Just finished an interview for a future Sunday story. The mother and daughter are working together to write a book about a family tragedy in 1958. The mother is 89 and a key person to remembering important details. The interview reminded me of the importance…
My dad was a big guy all his life, way over 200 pounds, and often trying to shed a few pounds. But his sweet tooth always got the best of him. In the late 1980s, he began to shed weight and everyone thought it was…
In a recent teleconference, organized by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia, two experts in pneumonia research and prevention talked about how risky pneumonia is for children in the United States – and throughout the world. Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children under 5;…
I went to a “praying with poetry” gathering at my Catholic parish last night. Well over 60 people attended with most of us close to either side of 60 years old. Our priest read poems by William Stafford, Sherman Alexie and others. I was reminded…
My Sunday story was about the updated image of hospital gift shops. So if you're visiting someone at the hospital and forgot a gift, duck in. You might be surprised what gift shops now sell. From the story: Many retail stores are ailing in these…
Carly Crooks, 11, recently wrote a book report for her class that her father, Gary Crooks, associate editor on the newspaper's editorial board, first heard during conferences. Father and teacher were both in tears afterward. Gary's wife, Laura, died suddenly five years ago. She was…
Great line from the novel "The Underpainter": "Entire kingdoms of objects have disappeared from the planet...Think of all the gear associated with the horse-drawn carriage, the winter sleigh, all the straps and bits and bells, the reigns and shoes and blinkers."
The holiday movie season (coupled with Thanksgiving) makes me think of the seasonal movies in which the main characters face death and realize that they had much to be thankful for in their lives and for them, it's not too late to act on it…
Rebecca's post describing Thanksgivings past sounds familiar. I remember sitting at the dining room table with my sisters, parents, grandparents and great aunt and uncle. I loved the candlelight, the fancy dishes and the music in the next room, courtesy of the hi-fi. My mom…
My mother did our Thanksgivings, all my growing up years -- with the six kids and later, their spouses and their children. It's my favorite holiday. Our family felt big back then, but now it has grown even bigger. Mom has 15 grandchildren and more…
We are preparing for a flood here in the Pacific Northwest. I receive lists of emergency supplies and plans on what to do if we get stranded at work. I did get stranded at work a few years ago when the rivers rose and we…
If you have any family member in his or her 90s, the U.S. Census Bureau report released last week on our country's 90-year-olds is a fascinating read. And baby boomers really need to pay attention. These oldsters among us are blazing the new trails here.…
From Associated Press: Police say a South Florida woman posed as a doctor and gave a series of toxic injections to a woman who wanted a bigger backside and curvier body. Sgt. Bill Bamford is with the Miami Gardens Police Department. He says Oneal Ron…
The third week in November holds magic for our family when we celebrate National Adoption Day. My teen-age son and I opt out of our routine and slip over to the courthouse where families gather. Today we witnessed nine children joining seven families. The judge…
If you've ever wondered why you, or someone else you know, didn't grieve in the stages of grief identified by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross 40 years ago, wonder no more. Turns out that grief experts in recent years are rethinking those stages. At a Hospice Foundation of…
Was just reading Cathy's post below when the police scanners in the newsroom started screaming with activity, sirens and lots of voices. A woman just jumped from the Monroe Street Bridge, a block or two away from The Spokesman-Review building. We only report suicides when…
Social media can be fun: finding long-lost loves, keeping close with far-away friends and family and even getting a glimpse into the details of co-workers' lives. But at some point, we have to listen, really listen to the tweets and posts and texts. No one…
Sarah Blain Bain is one of those Spokane women everyone seems to know. She has 685 Facebook friends, and she probably knows all of them pretty well. She was instrumental in starting a support group for parents who lose children at birth or shortly after.…
My mom, who turns 91 today, doesn't have much of a bucket list. She's mostly content to wake up every morning alive, with mind intact, and a body that still works pretty darn well. Seeing a rock concert wasn't ever on her list. But she…
The accident which killed two University of Idaho students seems too familiar a story. We learn about these tragedies each year. And each year I think of Tyler. Tyler and I were in high school together; he played a wind instrument in Varsity Band while…
Seems that suffering and pain are no respecter of persons. Recently George Clooney spoke out about his suicidal ideations during the time he was hospitalized and experiencing excruciating pain. Health care professionals look at pain management as an essential component of treatment and as a…
Ran into Carol Speltz today at the Veterans Day benefit her husband Karl organizes every year at Jack and Dan's. Carol, who is in her early 70s, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years ago. The longtime educator and Christmas Bureau volunteer has been open…
A new piece of furniture arrived yesterday and the warranty information read: The term "lifetime" as it is used in this warranty is defined as 25 years. 25 years? What if we all arrived on Earth with warranties? How long would your lifetime warranty last?
Carla Johnson, a former S-R staffer now working for the AP, has an interesting story about this debate. An excerpt: Some gravely ill alcoholics who need a liver transplant shouldn't have to prove they can stay sober for six months to get one, doctors say…
Have you ever worried that you might end up (after an accident or a stroke) with a body that doesn't work at all but a brain still active? It happens. Read or watch The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the true story of the writer…
Spokesman-Review features writer Rebecca Nappi, along with writer Catherine Johnston of Olympia, Wash., discuss here issues facing aging boomers, seniors and those experiencing serious illness, dying, death and other forms of loss.
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