If you take care of your body, you’ll have a chance to enjoy a “full life.”

Taking care of yourself begins with an annual physical exam from your doctor.

One of the biggest benefits is the many results of blood tests.

They tell you how your body is performing in important areas.

After reading the results, your doctor will make helpful recommendations that can make you heathier and extend your lifespan.

Some of these recommendations could include changes to your prescriptions, diet or exercise.

I think many of us don’t get an annual checkup because we feel fine.

That’s a mistake.

Problems can be building within your body that don’t demonstrate symptoms immediately.

Take the time. Make an appointment today. You won’t regret it.

If not today, when?

With all the stresses of our lives, we must find the time and place to make ourselves cozy!

DEFINITION: Giving a feeling of comfort, warmth and relaxation.

Do you seek out such opportunities?

Here are some thoughts:

Curling up with a good book.

Wearing your favorite robe.

Taking a break with your favorite warm beverage.

Having a phone conversation with an old friend.

Giving yourself some ALONE TIME.

Taking a “cat nap.”

You deserve a break, a planned time out, so that you can “chill.”

Your body, your mind and your soul need a time of “relief” every day to rewind.

Start today.

If not today, when?

In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed the first national holiday of Thanksgiving.

He chose a date in late November for people to express gratitude for “the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty.”

TRANQUILITY?

Today’s society is a far cry from tranquil.

Unfortunately, this is not the America our first president experienced during his term.

No, today we are divided into the RED and BLUE states which are always at odds with one another.

UNION?

I believe his use of the term UNION meant that we Americans were together and spoke with one voice,

Unfortunately, we are quite divided and speak with many voices that often vehemently disagree.

PLENTY?

We are still a land of PLENTY.

We grow our own crops.

We raise our own livestock.

We gather our own seafood.

Although we are still a land of PLENTY, millions of Americans still go to bed hungry!

The weather experts are telling us that Climate Change will bring less predictable and more violent weather patterns.

Already we’re seeing changes.

Droughts where there were never droughts.

Floods where there were never floods.

Cyclones and hurricanes are active in strange places.

Sea levels are rising as the polar ice cap is melting.

The mighty Mississippi River is so shallow, it is beginning to flow upstream driven by the rush of salty ocean water.

Traditional sources of fresh water like Lake Meade and the Colorado river are drying up.

So, what is my suggestion in the midst of all these changes?

Don’t ignore these changes because your weather may never return to “Normal!”

Look at your local situation.

Are present and future living conditions acceptable and sustainable?

If not, should you consider moving?

If you do move, will you find acceptable employment?

Make future weather predication part of planning your future.

New York-based firm Studio Sofield has unveiled the interiors of Steinway Tower, the newly constructed 1,428-foot-tall tower overlooking Central Park.

The announcement marks the completion of the opulent midtown Manhattan landmark, which was built on a site once occupied by the historic Steinway & Sons piano company.

The 91-story skyscraper, also known as 111 West 57th Street, contains 46 full-floor and duplex residences.

Photos released this month by the designers show opulent lobbies decked out in limestone, marble, blackened steel and velvet, floors paved in smoke-gray solid oak and original artworks by Picasso and Matisse.

According to Studio Sofield, Steinway Tower’s interiors were designed to evoke the grandeur of New York’s Gilded Age.

It sits on a Midtown street, filled with gleaming towers, that has become known as “Billionaire’s Row.”

Seven Michigan State players face criminal charges stemming from the postgame altercation with Michigan players Oct. 29.

Khary Crump was charged with felonious assault, the only felony among the charges. Jacoby Windon was charged with assault and battery, while Itayvion Brown, Angelo Grose, Justin White, Brandon Wright and Zion Young each face one count of aggravated assault.

Several players were captured on video fighting a Michigan player in the tunnel after the Wolverines earned a 29-7 win. (CNN)

Every player who participates in a competitive sport knows one team will win and one will lose.

Thus, the need for sportsmanship arises after every contest.

Sportsmanship took a backseat to revenge after the Michigan-Michigan State game when Michigan players were attacked by MSU players upon exiting the field.

Sportsmanship provides an essential lesson that prepares players for life itself.

Because, in life, you win some and lose some!

Hopefully, you’ll be spending Thanksgiving with loved ones.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 when Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Tribe shared an autumn harvest fest.

So, it was also a celebration of the peaceful co-existence of the two, very different cultures.

Tomorrow, bring your patience to the celebration.

Many of today’s American families are very diverse.

Just celebrate the fact that you have loved ones.

Each person sitting around the table has their own opinions about various topics that may clash with your opinions.

At least for tomorrow, set those differences aside and be kind to one another.

You have much to be thankful for.

Act like it!

If not tomorrow, when.

Gabby Gifford, who was shot in the head by an assailant, has a motto, “Move Ahead.”

Gabby is right.

We can’t and shouldn’t live in the past, but we can learn from the past.

If we decide to put into practice what we’ve learned in the past, I call that WISDOM!

We must also admit, however, that lessons learned in the past may not always apply to our rapidly changing world.

I guess I’m showing my age when I observe that things are getting worse, not better.

I’m afraid many of the people we elect to public office put there own ambitions ahead of Country!

We owe it to all the people lying under those white crosses at Arlington national cemetery to be first and foremost PATRIOTS as they were PATRIOTS who paid the “ultimate price” for Country.

Let’s follow Gabby’s slogan and “move ahead” doing something every day to make America better!

If not today, when?

An example of “Little Things Mean A Lot.”

A lady went to a Dollar Store to purchase greeting cards.

As she entered the store, she couldn’t find any available baskets in which to carry the cards.

So, she picked out ten greeting cards she wanted to purchase.

Unfortunately, they all fell out of her hands onto the floor.

She went up to the front of the store to see if some baskets might be available now.

She returned to the dropped greeting cards empty handed.

While she was gone, another customer found a pan to hold them and picked the cards up off the floor.

There was a complete stranger helping another stranger.

Each of us, every day, can make our world a better place.

“Little Things Mean A Lot!”

One of our granddaughters is a varsity high school volleyball player.

Her team just won its third state championship in a row.

At one point, during the state championship game, her team was behind 17 to 10.

In the game of volleyball, that is considered an almost insurmountable lead because the first team that gets to 25 wins.

Well, her team mounted a huge comeback, erased the 7 point deficit and went on to win that game.

The lesson here is that we should never give up on ourselves or our ability to make a comeback.

Don’t be a quitter.

Stay in the game.

If not today, when?