Heather Lalley

Think of it as a papaya on steroids. The Mexican papaya tastes much like its more-common Hawaiian relative, only it's much, much bigger.

Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Donna Shaffer is counting.

The 9 a.m. shuttle from the Fairwinds Retirement Community ferries residents to grocery stores and pharmacies and shopping malls. Kathleen Taft takes the shuttle each day, too. Only it's her ride to work.

It started with such good intentions. I would follow the newly revised food pyramid to a T for a few days. I'd eat more healthfully, maybe be on my way toward losing those pounds that don't seem to want to get lost. And then I'd be able to report here about how to make sense of the new pyramid. And, of course, I'd report on what a good girl I'd been, and how I'd eaten the recommended 2½ cups of veggies and 1½ cups of fruits each day while carefully adhering to my 195-calorie limit on added fats and sugars.

In your opinion, golf is: A. A game best played while driving a motorized cart and chugging back a few cold ones.

Given the choice, most of us would probably choose the "burpless" variety of just about anything – say, a pastrami sandwich, a pint of beer, a slice of pizza – over a burpy one. If only the folks who sold English cucumbers played up those burp-free qualities, these long, slender vegetables could be more famous than their common cousins.

It sounds a little like hocus-pocus: Psychotherapy that resolves old traumas in just a few sessions. Without having to dredge up a host of painful memories. All while the therapist waves his or her fingers in front of a patient's eyes.

Chocolate, the sweet treat we grew up munching in the form of Kisses and nougat-filled bars, is getting the royal treatment once reserved for fine wine, aged cheeses and $4 cups of coffee. Oh, sure, we're still gobbling Snickers and Baby Ruths from vending machines and stashing some in our carts at the supermarket checkout aisle. But a growing number of chocoholics are taking their passion to the next level.

Vivian Dennis hadn't seen a doctor in two years. But that changed last week, when a woman in blue scrubs with a big black duffel bag showed up at her door. "Hello, I'm Dr. Ashley," the doctor said, bending toward Dennis' wheelchair to take her hand. "How are you?" Truth is, Dennis isn't so great. The 87-year-old Valley woman broke her knee moving from her chair to her bed two years ago. Since then, she hasn't been able to walk or get into the car to see a doctor. She's most concerned about several suspicious spots on her face and body. But she also has high blood pressure, a flagging appetite and a fungal infection on her foot.

Bigger is better when it comes to the mango. That's because this fruit, which originated in India, contains a massive seed in the center. So, a bigger mango means, of course, more fruit.

Depending on how you look at it, Don Billingslea was either quite unlucky — or very, very lucky. The 68-year-old Coeur d'Alene man was stricken with polio in 1945. He was eight years old then and living in Texas. He woke up with deep, terrible cramps in his legs and could hardly move them. His mother had to help him straighten his legs, but the cramps wouldn't go away.

Kids can expect all of their favorite summertime activities at Camp Eyabsut. There's hiking and swimming. There's a rock wall to climb. And arts and crafts projects to tinker with. But this camp, which takes place each July in North Bend, Wash., is special: All of the campers are burn survivors. "We do a lot of team building," says camp manager Rosemary Owens-Lieske. "They are building a network of support for themselves." Camp Eyabsut, which is organized by the Northwest Burn Foundation, is one of several summer camps for children with special needs. There are also camps in this area for kids with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, developmental disabilities and other medical concerns.

The Terri Schiavo case has made people more aware of the importance of making their end-of-life wishes known. Here's what you should know: What is an advance directive? It is a legal document that sets forth how you want to be treated should you become ill and unable to make your medical wishes known. There are two kinds of directives: a living will and a durable health care power of attorney. You should have both.

Broccoli rabe by any other name is still … a leafy green. But broccoli rabe (pronounced "rahb") is also known is broccoli raab, rapini, turnip broccoli, Italian or Chinese broccoli, broccoli rape and Italian turnip. Despite its name (or most of its names, anyway), broccoli rabe is actually related to turnips and cabbage. The vegetable makes frequent appearances in Italian and Asian cooking, but is growing in popularity in this country.

Samoa is a handful; a handsome, 125-pound malamute who's like "having three dogs in one," says his owner, Dave DeFelice. The 6-year-old dog has also been troubled by allergies since his puppy days. Red patches would erupt on his skin. His eyes would water.

The Terri Schiavo case has made people more aware of the importance of making their end-of-life wishes known. Here's what you should know: What is an advance directive? It is a legal document that sets forth how you want to be treated should you become ill and unable to make your medical wishes known. There are two kinds of directives: a living will and a durable health care power of attorney. You should have both.