IT'S VACATION TIME
Take the Train
Try this the next time you’re traveling: On your next flight, or at a rest area or travel center along the interstate, ask fellow travelers you encounter, "Where are you going?" One thing they're likely to say is "I'm going on vacation." Now ask that question of people onboard a long-distance train—say Amtrak's Chicago-Seattle Empire Builder or VIA Rail Canada's Vancouver-Toronto Canadian—and you're more likely to hear "I'm on vacation." The train is the only form of transportation that inspires people to think of it as part of their vacation, not as something they have to endure to get to someplace they'll enjoy.

FAMILY HISTORIES & OTHER TALES
A Letter to My Cousin
Dear Alicia …You wrote to say “Thank you” for the family history album of the Dworakoska line of our family and to ask how it was possible to accumulate so much information. You were curious to know how you might go about doing the same for your husband’s family. Your questions took me back a dozen years and reminded me that the 200 pages of information in that album were merely a quarter of what has been accumulated.

BUNCO
Strength, Encouragement, and Dice
What do granny panties, pomegranate martinis, and lots of food and laughter have in common? They have all made an appearance at our monthly Bunco gatherings! In case you’ve never heard of Bunco, let me enlighten you. Bunco is a dice game that dates back to eighteenth-century England. It gained popularity as a gambling game in the United States in the 1800s during the California Gold Rush but has evolved to become a game with the main goals of social interaction, fun, and friendship. In 1996 the World Bunco Association[http://www.worldbunco.com/] was formed, and today more than 29 million women are Bunco advocates. To play, you need only12 fun-loving people, 3 tables, 9 dice, 12 pencils, and a score sheet for each person. Each player also brings $5 to put in “the pot.” At the end of the game, winners are decided and prize money is distributed.

REAL PEOPLE EMPTY NESTING
An Interview with Helene Moccia: Finding God’s Treasure House
Helene Moccia had a lot going on in her life: a loving husband, three growing boys, and a family business taking root in the community, and for years she threw herself into all of it with gusto and grace. But then, the boys grew up and went off to college, the family restaurant thrived, and Helene felt that she wanted to do more. Something different. Something lasting. Just as she was contemplating the situation, an opportunity presented itself for her to become a pen pal to a woman in prison. Helene readily agreed. Over eight years, a friendship developed, one that would lead to the foundation of “God’s Treasure House”—a faith-based “transitional living center” for women leaving prison. Helene had found her new, empty-nesting career.

More!