Ever since I did my DNA and found that I was 35 percent Swedish, I have wanted to visit the country. I had the opportunity in May to go for ten days. Friends moved there about two years ago to a little town outside Stockholm called Orebro. I was enchanted by the Hellmark Family, Magnus, Mary, and their two daughters, […]

In a field of milkweed, Rob Perez sits with Mary the Monarch Butterfly. Rob Perez: Mary, thank you for taking the time. Mary: My pleasure. RP: Do you enjoy being a butterfly? M: It’s nice to finally be an adult. And flying is fun. RP: About that. Some say your flight pattern is, how shall we say, a bit erratic. […]

According to the Oxford Dictionary, TRUST is defined as “a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” I’ve always been trusting, sometimes a little too much so, as I believe in the basic goodness of people. I value honesty, truth, and integrity, qualities encouraged by my family and friends. Well, usually. I didn’t trust […]