This is the first time my wife had this problem so she was skeptical when I said she should go to a chiropractor. She was in a lousy mood as we made our way to Dr. Wendy. She was as stiff as a rusty robot that needed a large dose of Windex WD40. If you were on the other room you’d think she was giving birth or something. She asked me to get her something to eat so I left to get her a snack. When I came back she was done. The disappointed look on her face told me the treatment didn’t help.

Many of America's presidents have found friendship and solace in their pets. It's a tradition that goes all the way back to founding father, President George Washington, the founding father who also bred foxhounds. As of today, 46 U.S. Presidents have had pets while they resided in the White House. And, like many of us today, the pets became part of their families, offering courage, patience, forgiveness, unconditional love and comfort, particularly during stressful periods for president in office.

Do you know why Japan has an aversion towards Christianity? They say it was because the Edo rulers in the 17th century felt threatened by the missionaries. But I had a dream about how it really started. It started with a phone call.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was a night like any other night. Me and my fellow shepherds were watching over our flock of sheep. Suddenly, a guy appeared out of nowhere. And he said: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

At one time there were a lot of Christians in Turkey. In fact, the apostle Paul had planted some of the earliest churches like Ephesus and Antioch in that country which is today 99% Muslim. So where did the Christians go? Simply stated, I guess they were bullied out. In fact, the Christians and followers of other religions in Turkey are in hiding for fear of their lives. How ironic that Saint Nick would be beheaded in his own country today.

The community board meeting dragged on and has just ended; and I've been staring at the notes and clippings on my office wall for the last half hour. It's been another long day and I'm wondering what to write about for this TGIF edition. Should I talk about the birth of Jesus from my readings in the book of Matthew? Joseph was pretty admirable to support Mary through her pregnancy even though he knew the child wasn't his.

Laura, an old friend, passed away last week and Maristella (a close friend of Laura) decided to throw a religious death ritual. The intention was good but (unless Laura recently converted to another religion) I was pretty sure Laura did not believe in this tradition. Awkward, huh? Unfortunately for Laura, she had no say in the matter. A funny thought came to mind: I imagined Laura rolling out of her grave and appearing in the middle of all the long prayers demanding whose bright idea this was and everybody pointed to Maristella. Snap! That Kodak moment would have gone viral.

Zürich has a lot to offer and it’s not just a boring banking city. It has new areas like the industrial part (Zürich West), the Langstrasse, a lovely old town, nature very close and a great selection of restaurants, bars & clubs. You can swim in the middle of the city. And we have fountains with drinking water everywhere in the city.

Susanne Servin of Herzerl Tours has just returned from Vienna and the festive Advent Markets. While Ms. Servin was in Vienna she revisited two great Viennese holiday cookies, Vanillekipferl (vanilla moon/crescent shaped) and Engel Augen (Angel Eyes), in which she has generously shared the recipes with our readers. History and Recipes Vanillekipferl are sugar cookies in the shape of crescents that originated in …

Christmas is upon us. If you're traveling and reading this while waiting for your next stop, safe travels to you. If you're at your designated home for the holidays, sipping your peppermint flavored hot cocoa, watch those calories. If you're sick with a virus, I pray it isn't too bad. If you're relaxing by chestnuts roasting on an open fire, enjoy your snuggle.