“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage.” ~Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic Favorite Halloween reading / Cindy La Ferle Which do you like best — the book or the movie? When it comes to Alice Hoffman’s beloved Practical Magic, the debate has been going on since the film’s release in 1998.   “Practical Magic” homage / Cindy La Ferle Along with rereading Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, revisiting Practical Magic is one of my favorite Halloween traditions. I love how the themes of being “different” and turning to a community of women for support are…

“The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.” ~Robert Frost   In case you haven’t seen it yet, Prevention magazine’s October “Love Your Age” issue is a winner. The special edition includes more than 40 pages of pro-aging content, including a piece about four inspiring female athletes in their eighties, plus an in-depth report on the science and scams of anti-wrinkle products. In particular, I was fascinated by the results of Prevention‘s extensive national survey on various aging topics. Here are just a few highlights from the survey:*Despite the stereotype of the “crabby old woman,” many of us get happier and less stressed as we age:“Nearly half of the women in their…