faces magical enemies and the Chicago Mob as she must choose between the life she’s dreamed of and the destiny that confronts her.

Now out in stores, “Tangled” is an allegory for readers of all ages, for we all must choose between safety and risk, acting out of love and acting out of fear. Like life, the plot twists and unfolds in an adventure worth taking.

Now, if I can only get my teenage niece to give it a read…

Lamarre, a former Canadian television executive, was a marketing/public relations consultant in 1986 when Guy Laliberté, founder of the street artist troupe that would become a worldwide sensation, asked for his help.

“He had no money to pay me,” says Lamarre, who nevertheless shared his expertise with Laliberté. “Twelve years later, when Cirque was successful, I became the head of a TV network in Canada. I told Guy that I would like to have the TV rights to Cirque, and we started to see each other more because of the project.

“He called me from London one day and said, ‘You’re going to join the circus. Are you willing to talk to me about it?’ Three weeks later, I joined Cirque.”

Eleven years later, Lamarre is in charge of the business side of Cirque du Soleil, guiding the decisions that turn Laliberté’s vision into profitable ventures. How do you manage a company of thousands whose products are based on ever-changing ideas?

“It doesn’t matter how good a business guy you are, if you don’t love artists and content,” says Lamarre, sitting in a Beverly Hills hotel restaurant. “Guy is a great dreamer, and so am I. I cannot be just a business guy. I have to be sensitive to the production and content.

“We provide artists stability. We have people who have been with us for 27 years. When I sit and watch a show, I feel good that I’ve helped provide this man or that woman with a job.”

One of Lamarre’s practices is to stay in touch with Cirque’s employees and their needs. He travels around the world to see each show every year, talking with the artists and crew to boost morale and to gather information first-hand in the field.

“I sit in the kitchen to talk with them about where we are as an organization,” Lamarre says. “It’s easy to sit in an office in Montreal and say we should cut this and that, but to go on site and see what their life is like is important. It’s important to understand the reality of your employees. I believe in the importance of dialogue.”

Managers who listen are appreciated, but those who hear and act on what has been said are the ones who inspire employees to follow their lead. Lamarre shares a story of a Chinese artist who wanted to talk to him because she had a special request. After working for the company for 10 years, she wanted a corporate jacket.

Lamarre delivered, and the following year, she greeted him with her own gift — a scarf, given with a hug and tears.

In a global economy, companies that understand a diversity of cultures and thought emerge with products that appeal to the widest audiences. At Cirque du Soleil, the 1,500 artists on stage, and thousands more behind the scenes, come from around the world, with English being the most common language. Still, many translators are required.

“Our company is a United Nations,” Lamarre says. “We have an average of 17 nationalities in each show. People feel we’re a citizen of the world, and we try to implement ways of living that illustrate that.”

For example, Cirque’s successful touring show “Dralion” has a large contingent of Chinese artists. To ensure a pipeline of top-notch Chinese artists for that and other  shows, Cirque du Soleil works with the Chinese government to create relationships with Chinese circus troupes and schools. To ensure fairness in the eyes of employees, the company goes one step further.

“We negotiate with the government to make sure the artists get paid what everyone gets, even if we have to pay a surcharge to the troupe or government for the partnership,” Lamarre says. “We have to be respectful of all the cultures.”

To ensure that new ideas are always streaming into the company’s imagination, a team of three researchers are charged with touring the world and surfing the Web to identify what’s happening in fashion, architecture, music, and the entertainment industry.

Every three months, the team presents what they’ve found to the company’s top artistic creators, fueling ideas for new shows.

“How can you understand what the new values and trends are, unless you look broadly?” Lamarre asks.

Planning for the future can be seen most clearly in the way Cirque du Soleil approaches the careers of its artists. Since their performers travel the world, the company operates traveling schools for the artists’ children.

“It costs us a bloody fortune, but it’s worth it,” Lamarre says. “None of the kids will leave the tour without a high school degree if they’re under 18. For the Chinese and Romanian artists, they’d like their kids to be trained to be circus performers.

“We’re willing to do that, but their kids have to study in school first. If they decide to train their children as circus performers in their free time, that’s fine. But if you want to tour with us, your kids have to study.”

