Gwen Rockwood: Three magic words for worriers: Small, controllable tasks
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…
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…
One day this week I watched a news recap of the presidential political debate. The news commentators called it "messy," with a lot of chaos and yelling. Some f…
Recently I took a shower and stood under the stream of hot water trying to think up profound, writerly thoughts. But it was hard to concentrate because I kept …
Tom did something shocking the other day. He came home from the store with a few things I'd asked him to pick up before the forecasted snow began. As I unloade…
There's a framed saying at the top of our stairway that we see each time we reach the top step. In typewriter font, it reads "Wake up. Work hard. Have fun. Be …
About eight years ago, I wrote a column about how I almost never turn on the radio in the car anymore. Except for listening to the occasional podcast, I like i…
A few weeks ago, a weird thing happened as I carried a bin of holiday decorations from our house to the storage closet. The cumbersome box blocked the view of …
Thirteen years ago, I led my son Adam into elementary school to register him for kindergarten. I remember filling out the paperwork and noting that he would be…
If you're not ready to plunge into the traditional New Year's "get in shape" resolution, I've got an idea for how to wade into it (or any big project you've be…
If you're looking for one of those peppy New Year's columns, turn the page now before I disappoint you. All this blank slate, turn-over-a-new-leaf, fresh-start…
It was a Friday night at Sam's Club. Tom and I cruised the aisles of food and had one of the many riveting conversations couples often have after more than two…
Sometimes hard things happen during what's supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year." About a month ago, it happened to us.
If I could type this column while wearing fur-lined gloves, I'd do it. I'm guessing the result would be so riddled with typos that my editors would think I'd s…
I'm still trying to decide how I feel about what happened this morning. On one hand, it was amazing and wonderful. On the other? Surprising and a little bit sa…
Dear Thanksgiving,
Have you ever woken up in the morning remembering snippets of a dream that make you wonder what's wrong with your brain? Would a normal brain dream something a…
I'm a self-proclaimed nerd. Always have been. And one of the things most of us nerds have in common is a love of trivia.
I'm a rule follower. Always have been. I'm that person who -- upon counting items in her shopping cart -- sees that there are 16 items and promptly leaves the …
When you live next to a wooded lot, you also live next to critters -- lots of them. Over the years we've seen deer, chipmunks, mice, armadillos, woodpeckers, r…
Some say life is a complicated journey, but, for the most part, it can be categorized by the type of mail you get. At any given time, your mail carrier knows m…
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…
The last time Tom and I went to a home improvement store, we bought a container of yellow mums in the garden department. The official start of fall was only a …
Last weekend we loaded up the SUV and drove to Dallas to attend one of the loveliest weddings I've ever seen. Our niece Abbey and her new husband Andrew are of…
I got hit on at the gas station last week. But it didn't boost my middle-aged, mother-of-three ego because this particular pass didn't come from a hot guy. It …
I've got good news and bad news. In March, an international team of scientists conducted an experiment showing that time reversal is possible. But before you j…
Because you're readers like me, I know you'll understand how I felt when I saw this headline in last week's paper: "Stuttgart, Helena newspapers to close." The…
Tom and I met for lunch today and traded the usual "How's work going?" stories. As an account manager, his work woes are mostly about corporate politics or the…
From the unscientific research I've done, I believe every family probably has one -- the turtle, the snail, the slowpoke. Do you have one? Or maybe you are one?
Last week I forgot to do something -- a thing I haven't forgotten to do for the past 12 years in a row. On the first day of school, I forgot to take the pictur…
As a humor columnist, my job would be easier if I stopped reading and watching the news. Some weeks aren't funny. This is one of them.
I read the last page of a book last night, which is good because maybe now I'll catch up on the sleep I've missed while reading "just one more chapter" for the…
Last Sunday, I returned home from a three-day trip with our 17-year-old son to visit a college campus. Tom stayed home with our other two kids while I was away…
Tomorrow I'm going to watch my 12-year-old daughter take the stage. She has spent three weeks of her summer break taking theater classes, and tomorrow I'll see…
Last night, as I pulled back the covers to climb into bed, I realized what has happened. In a sense, Tom and I have traded places with our three kids.
We're back from a trip to New York, and we have the blisters to prove it. During our last night there, I took off my tennis shoes after three days of walking m…
Tis the season of carry-on bags, rolling duffels, and the much-maligned fanny pack. It's summer break, and we Americans are on the move with all our stuff.
When I was in college, I had a professor who often began class with a ritual. He'd shuffle to the front of the room and reach inside his tweed sports coat to r…
Today I read about a new technology that sounds completely ridiculous and perfectly rational -- all at the same time. Let me explain.
Tonight, after a birthday dinner ending with a hot fudge sundae topped with a candle, I sat on the sofa next to Jack, our middle child who just turned 15. He w…
Dear High School Juniors and Seniors,
A wonderful thing happened Sunday afternoon. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I'd carried my laptop to the sofa with every intention of working and trying to get a…
Last night I put three kids, two dogs and one highly annoyed cat into a small closet under the stairs in our house. Then Tom and I stood a few feet away by the…
Last night was miserable -- one of the longest I can remember. I made the mistake of thinking I could take an over-the-counter medicine that helps with allergy…
The fall season gets a ton of attention around here. The leaves put on quite a colorful show before they drop off for winter -- going out in a blaze of fiery r…