From the moment a child is born, the milestone monitoring begins. The first smile, the age they roll over or sit up or crawl. We track when they start walking and talking and holding a spoon. These metrics are used to ensure a child is developing at the “normal” pace. If not, there are interventions. […]

From the moment a child is born, the milestone monitoring begins. The first smile, the age they roll over or sit up or crawl. We track when they start walking and talking and holding a spoon. These metrics are used to ensure a child is developing at the “normal” pace. If not, there are interventions. […]

While scrolling through Facebook recently, I came across several dog-related posts on a friend’s page. They were about her eighteen-year-old pup, Gizmo. His health was failing and she’d been taking him to the vet frequently. Over a period of days, the posts went from distressing health updates to announcing she’d made the tough decision to […]

Reconnecting with old friends is one of life’s best rewards. Sharing memories from the past and realizing you have even more in common after all “those years” is a wonderful gift. My husband and I were fortunate to experience this type of “friendship refresh” when we caught up with our former Champaign neighbors, Alan and […]

Like most people, I’d love world peace in 2024. Also, cures for all diseases, ample food and clean water for everyone, to eradicate crime, end pollution and do away with natural disasters. But let’s face it, we live in an imperfect world – and while we need to keep working towards at those goals, I […]

A grab bag of observations on holiday decorating, gifting, movies, dining traditions and more! Behold my seasonal musings: Deck the halls: Holiday decor is a personal thing. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to choosing the number of trees, holiday displays or outdoor Christmas lights. My friend Kathy goes all-in with eleven (!) […]

As I walked into the grocery store last week, I heard the familiar bell one associates with the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign. A young woman was ringing the bell and smiling as people walked into and out of the store. Some people scurried by avoiding eye contact, while others dropped coins or bills into […]

In just a few days, people from all around the country will gather with loved ones as they celebrate Thanksgiving. It is truly my favorite holiday. Because the goal is admirable. A day of gratitude among family and friends. Not everyone shares my high regard of the day. It can be a lonely time for […]

This boomer turned 60 last month. I’ve never had an issue with age – “it’s just a number” and all that. This wasn’t an existential crisis. Still, milestone birthdays make one think, evaluate and yes, reminisce. Seems like just yesterday I was celebrating the big 5-0 on a girl’s weekend. How could ten years fly […]

Since I retired a little over a year ago, I’ve made it a point to do something “productive” each day. What exactly that means is open to interpretation. For some productivity relates to work type tasks, for others, it’s household chores and management or time spent on hobbies, self-improvement etc. Most of the time, I […]