the HOPE chronicles blog

During one of many shopping excursions with my late husband, he would hold doors open for others. Without missing a beat, each person would casually glide in the door as if his holding it for them was an expectation, not a courtesy.   Not one thank you. After the second time it happened I was irritated. …

In celebration of the upcoming Resurrection Sunday, this month’s blog will be a lesson on the latest German word to make its way into the American lexicon. Let’s say it together: Schadenfreude. Don’t forget to enunciate! A little slower this time: Shaa-duhn-froy-duh. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary the word is defined as “enjoyment obtained from the trouble of others.”…

I remember reading an interview Vanessa Williams gave after the groundbreaking success of the 2006 hit tv show, Ugly Betty. Did she ever imagine being this successful after the Miss America scandal?”  Inquiring minds wanted to know.  Vanessa’s response?  With a signature shrug of her shoulders, she said: “I always knew that it would be just a…