Lamarre says Cirque du Soleil recognizes that performers cannot be on stage forever, so artists are urged to develop skills in the company’s Crossroads program that will result in other jobs when their day in the spotlight is done.

“This way, they can continue to work for us,” Lamarre says. “We need trainers, public relations people, and others around the world, so you’re not going home without knowing what you’ll do next. We value people’s experience. If I have a vice president who’s been training for 10 to 15 years, he understands the performer’s reality. It all comes back to benefit the organization.”

Clearly, doing right by its employees has fueled continued success for the company. With that kind of management philosophy, who wouldn’t want to join the circus?

As the holiday season wanes, the kids are out of school and I’m working at Grandma’s house with a little babysitting thrown in. Today, I’m writing this on a laptop while my 7-year-old nephew Mark is watching a movie on an iPad, and his 10-year-old sister Emily is playing Angry Birds on her iPhone.

Yesterday, Emily and I spent much of the afternoon playing Monopoly on an old-fashioned board while Mark tossed a ball with me in between my dice throws. Whatever form the entertainment takes, we’re all hanging together in the same room, which is the real key to connectivity.

In an uncertain economy, adults are working harder than ever — to make ends meet and to stave off the fear of losing the jobs we have. People neglect their health and well being, going to work when they’re sick in order to “get things done,” no doubt infecting  co-workers in the process.

Co-workers and bosses e-mail colleagues when they’re on vacation, giving no real break from the work world. We may love our jobs, but what is the point of taking time off, if we can’t get away from the office?

Having little time to take care of things at home adds to the stress of everyday living, and cuts down even more on the meaningful connections in our lives. When there’s no time to return calls to friends, or lend a helping hand without feeling stressed, the heart is squeezed even more.

At the same time, kids are asking for more and more expensive toys, in the form of electronic devices that run the gamut from tablets to smartphones to video games. They love texting more than talking on the phone, and have to be told to put their phones away at the dinner table.

If using electronic devices becomes more interesting than spending time with human beings, we really need to look at the way we’re connecting — or not connecting — with others. There will always be new tech toys to buy. But you can’t buy lost time with the people you love.

As we ring in the new year, resolve to make more time for yourself. Eat healthier foods,  exercise more (even if only a little), get offline, and spend more face time with people. Your heart will feel the difference.

The bad thing about gift cards is that they’re vulnerable to theft in ways we rarely think about.

I was at a Los Angeles-area Macy’s recently, ready to use a Macy’s gift card that one of  my sisters had given me for Christmas last year. Yes, it was purchased in December 2010. I kept forgetting to take it with me whenever I went to the store, one of the downsides of getting gift cards.

Anyway, when I got to the register to check out, the sales clerk rang me up, scratched off the PiN code on the back of the card… and the gift card registered a zero balance.

I had never used the card, and had a gift receipt for its purchase.  The adhesive holding it to the gift card enclosure was still on it. But when a sales supervisor looked up the gift card number, records show that two purchases had been made on the card in February 2011 at a Macy’s in the Torrance area, where I’ve never been.

The sales supervisor looked at me askance, saying I could follow up with the store where the purchases were made if I wished. I pointed out that the two items purchased equaled $75 — the exact amount of the gift card — and that the clerk in his store was the one who scratched off the activation code. When I said I’d be looking into the matter further, he decided to call Macy’s gift card fraud department.

He discovered that the card had, indeed, been used fraudulently by someone who had keyed in the right numbers. How did that person get the gift card number and PIN code? Common sense would indicate the culprit had access to store information, and might have been an employee, or in collusion with an employee.

There are numerous ways to scam gift card numbers, ranging from stolen receipts that show the gift card number and value, to copying or scanning unsold gift card numbers and checking websites to see when a card is activated.

An estimated $97.2 billion in gift cards were purchased during the 2010 holiday season, according to research done by the Mercator Advisory Group.

