Veteran's Day gives us all a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to the women and men who, over the years, have endured hardships and made sacrifices to protect our basic freedoms. Some people attend local services or community parades, others take the time to remember more quietly. How do you feel most comfortable expressing your patriotism or nationalism?

There is hardly a family that hasn't been touched by either the pain of conflict and war or the grief of loss.

Is the commercialism of the holidays getting you down? How would you like to spend less time racking up credit card debt and more time putting heart into your relationships? It's important to appreciate the tradition of giving and receiving. But the accumulation of stuff can't hold a candle to the gift that matters most. This year, recreate the joy of simpler days by giving the gift of connection to your family.

As your kidults begin to pack up for college, does the thought of creating a more grown-up nest sound good? Can you visualize more simplicity and less chaos? Think about what it would be like to clean out the drawers, give away the memorabilia your kids don't want, get rid of all the stuff they're outgrown and make your home yours again.

If you decide to make a change, it will be an ongoing process filled with both positive and negative emotions.

Although present day Halloween activities revolve around trick-or-treating and costume parties, historically masks were worn to placate the evil spirits. You may not be frightened by pumpkins carved into eerie faces nor believe in witches and goblins. But when is the last time you thought seriously about the "ghosts" that have been haunting you far too long?

The negative feelings that you may be experiencing - from time to time or perhaps more regularly - could be due to normal unhappiness, stress from overload, situational sadness, or even clinical depression.

Oprahbama, the big O's, Oprah and the Obamas - sounds like a rock band on a road trip. As Oprah hit the campaign trail, her candidate played the celebrity card and the female fan base responded. When you need it, the value of support cannot be overestimated.

Oprah is a driving force, with her message of empowering women and her success at moving product.

On almost a daily basis, as Sandwiched Boomers, you are bombarded by a variety of tasks involving aging parents and growing children. In addition, you're balancing a myriad of responsibilities at home with those that confront you at work. And that's without mentioning your ongoing commitment to staying healthy, losing weight and exercising regularly.

Would you like to spend less time racking up emotional debt and more time receiving dividends from your 'feeling better' bank account? Research findings show that the complex demands of family and work can really get you down. When inundated with a myriad of responsibilities, daydreaming about what you would rather be doing is a typical and common pastime.

The new Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey measured dissatisfaction and pessimism in close to 2500 participants. The data indicates that Baby Boomers worry more than any other generation. And a recent study from the University of Chicago suggests that the boomer generation has never really been happy. One hypothesis is that they grew up wanting to make the world a better place - and it's not.