I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Jaiya John at a conference I attended along with my daughter, in San Diego many years ago. He was the keynote speaker and emcee for an audience of thousands of attendees that included social workers, school teachers, and, like me, CASAs. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. These volunteers dedicate their time to a non-profit organization called Voices for Children, representing children in the foster care system in a variety of ways including being Read more [...]

With the Oscars happening literally hours from now, I thought it appropriate to give a nod and 5 Heart Rating to this masterpiece of a movie. The Taste of Things, or La Passion de Dodin Bouffant in French, as it is a French movie with subtitles, is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I have a tendancy to be drawn to foreign films, but this one is especially good. As a huge Juliette Binoche fan, I try to watch as much of her work as I can. Chocolat, a movie I've seen multiple times, remains Read more [...]

"Society of the Snow", brilliantly directed by J.A. Bayona, is a movie on Netflix about members of a Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the remote heart of the Andes Mountains in 1972. Survivors join forces and become each other's best hope as they navigate their way back home. "The Wager", is a non-fiction, Times Best Book of the Year written by David Grann. Yes, that David Grann - the same author of "Flowers of the Killer Moon". Contrasting with "Society of the Snow", "The Wager" is Read more [...]

Note: Today is not an easy day. I've just received not-the-best news re my dear friend's health. So I'm gonna do the things I love: blog and bake. Thanks for reading 5 Heart Rating. I'm always grateful I can do this because it brings me joy, and that even one or two people actually read it! Every "foodie" should experience actually participating in a food critic's night out tasting at various restaurants. I mention foodies especially because I realized several years ago that not everyone is Read more [...]

Fortunate for me, my adult children love Motown. They've seen The Temptations three times! So when my daughter asked if I'd like to kick off the holiday season by seeing "A Motown Christmas" with her, I replied with a resounding "Yes!" Of course, she already knew I'd want to go. But both of us were absolutely blown away by the experience. Nothing could have prepared us for the nearly non-stop 3-hour performance by this incredibly talented group of musicians. Vocals comprised of past members of Read more [...]