“As with other types of cards, gift cards are not immune to exposure to fraud and theft,” says Beth Charlton, director of issue management and special projects, corporate communications for Macy’s, Inc. “The gift card owner should monitor the balance of the
card regularly to ensure its value.  If an owner suspects a problem, immediately contact the store or store’s customer service center to report any concern.  Owners should always keep a gift card in a secure place.”

The sales supervisor I dealt with immediately gave me a new gift card, apologizing for the inconvenience. Given the prevalence of gift card fraud, I didn’t blame him for looking at me with suspicion at first.

Clearly, retailers don’t want to call attention to this issue because it could cut into their sales, especially during the crucial holiday season. But since stores seem unable to completely outwit gift card thieves, the best advice anyone can heed is “buyer AND user beware.”

A multitude of Hollywood’s A-list stars can be seen in the film — now out in theaters — that weaves a montage of storylines together around the countdown to the ball drop in New York’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

While there are two or three storylines too many in this film, the romantic romp and reminder of love’s importance in our lives — no matter how young or how old we may be — is worth seeing.

One character that many will relate to is Hailey, a 15-year-old played by Abigail Breslin who longs for independence and her first kiss in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, rather than sitting at home, as usual, with her mom (Sarah Jessica Parker) watching the festivities on TV.

“Hailey loves her mom and never wants to be mean to her,” Breslin says. “Her parents are divorced, and she wants her mom to have a life, so she’s wise in that way. But Hailey tries to show that she’s not a child anymore, and ends up pushing it too far.”

When her mom nixes Hailey’s request to hang out in Times Square with her friends, the rebellious teen sneaks out anyway. What she sees when she catches up to her classmates breaks her heart… for the moment.

Breslin, now 15, has been acting since age five, and is perhaps best known for her role in the irreverent comedy “Little Miss Sunshine.” “New Year’s Eve” marks her first on-screen kiss, and she says actor Jake T. Austin “was very nice” in their scene together.

Her New Year’s Eve will probably be spent watching the ball drop in Times Square on TV with her family, and while one New Year’s resolution may or may not be to stop biting her fingernails, “I really want to learn bar chords on the guitar next year,” she says.

“I’m in a band with my friend Cassidy Reiff called CABB, and we wrote a song called ‘Well Wishes’ that’s on YouTube,” explains Breslin. The song, in honor of a terminally ill girl named Alice, urges fans to get tested to become bone marrow donors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6bg-eFig5A).

When she’s not working on music, she enjoys being on set, learning about different personalities as she prepares to play different characters. This is her third Marshall film, making her part of the cast and crew that the director uses regularly in his movies.

“Getting to work with Garry three times is such an honor,” Breslin says. “It’s like having another grandfather.”

She’s also a fan of Hector Elizondo, a longtime member of the Marshall repertory who’s appeared in every one of Marshall’s 17 feature films.

“I never got to be in a scene with Hector, but he’s really cool,” Breslin says. “He came in on one of my scenes with Sarah Jessica Parker, holding a piece of cake, as a joke. I’ve talked with him a little bit, and he’s a fantastic actor.”

Elizondo, an eloquent man at ease with everyone, plays a gifted engineer named Kominsky in the film, a part written specifically for him.

“We invented Mr. Kominsky, who brings the light to the darkness,” says Elizondo, a native New Yorker who relishes his collaborations with Marshall. “My character is a man who lost his job because he was a whistleblower. He told them the ball wasn’t going to drop one day, and when he was proven right, they brought him back and made him head of the department. Without the ball and no light, no movie.

“Garry and I have made movies like this forever. The only rule we apply is that my character must help the narrative along. It’s not how long the character’s in the movie, but if the character makes a difference.”

For example, while Elizondo was on screen for less than 10 minutes in the film “Pretty Woman,” anyone who saw the movie would instantly recognize him as the discreet hotel manager Barney Thompson. Or they might remember him as Joe, the bodyguard to Julie Andrews’s character in “The Princess Diaries” franchise.  Or his role as Edgar in “Valentine’s Day.”

“Garry and I are both about the same age; we’re from New York; we love comedy, music, and we have a tendency to like happy endings because we know that life doesn’t guarantee anything,” Elizondo says. “But we also have differences. Part of my psyche is still in the past, thinking about what might have been better. Garry looks back for a moment, then says, that’s enough. Let’s move on. We are a good marriage. I  make him think about things he might have skipped over, and he makes me move on.”

