We all have good days and bad days. How you handle the bad days can make a difference. Or even how you handle the good days can make or sabotage a healthy eating plan.  Some people eat comfort foods when they are sad. Some eat celebratory foods when they have accomplished a goal or celebrating a wedding, holiday or other special occasions. This time of year is especially tempting to overeat on foods we do not get the rest of the year or just overeat while celebrating with family and friends. Who wants to miss out on that? more

For years, I said the thing all busy parents say when we’re wading through the drama of raising humans – the feeding and cleaning, the last-minute science projects, and the after-school activities that swallow up evenings and whole weekends. On days when I felt outnumbered by kids, errands and messes, I’d mentally reassure myself with this one hopeful phrase: “When the kids are in college, I’ll have time to take care of myself.” more

Let’s return to the 1900s and remember the variety shows we watched as the family gathered around the television with rabbit ears, static snow, and sometimes aluminum foil attachments. more

The interstate that connects my town to neighboring towns is under construction. It's going from two lanes to a much needed three. But during the road's growing pains, construction workers have erected a concrete barrier that runs along the left-hand side of the road right next to the yellow boundary line. And that short but solid wall? It scares me. more

What are liquid calories and how do they affect our overall health? Liquid calories are found in drinks like soda, juice, alcohol, coffee (flavored), sports drinks and meal replacement drinks along with many others. more

If I didn't have to share mental space with an inner 12-year-old, I would've already put on a pair of progressive glasses or bifocals and been done with it. That's what most people my age do. more

In scarcely more than a week, it seems, the verdant and overgrown woods of summer have given way to the colorful tapestry of fall. more

The U.S. Census website reports the most recent data available below: more

The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz needed oiled. Do your joints need to be oiled? more

I’m ashamed to admit this, but I spent Sunday afternoon wrapping Christmas presents. Although Halloween is this week, this old lady started wrapping presents. more

When I was a young girl, I was told I was stubborn. Looking back I think I just knew what I wanted and how I wanted to do things. Words like headstrong and independent were words I heard. My dad was not one for complements, but I heard him once tell someone. If Karen sets her mind to it, she will do it. That made me feel like he was proud of me and I could do anything. more

I’m not sure how it happened, but Tom and I raised three kids who love scary movies. It wasn’t genetic. more

While at cardiac rehab last week, the workers asked a patient why he had always worn a baseball cap. He explained he had worn a cap since he was a youngster. His wife also works out with him during his heart rehabilitation. She perks up and tells the room that once in a while, she walks into the living room and finds him sitting in his lounger in his underwear and baseball cap. more

I take pride in calling myself an Ozarker, and indeed I am. more

I have a problem. And if the first step is admitting it, here goes: I'm a snooze abuser. If there's a snooze to use, I'll do it. Again and again. more

October 22, 2019, I was biking on the Katy Trail with my sister and two good friends. I received a phone call that my oldest son had died. I was devastated to say the least. Numb for days. more

I’ve been struggling with an assignment from the Midnight Writers, a writing club I attend once a month, along with other Dallas County wordsmiths.  more

When I was a boy learning of life in the woods, my dad taught me to recognize animals by what they left behind — the contents of their scat. more

When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do – before caffeine and hygiene – is trick the dog and cat. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But the attempt has become my morning ritual – an act of love and deception. more

Walnuts, pistachios, pecans, almonds, cashews, chestnuts. Also macadamia, brazil, and peanuts. There are over 20 different varieties of delectable nuts. I have not eaten a nut I did not like. more

I overheard a conversation. “Grandma means what she says and says what she means,” my oldest granddaughter told her brother about five years ago. A few years later, he said the same to the littlest sister. more

As I sit to write this, Buffalo is preparing to host another Celtic festival to celebrate the Scots-Irish heritage of many Ozarks families. more

One of the many reasons we love food, other than survival and taste, is the way it intertwines and defines the progression of our lives. So, can you capture your life in five foods? Let's find out. more

You have always heard calories in calories out for weight loss. Does that mean calories are equal and it does not matter what you consume?  No. The same amount of fat, carbs and protein all process differently in your body. more

Why do we hold on to things, make collections as a hobby, or save fine silver for special occasions? more