Up too late, chatting with Claude and stirring cranberry conserve. When I look around the counter I feel like giving thanks for being mom.

I have to remind myself that managing my schedule effectively contributes to how satisfied I feel with my life. Take this week, for instance. My elderly neighbor had knee replacement surgery. She needed help with her cat. "Of course I'll help out," I said. No problem with that, I can manage a morning and evening visit to the cat before getting the kids to school, rushing to work in the morning and then repeating it all in the evening before dinner. But then ...

When I returned to work a year ago I quickly realized that "creating" dinner the way I used to was unsustainable. My kids were tired, I was tired, homework and showers needed to happen, evening activities were calling. I couldn't just dash out for a few ingredients. It was too much.

Whatever your thoughts on cosmetic surgery, the trend toward enhancement is most likely here to stay. So, do your research if you are thinking about getting work done. As you gather the facts, here are a few links from the cosmetic and plastic surgery project I produced for RevolutionHealth.com:

Yesterday morning's news feeds brought my attention to 2 important stories: Men not told of severity of wife's cancer Breast-conserving surgery leaves many cancer patients disappointed I'm feeling like both of these stories reflect the same core issue: that we (men and women)are not empowered to seek ample information from care providers. So,what to do?