This Month's Features

Craig Fitzgerald, 43, has been “super fortunate” when it comes to his mom’s health.

If mention of Austria conjures up images of tiny villages of flower-bedecked chalets, cows and sheep grazing on hillsides so steep you wonder how they can stand, and people who cling proudly to their colorful traditions, you’re probably picturing the Tyrol.

No offense against the Galapagos Islands. Home to giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas and other exotic creatures, the archipelago off Ecuador’s coast ranks for me and many other travelers among the top places to visit before I die.

It was no surprise to find the ability to vacation at the top of the dream list of 41 percent of survey respondents.

Every family member enjoyed tasting five mini-bars. We allowed the chocolate to melt on our tongues, as instructed, while trying to distinguish a wine-like list of textures (from smooth to granular), smells (including woodsy and fruity) and tastes (citrus, coffee, nutty).

Klugman had certain expectations of what he’d like to see in return for welcoming his daughter and granddaughters into his home in terms of sharing responsibilities and space — starting with the eating area.

As the surf laps at your feet and sand dunes stretch for as far as the eye can see under a sky filled with billowing clouds, it becomes clear that your search for the enchanting island the irrepressible Anne Shirley falls in love with is complete.

Like old friends, they chatted, caught up and reminisced.

Following a bountiful breakfast of dim sum, my wife Fyllis and I strolled along lanes lined by shops selling merchandise both familiar and unknown to us. Some stores displayed unrecognizable animal body parts, others herbal remedies said to heal a hospital full of ills.

Caring for a loved one was the number-one source of stress for 69 percent of 1,000 family caregivers surveyed in a recent study on the financial and emotional costs of caregiving.