Help Me Be a Fun Grandma. I Need Ideas for My Babysitting Week
I agreed to provide child care for a week this summer. Help me be a fun grandma. Tell me, how do I keep two kids, 8 and 5, entertained? Read more.
A Brutal Forced March Across Germany — A ‘Wrestling with God’ Story
Decades after he endured a brutal forced march across Germany, World War II POW Robert Tharratt told his story for my book, “Wrestling with God.” Read more.
Getting Older: I’m Not ‘Keeping Busy’
I’m getting older and older. I’m not ‘keeping busy.’ I’m busy, which is not the same thing. Read more.
Widowed: My Husband Is Missing Out — On the Sight of Two Galaxies Dancing in Space
I’ve been widowed three years. My husband has missed out on a lot in that time, including a parade of images from the Webb Space Telescope. Read more.
Widowed: Marriage Mistakes — If I Could Have a Do-Over, Would I?
Widowed, I think often of my marriage mistakes. Did I leave too many tender words unsaid? Too many small kindnesses undone? Should I have mated his socks for him after I took them out of the dryer? Read more.
Widowed: We Were Two People — And a Marriage
Jon and I were two people — and the marriage we’d created over the years. Read more.
‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ — Fun Words, Now Playing in Berkeley
Good natured but dead serious, “The Lifespan of a Fact,” raises questions that writers of nonfiction are constantly asking themselves. Read more.
That Old Tub-Shower Has Got to Go
That old tub-shower has got to go. A stall shower will be much safer. No quartz for me, though. I’m going for colorful tile and a 1950s vibe. Read more.
Widowed: Are Tears Recyclable?
A tear-drenched tissue — do I put it in the trash? Or into the recycle bin? I wondered, I’m widowed: are my tears recyclable? Read more.
Writing Retreat Report — I Got Some Work Done. Thanks for Holding Me Accountable
On my retreat I discovered that those columns I wrote as a young mom back in the 20th century have a lot to say to the 21st century. Read more.