Friends, I’m beyond words today. My 20-year-old middle kid just drove out of our driveway heading back to Michigan for his third year of college. And now I’m packing up the last of our youngest daughter’s things so we can move her into a dorm for her first year of college. I’m not good at goodbyes, so it’s a struggle to keep my head above these emotional waters. more

I’ve been doing some light reading this week. I’ve been reading the Mayo Clinic Heart Book, a textbook that teaches the basics of the workings of the human heart. This book has been particularly enlightening for me, given my family’s history of heart problems and my own health journey. more

There are less than 100 days until the election, which means the next three months will be filled with people yelling about politics on television, radio, and podcasts. There’ll be plenty of furious ALL CAPS typing on social media, too. more

I’ve no way to know as I write this who were the winners in the August primary elections. more

According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, more

Once upon a time, Sophia, the wonder puppy, lived in a modest home on a quiet street in a small town. Sophia is proving to be a positive addition to this widow’s life. more

Like the familiar little song Carol Burnett sang at the end of each week’s hour-long variety show, I would like to paraphrase the message to express my feelings about being your local newspaper’s editor for the past five years — “I’m so glad we had this time together . . . and before you know it, comes the time we have to say, ‘So long’.” I’m tugging my ear now and smiling. more

In most homes, the kitchen is the family's nerve center, the party place, and the situation room. It's also where the best stories happen. Here's what has been cookin' in ours lately. more

I have been fortunate over the years to have two collections of my personal columns published in softcover books. more

We have people who boast, beat their chest, power trippers and people identifying as something other than what God made them. But, guess what, there are great people in our community. more

I’ve been a paid writer most of my life — 49 of my 76 years. more

As a preschooler, I had an imaginary friend, Michael. He was tall and muscular, with dark hair and white wings. more