Health, Fitness and Style

Rose Madeline Mula writes: At some point we have to decide whether we want to be fashionable or healthy. It should be an easy choice. Of course my health is more important. On the other hand, those stilettos do make my legs look fantastic. And if I end up in a wheel chair unable to walk, I can wear those gorgeous shoes all the time! more »

"Despite the low numbers, Sebelius touted the overall level of interest in buying health insurance. We expect enrollment will grow substantially throughout the next five months, mirroring the pattern that Massachusetts experienced," she said in a release before the official announcement of the enrollment figures. The states with their own exchanges outperformed those in the federal exchange: 3,736 signed up in Colorado; 4,418 in Connecticut; 5,586 in Kentucky; 16,404 in New York; and 7,091 in Washington (Kennedy, 11/13)." more »

Tommy and I have just expanded our family: a boy and a girl. They arrived not as bundles from heaven, but in a Jeep and on a bicycle. In truth, they are young adult companions for my husband — miracles of referrals rather than biology or science — who I've hired to give me respite from 'round-the-clock caregiving. more »

Val Castronovo writes: Girl's head, shoulder, garments and accessories stand out against a dark, solid background, which is blackened now but once was translucent green. The effect is rather like the effect of looking at this painting in an otherwise empty room — just as everything is stripped away in the Oval Room so that our attention is laser-focused on Girl, so everything is stripped away in the background of the painting itself so that we zero in on the figure’s physiognomy and accoutrements, which signal mercantile wealth and prosperity. more »