“New Year’s Eve,” Elizondo says, asks the question, what is success? And like all Marshall films, the answer that is given is that success is the capacity to love.

“It’s all about love and connection,” Elizondo says. “This movie is a wonderful contrivance about starting over. I don’t have to be a dummy. I can make up for some of the stupid things I did. I can get a sense of gratitude, and do things better next year.  Art changes you. Otherwise, it’s just entertainment, which doesn’t change the way you  make human connections. Good music makes you listen, and good movies lift you.”

“New Year’s Eve” is a feel-good-movie that will make you want to do more, appreciate  more, and love more in the coming year. Now that’s something worth celebrating.

He doesn’t like driving on freeways anymore, but when I offer to drive, he insists on taking the wheel himself. He doesn’t hear well, and refuses to consider getting a hearing aid. The only concession he has made to aging is agreeing to regular doctor checkups.

It isn’t easy growing older, and it isn’t easy watching your parents age before your eyes. We’re taught to respect the elderly, but most of us forget that when they, literally, get in our way. You can see it on city sidewalks when older individuals who move slowly often stop and stand to one side, allowing faster moving pedestrians to pass them.

Why do the elderly always have to be the ones to step to the side? Because we may bowl them over if they impede our rush to our next destination.

Whenever I go shopping with Dad at his local WalMart, he always looks for the same cashier in one of the checkout lines. No matter how long her line is, he always gets into it so that he can chat a few minutes with a friendly face.

This trip, when we got to the front of the line, his cashier friend noticed that he was using a cane, but said nothing about it. She watched as Dad took the cash out of his pocket to pay for his purchases, slowly counting the bills. The cashier smiled at my dad, then strolled over to the next register to talk to a colleague there.

I looked behind us and saw a long line of impatient customers, waiting as my dad continued to count his cash. I realized his favorite cashier had walked away so that the crowd would blame her for the slow movement of the line, and not my father. When she returned, Dad paid the bill, and she wished him a good day.

I thanked her with a smile for her kindness, and wished her the same.

The elderly we see everywhere may not be our family members, but they should be treated as such. We all grow older, and one of the most valuable lessons that senior citizens can teach us is to slow down.

Life passes all too quickly every day. So slow down. Savor the moments, and be kind to the people around you. It matters more than you know.

This year, in celebration of her second year of remission from ovarian cancer, we went to Opryland for a girls’ weekend, and were able to get a preview of ICE!, an indoor wonderland of larger-than-life sized sculptures and ice slides that kids and the young at heart can play on.

The attraction, now open through Jan. 3, 2012, is part of the resort’s 28th annual “A Country Christmas,” which includes shows with The Radio City Rockettes, Louise Mandrell and interactive events with animated characters from various DreamWorks movies.

This year’s ICE! show — “DreamWorks’ Merry Madagascar,” featuring interactive scenes from the movie — will be held in a new 40,000 square foot building on the resort, erected in the aftermath of last May’s flood.

“We used to do it in an old theater, but the flood took it away,” says Ken Groneck, special events director for Opryland. “This is our 10th anniversary show. In the beginning, International Special Attractions (ISA) approached us with the idea for the show. It was so popular the first year, we brought it back. We did generic water ice scenes for the first few years, then added the ice slides.”

By the mid-2000s, colored ice was added to accentuate the designs, then interactive exhibits, like an ice train that kids could walk through. Each year, 40 master carvers from Harbin arrive 30 days before the show’s opening to begin work on the masterpieces.

As we walk through part of the exhibit, dressed in thick parkas against the chilly 9 degrees, we catch glimpses of an amazing ice castle and giant ice slide. Some of the artisans, busy at work, stop to look curiously at us as we walk by. Others are too absorbed in their task to glance up.

My request to interview an artisan is denied, with time being short before the show opens, and I wonder how much of the reluctance is due to fear of Chinese government reprisal for any misinterpreted comments. It’s sad that there isn’t more interaction between the Americans and Chinese while they’re here to bridge our cultures, but at least visitors to the show will gain an appreciation for the artistry that comes from China.

