Isn’t it amazing how time flies? Especially when you’re having fun, which is something we’ve had plenty of since launching Real Women magazine two years ago. Of course, we’ve had our share of growing pains but with each issue we publish, one thing remains constant: our goal to provide interesting and informative articles about the women in our communities and the issues that affect them.

For example, have you ever wondered what it would be like to be psychic? If you were, would you be able to pick the winning lottery numbers? Well, we’ve got the answer to that question and many more in our newest column, “An interview with”. Each month, writer Nicole Laidler will pose the questions you always wanted to ask people who live and work out of the ordinary.

With the onset of summer comes swimsuit season. Fear not, we can feel your pain. So why not minimize it with some alternatives for the beach or for lounging around the pool? Fashion writer Susan Jacobs has some great options this month for how not to wear a bathing suit. Her helpful advice might just make it safe for you to actually go in the water this year.

Summer also brings us much-needed downtime, so be sure to check out our summer reading list in “Readers Corner”. Wanda Lynne Young has compiled a great selection of current novels and some tried and true classics so you’ll have plenty of choices for those quiet moments when you want to curl up with a good book.

For those who crave a little more action, how about a game of hide and seek? Add a GPS and you’ve got a high-tech and extremely challenging version known as geocaching. Travel writer Julia Browne writes all about this growing outdoor adventure trend and how to plan one of your own. Or, if you’re not up for outdoor challenges, look no further than your own basement. In her article, “Becoming a basement vintner”, Tonya Lailey paints an intoxicating picture about the pleasures to be had from home winemaking. 

Perhaps one of the most challenging things in life is being a parent, and one of the biggest issues parents deal with is when their children experiment with alcohol. It would be naive to think that the first sip won’t happen before they’re legally entitled, but perhaps parents can at least foster a healthy awareness about alcohol use. In her article, “I’ll drink to that, or will I?”, Tracey Harper-Wilson provides some insight on what motivates people to drink and how parents can help their children avoid poor choices.
 
Marriages end for many different reasons and for the people affected, one reason doesn’t make the heartbreak any easier than any other. There’s always collateral damage with divorce and sometimes the fallout never eases. Our feature article, “Living a lie – when a spouse is gay”, is a story about how a woman and her two sons worked through this experience and how each of them discovered their own meaning of love. 

Shelley Vandermolen - Editor