Widowhood had done nothing to curb my smart mouth. So much for diplomacy.

I took a job at the pool in order to earn the five cents a day it cost to swim. I counted wet towels. As a bonus, I was allowed to swim during lunchtime.

The newspapers loved pinup pictures of pretty young swimmers, and as a national champion, I got more than my share of space in the sports pages.

Somehow I kept my head above water. I relied on the discipline, character, and strength that I had started to develop as that little girl in her first swimming pool.

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.

To go back, the mistake that Universal Studios made with 'Dawn of the Dead' was that they didn't have enough money or cared enough to make a soundtrack.

Thoughtful financial planning can easily take a backseat to daily life.

If I had been on 'Bowling for Dollars', I'd wind up owing them money.