After saying farewell to some icy “Merry Madagascar” characters, Christine and I leave  the building to get some lunch at the Cascades American Cafe, back at the hotel. Talk about change of scenery.  As we sit in an alcove under tropical greenery, we listen to the sound of a cascading waterfall nearby and peruse the menu.

Appetizers here range from a trio of artisan cheeses for $14 to Korean barbecue lettuce wraps for $16. We choose to share the low country crab cake appetizer for $18, which is easily the best thing on the menu. Made of pure crab meat with a little filler of panko bread crumbs, the crab cakes are a taste from seafood heaven.

Soup and salad offerings are fairly typical, including crab bisque for $9 and a Caesar salad with chicken, steak or shrimp for $16.  Entrees, in the $17 to $22 range, run the gamut from San Diego fish tacos and a grilled cheeseburger to a Tuna Caponata salad, with seared tuna and warm eggplant.

Chef Seth Kondor, who used to run the Old Hickory Steakhouse at the resort, is changing the menu at Cascades to center around Southern comfort food. As a result, the Blue Plate Special, which Christine orders, is macaroni and cheese with pulled pork and barbecue sauce. It’s an interesting combination, but needs more cheese.

I get the griddled Monte Cristo sandwich, a ham, turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich on brioche bread, with French fries. For $17, the sandwich is tasty, but disappointingly small in portion size.  Traditional desserts, priced at $8, include seasonal fruit cobbler, Southern pecan tart and chocolate toffee layer cake.

As we finish our meal, Christine and I talk about the things we’re working on in our lives — my next magazine project, Christine’s next Humane Society fundraiser — then the conversation turns back to the things we need to do to stay healthy.

“One of the first things my oncologist said to me was to be serene, and live in the middle of the road,” Christine says. “It’s taken a long time for Americans to understand the Asian philosophy of living in the middle of the road, not being frenetic all the time, or angry all the time.”

Being a former space biologist for NASA, Christine added the scientific rationale behind the philosophy.  “Cortisol levels rise when you have anxiety or are frenetic,” she says. “It acts like an acid running through your bloodstream, and undermines the health of everything — your heart, your arteries. Constant noise increases cortisol levels, too. We need time for serenity, peace, and quiet, and in today’s society, that freaks people out.”

It’s sad that creating time for rest and relaxation can be frightening to some, since all work and no play just makes crazy, stressed out people.

After lunch, Christine and I head for the resort’s Relache Spa, where Christine enjoys their 50-minute signature facial ($145) and I get a 50-minute Swedish massage ($140). It’s hard to get up after your muscles have turned to mush, but Christine heads to the indoor pool for a swim, and I catch up with spa director Yolanda Harris-Jackson.

“While some consider us to be a luxury business, I consider us as fostering wellness in  life,” Harris-Jackson says. “The economy’s been crazy, but business is getting better for us. People are coming in to take better care of themselves because they’re stressed out. Conventions are adding new rejuvenation breaks during their meetings.”

The spa created a three-hour mind-body-spirit session that convention groups can add to their program. Sessions include meditation, education on skin care, and a yoga, pilates or stretching class. The spa also organizes 5K runs around the property early in the morning for convention-goers.

“Groups are learning that these things help with productivity,” Harris-Jackson says.

That evening, Christine and I head to the Old Hickory Steakhouse for dinner. The restaurant, which features certified Black Angus beef from the Harris Ranch in San Joaquin Valley, is in a replica of a Southern mansion.

The menu here offers appetizers ranging from escargot with Shitake mushrooms ($13) to a poached duck foie gras with lemon cornbread cake and blackberry jam ($19). Soups and salads are standard fare, with side dishes like asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, or blue cheese and thyme potatoes au gratin, served family style for $10 each.

This time, Christine opted for the filet mignon ($39) with a crab oscar topping ($14) and a tomato salad of heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and Maytag bleu charred onions in tomato vinaigrette ($12). While the salad was light with a nice blend of flavors, the filet was overdone, which was disappointing for a steakhouse.

