We’ll be welcoming in a new decade!

What are your hopes and dreams for 2020?

It’s an election year. Though we always steer clear of politics, we will never stop reminding you of your responsibility to vote in every election. Imagine the kind of world you want for you and your family, and then expand those thoughts to include your friends, neighbors, community members, fellow Americans and fellow human beings. Is your world inclusive or exclusive? Listen to the candidates and look at their track records before you cast your vote in local, state and federal elections. Be an informed voter – listen to different news sources and most importantly, double check what you hear.

Will you be making any New Years Resolutions? We’ll tell you the best way to stay on track to achieve those resolutions.

I’ve decided 2020 will be our official year to promote education. Hopefully, we’ll be interviewing some teachers from around the United States and the world to get their perspective on learning. Also, learning is something that is not confined to school hours, grades K-12 or your college years. Learning is a lifelong pursuit. Read, discuss, debate… take classes or learn as you go. Throughout the year, we’ll be highlighting ways to learn and hopefully we’ll be learning too.

Our wonderful writing team will be back with articles of interest and we’ll be courting guest contributors to bring some new ideas to This Awful Awesome Life.

Linda Cahill will have more great recipes and products from Pampered Chef to make your time in the kitchen shine and Orlando Bartro will continue to entertain us with unique and thought provoking articles every month. Patricia Petrusik will keep us informed about the dangers of substance abuse and ways family members can help each other cope during stressful times. Author Jim O’Brien will charm us with stories about Pittsburgh sports greats and family life and we’ll keep tabs on contributing authors such as Robin Barefield, Ann Howley, Annette Dashofy and J.J. Hensley to see what’s they are doing in the new decade.