April, 28 years ago, we adopted our youngest daughter, Caryn. It was among the first open adoptions in the state. Open adoption was new enough that we had to go...
We occasionally have traveled with friends or relatives. We’ve rarely had an issue because such trips have been few and far between. So, when I planned a Caribb...
Education can completely change communities. This past summer we went to the 125th anniversary of Kulm, ND, my father-in-law’s hometown. Between its 100th&...
Traditionally we start the New Year with resolutions. While as many as 45 percent of Americans say they usually do this, only eight percent are successful in ac...
Tis the season that ads are full of large family gatherings celebrating Christmas. But what if the family is small?
When we could not travel with our young d...
In November we honor our veterans, but their families often sacrificed, too. And frequently, they carry the stories of their vets.
Last month the Operation S...
On October 8 hundreds of Chicagoans will participate in the 40th Chicago Marathon as part of World Visions fundraiser for clean water, worldvision.org/our-work/...
Like many in Naperville, my church sends missions throughout the U.S. and the world. For many years, we have worked with El Ayudante (EA), an agency committed t...
As the mother (and grandmother) of girls, I am hyperconscious of the messages they receive. They have more choices than the ones I did as a young woman. But the...
Last month my nephew and I agreed to a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order for my mother. As co-guardians, we had separately agonized about telling the other how we ...
I’ve mentioned sporting events several times in this column. My favorite was embarking on my first 5K… for bacon. The reward, besides the health benefit, was un...
We spent Easter with family in Pensacola, Florida, a mini-reunion of my husband’s immediate family.
Reunions have been a part of Roger’s family for decades. ...
In Hitchcock's classic thriller Rear Window, the wheelchair bound protagonist (Jimmy Stewart) suspects that his neighbor has killed his wife and shipped her par...
Last month I attended my first service at a Greek Orthodox Church. I have seen many infant baptisms, but the triple full immersion of a naked baby was a first. ...
Recently I had a blast from the past when a woman I grew up with called. I have not seen or talked to her in years. An Afro-American, Erma is married to a white...
It is not unusual to see a movie and get excited about visiting that location. Any James Bond movie is a travelers dream. Even Thelma and Louise inspired movieg...
Here we are again trying to figure out what to give or request for Christmas, a ritual fraught with anxiety and worry, or anticipation. If it’s right, there is ...
On November 11 we celebrate Veterans Day, commemorating the armistice that ended the Great War when a peace treaty was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day i...
I often throw a load of clothes in the dryer or start the dishwasher before I charge out the door—it’s efficient.
I know, I know, it’s also not a good idea. Di...
I recently passed one of those massive flags at a gas station. I’m sure it was supposed to show their love of country; instead what I saw was a tattered, faded ...