I chose the cast iron seared salmon with grilled romaine, summer squash, and panzella  salad ($36), which was delicious. Bits of fried zucchini blossom and roasted pepper gave the dish a nice texture, and the salmon was done perfectly.

When it came to dessert, I couldn’t resist the chocolate hazelnut bar with espresso anglaise ($12), which was scrumptious. Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?

The resort has a good blend of restaurants that offer fare at various price ranges, but as our experience at Old Hickory Steakhouse shows, what you get on any given day is only as good as the cook and waiter on duty.

For example, we had a very nice meal at the moderately priced Jack Daniels, where we stopped in for breakfast before checking out. Designed to be a night spot in the evenings, Jack Daniels is experimenting with breakfast fare, and offers a buffet for $13.95.

The scrambled eggs, biscuit and gravy, fried green tomatoes, hash brown casserole and Texas toast give a nod to Southern tastebuds, with some Southern grits that had Christine swooning.

It was hard to leave after two days of eating without restraint, getting pampered at the spa, and enjoying the holiday sights at Opryland. Clearly, we picked the right place for our girls weekend.
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For room rates and special packages, check out http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-opryland/.

Ignoring the rocky economy, we decided to celebrate her continued remission recently  with a girls’ weekend at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville near her home.  Call us sentimental, but being surrounded by beautiful holiday decorations in a landmark resort that has come back from a devastating flood was particularly inspirational.

When Middle Tennessee experienced a series of storms last May, the resort and its indoor atriums were flooded under 10 feet of water and had to close for several months.  Walking through the resort today, you’d never know that guests had to be evacuated in the pouring rain as electricity failed and darkness fell over the area.

“The lower rooms flooded in the Delta section of the hotel, and people were bused to a local high school,” remembers Hollis Malone, director of horticulture at Gaylord Opryland. “It was a horrible sight to see all the chairs floating over all my plants. It was all mud. When the water in the Cumberland River went down, we mucked the place out, and cleaned and disinfected the hotel. Everyone rallied to the cause.”

More than 3,000 cubic feet of soil was removed to get the odor and contaminants out, and while the plants outside the hotel survived, much of the greenery inside was destroyed. So Malone ordered new plants and restored the gardens with 14 tractor-loads of greenery.

“I like to display different varieties of plants because most people don’t get to see them,” says Malone, pointing out various poinsettias — Sonora White Glitter, White Star, Ice Punch and more — on display for the holidays. “Artificial light makes the bracts fade, so we change them out a couple of times during the season. In the conservatory, no matter what the weather is outside, you feel like it’s a a good day in here.”

Malone’s staff takes care of the waterfalls and fish in the ponds, and maintains 10 greenhouses that are the holding ground for green plants on the property. This year, they’ve also strung more than 200,000 Christmas lights inside and two million lights in  the trees outside.

Walking among the twinkling lights creates a feeling of wonder and joy, reminding the spirit that no matter what happens, Love will prevail. In a world where daily schedules can be frenetic, it often takes a jolt — like a health crisis — to make us stop and think about what we’re doing.

Christine’s cancer diagnosis made her examine her life and slow down for the really important things. Her illness made me appreciate our time together all the more, and while we live in different parts of the country, we both resolved to visit together in person more often.

That evening, Christine and I head for Ravello, a new Italian restaurant at the resort named after a resort town on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Ravello features seafood, spices and vegetables from the area, as well as cheeses and wines from the Campagna region.

The maitre d’fromage comes by with an antipasti selection of cured meats and cheeses that looks wonderful, so we choose a few to try (price varies by selection), along with an eggplant parmesan appetizer ($12) and a caprese salad of mozzarella cheese, slow roasted jewel box tomatoes, and fried basil leaves ($11), which we shared.

I’m not a big fan of cured meats, but the prosciutto di Parma was fabulous, and the Asiago cheese was delicious. The eggplant parmesan had a nice flavor, but was not as tender as we would have liked. Both of us thought the eggplant rind should have been peeled off, which makes eggplant easier to digest. The peeled cherry tomatoes in the caprese salad, however, were outstanding with the mozzarella cheese and garlic olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pesto dressing.

