Gwen Rockwood: Vaccinated, and it feels so good it's like Christmas in springtime
Tom: "Is it just me, or does this feel a little like Christmas Eve?"
Tom: "Is it just me, or does this feel a little like Christmas Eve?"
Our family has grown by 50 furry pounds. His name is Mac, and we're all in love.
I had a birthday this month, and The New York Times gave me a wonderful present. On the day I turned a year older -- which in Covid times equals roughly 11 yea…
Thirty-four. That's the number I counted while standing in the shower. As hot water rained down on my hair, I scanned the corner-mounted shower shelves and cou…
Yesterday I watched my 14-year-old daughter text her best friend, and I realized something. Generally speaking, a person's age is a direct correlation of their…
There are two kinds of people in the world: grown-ups and fraidy-cats who are scared of needles. I'm in that second group.
In my mind, I'm sitting on a sandy white beach. I'm lounging in one of those fancy cabanas the size of a full-size bed, bordered by white curtains fluttering i…
Once upon a time, a long time ago, a guy came to my tiny apartment. I was 24 years old and on my fourth date with someone I'd met on a blind date. At the time,…
Five days ago, I pushed my cart through Target and willed myself not to cry. This is ridiculous, I thought. I cannot have an emotional meltdown in the middle o…
If you grew up in a small town like I did, you knew one thing for certain. If you wanted to do something stupid that would likely land you in trouble if you go…
In a normal year, I dread the chore of putting away Christmas decorations. Not only does it take a while, it also feels like we're packing up joy and shoving i…
Here are 20 things I learned in 2020:
My 76-year-old mother has a thing for boxes and has for many years. In her mind, throwing away or recycling a sturdy box of any decent size is like throwing ou…
One of the things my dad taught me about the working world is that it’s always good to have “multiple revenue streams.” That way, if one stream dries up or slo…
I've been writing a newspaper column for more than two decades now -- since before I met my husband. It's a little like having a public diary. The best part of…
About two years ago, I bought a robotic vacuum cleaner. Like millions of other people, I fell in love with the idea of pushing a button and having a robot roam…
I glanced around my office this morning and realized that, if I have a decorating motif in this messy place, it must revolve around words. They're everywhere. …
There has been so much waiting this year. Waiting during the initial coronavirus shutdowns. Waiting for toilet paper to be restocked. Waiting out the spring an…
Years ago, I read an article about the factors that play into a person's happiness level, and one of them surprised me. It said that rooting for a team, especi…
My kids think it's amazing that I was an ancient 18 years old the first time I got a computer and learned to use it. For kids who've been using technology befo…
A few days ago, I took the dogs to the back yard and stood on the deck waiting for them to take care of business. For the first time in months, a non-humid bre…
My husband has a thing for green apples, which is why he planted an apple tree in our yard about two years ago. It was a tiny little tree when we bought it, bu…
Something is wrong at my mother's favorite grocery store, and she's not going to take it lying down. She may even write a strongly worded letter to the company…
Sometimes I have an idea for a column that grows to the size of a Saint Bernard or Great Dane and takes up all the space my editors give me.
I've been at this mom gig for 18 years now, and I can tell you from experience that this has been the weirdest back-to-school week I've ever seen. I find mysel…
Remember when we were kids and, during the first week of school, the teacher would make us stand in front of the class and talk about what we did during summer…
Yesterday I walked into the bathroom to put away a stack of folded towels. As soon as I put the pile of fresh laundry on the shelf, I felt like I was abandonin…
When I was in my early 20s and working as an assistant in the newsroom of the local paper, the editor tossed me an assignment late one afternoon. Not an assist…
During what many would describe as the suckiest summer in recent history, something good happened at our house. Two of our three children have become gainfully…
My refrigerator made a fool of me today. This morning, when I came downstairs to the kitchen, it was croaking -- loudly. It sounded like an elderly frog was in…
My first car was a powder blue Volkswagen bug, made sometime in the late 1960s or early '70s. I don't remember the exact year. At the time my dad brought it ho…
You've heard of a missing person's report, right? I may have to file a missing "pieces" report. Because I haven't seen my kids' ears in months. I'm beginning t…
I've been thinking a lot about independence lately. Not just because we celebrated an unusual Fourth of July, minus the annual gathering of friends and neighbo…
Consequential. That's the word that comes to mind when I think about all that has happened these past several months. Everything feels so ... heavy. Even a rou…
A beagle and a possum walk into a back yard. Only one would leave with his dignity.
Last weekend, the five of us gathered chairs around the small barbecue grill in the backyard and watched a year’s worth of work go up in smoke.
One of the greatest writers of all time, the late Erma Bombeck, once made this profound statement: "I am not a glutton. I am an explorer of food."
OK, I'm just going to say it. I wear a mask. My whole family does. I hope we can still be friends.
The pandemic along with the need to spend so much time at home has been hard on relationships. For many couples, what began as lovable "quirks" have suddenly m…
I am bad at sports. Always have been. While other people bemoan the loss of sports during this pandemic, I haven't missed it.
Everyone has their limit, right? I nearly found mine last Sunday when I checked the day's headlines shortly after climbing out of bed. During a quick scroll th…
Last night I had a dream about getting a haircut. In the dream, I donned my protective mask and went to a store to buy a box of do-it-yourself hair color -- so…
Today I ran across three words that might be one of the best things people like me can do during a time like this. When I say "people like me," I mean people w…
Our two dogs are blissfully unaware of how horrible the news is these days. I'm glad they don't know. We need them to be happy right now because they are co-ca…
This morning the kids went back to school -- the digital way. But we shortened the regular morning routine. They insisted they didn't need to get up as early a…
It's getting ugly over here -- literally. An irregular showering schedule is one of the unexpected side effects of staying at home to wait out the coronavirus.…
Right now, introverts and homebodies all over the globe are feeling a little guilty. Over the years, I've lost count of the number of times I've thought to mys…
I read and watch a lot of news coverage -- sometimes too much -- so I have a growing sense of unease that has me clutching my bottle of antibacterial soap extr…
Last night I met my friend Shannon for dinner at a restaurant we've been to so often over the past 12 years that we probably know the menu better than the mana…