For our entrees, Christine chose the sea scallops and sweet potato ravioli in pumpkin seed pesto with whipped marscapone cheese ($32), and I ordered the filet mignon, served over butternut squash risotto, with mushroom conserva and crispy spinach ($42). Both of us were impressed with our dishes.

Our waiter, a fellow named Samir from Egypt, was so attentive, he asked whether my “medium” preference for the filet mignon should be closer to medium rare or medium well. The steak was done to perfection, which is rare for a non-steakhouse restaurant, and presented beautifully with the risotto and spinach.

Christine had no room for dessert, but I couldn’t resist, and ordered the tiramisu semifredo ($8), which was made with semi-frozen mascarpone blended with espresso and layered between ladyfingers.  All I can say is… I cleaned the plate.  Yum!

Our only criticism of Ravello was the design of the chairs, which have elongated seats. They’re cushy to sit on, but we noticed that all the women in the restaurant sat as we did — forward on the edge of their seats, without support for their backs. The men who had longer legs, however, could sit back and looked perfectly comfortable.

At the end of the meal, Samir packed a little leftover box for us and shared that he’d worked at Gaylord Opryland for more than a decade. “I take great joy in serving people,” he said. “I ask God every day to tell me how I can better serve.”

Reminders of what is important in life clearly comes into our lives every day.  All we have to do is listen.

In the latest installment of “The Twilight Saga,” scheduled for release on Friday, Nov. 18, Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart) is prepared to give up her mortality as she marries vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). What she’s not prepared to give up is the unexpected child conceived on their honeymoon.

Helping Bella through the wedding and pregnancy is vampire Alice Cullen, portrayed by Ashley Greene, who has come to love her human friend and new sister-in-law.

“Over the course of the saga, you see the sweet, optimistic side of Alice, who embraces Bella,” says Greene. “Then you see her get a little darker and sassy. In this film, you see her planning the wedding, and she becomes the controller.”

The fashionable Alice is in her element, orchestrating everything from the wedding guest list to Bella’s honeymoon lingerie. When Bella’s pregnancy endangers the human’s life, Alice feels torn over her friend’s decision to carry out the pregnancy when  her psychic abilities fail her.

“Alice can’t see Bella’s future anymore, and the baby creates this static in her head,” says Greene, who is intrigued by her character’s ability to see the future. “I want to know everything’s going to be okay in life, and that I’m making the right decision, but if we had the ability to see our future, everyone would be constantly changing their decisions and creating chaos. I like the mystery of life.”

Greene — who is slated to star in the upcoming “Butter,” a comedy co-starring Jennifer Garner and Hugh Jackson, and “L.O.L.” with Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore — has used her celebrity to act as the spokesperson for m.powerment by mark, an initiative committed to breaking the cycle of dating abuse and partner violence affecting young women. Mark is the beauty and fashion boutique brand of Avon Products, Inc.

“I have a large young fan base, and mark came to me about being their brand ambassador,” Greene says. “I saw how involved they are philanthropically with the cause, so agreed to doit. Girls between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest percentage of abuse in relationships, and it’s important for young girls to know people are there to support them.”

The support Greene’s character gives Bella and Edward is unconditional, a choice the vampire comes to make as she comes to understand that who we are is not defined by what we look like.

The themes of boundless friendship, acceptance, finding your true self and love are all part of the process of growing up, and this movie shows a deeper emotional thread than previous films in the franchise.

“Nothing in life ever stays the same,” Greene says. “There might be a moment in time when things seem stable, but every day, there are different elements, factors, and people who affect us. Teenagers like to think they know everything, but that’s their Achilles heel.”

The actress says the world of “Twilight” captures people’s imaginations because vampires are mysterious and untouchable, yet when the characters are paired with the concept of unattainable love, or being in a love triangle, fans find much to relate to.

In this latest film, Greene’s character exemplifies a true friend.

“Friendship means loyalty, and being there through everything,” Greene says. “You’re not always going to agree with someone, and it’s your job as a friend to be there for people.”

Spoken like a vampire who knows that blood is thicker than water.