Two people in my life have undergone surgery for cancer in the last 24 hours. Both cancers were found through diagnostic screening: colonoscopy and mammogram. Our lives are so busy and we think we can put off those procedures – uncomfortable as they may be.…
I love this photo of these women on Mount Rainier, likely in the late 1930s or the 1940s. A colleague's father, and Mount Rainier lover, pins the photo as taken near the Paradise Inn, which might explain why the women could be dressed for church…
We had another baby born in my extended family today. Always a source of joy and celebration. My sister, the grandmother, picked up a brochure that is handed out to new mothers concerning nursing. The brochure lists the things that nursing mothers shouldn't ingest because…
In my Sunday story, Fred Carter, a Royal Air Force servicemen who took a leave here in 1944 and was hosted by two Spokane women, said a big thank you to Spokane for the hospitality 68 years ago. The two women, Eva Hardin and Ada…
My grandfather served in the military in WWI. At some time after he came home, he needed a job. He walked into the county offices in Duluth, Minnesota and told the clerk that he was there to apply for a job. Grandpa was told there…
A story in today’s feature section profiles the challenges and rewards of the baby boomer generation: we endure loss, grief, which peaks when we are in our 50s. Some losses are predictable – the death of a parent, the children leaving home. Some are not:…
Michael Wolff's story in the Sunday New York Times is a must read. It's about his elderly mother's slow death. And how horrifying, and expensive it is, especially on the taxpayers. Please read it all. Here are some excerpts to entice you. The traditional exits,…
I have a button on my purse that reads “I STAND WITH THE SISTERS,” referring to the grand inquisition of the women religious in North America by the Vatican. The whole episode is so ridiculous that I know of no one who supports this investigation.…
Saturday night we went to dinner at a favorite Thai restaurant. With a table near the entrance, we had a perfect view of the high school couples who were attending prom. The girls wore dresses so sparkly, they should have come with warning labels. The…
The University of Washington is one of just 11 institutions nationwide selected as a Center of Excellence in Pain Education. The National Institutes of Health announced the honor today in a press release. The National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium has selected 11 health professional…
A women we know from our early morning water aerobics class was missing from class for a week or two. This happens. People travel. But then we found out her husband, in his early 60s, had a fairly serious stroke. Luckily, our water buddy Kathleen…
As you plan your summers for your kids, please, please get them swimming lessons. Here's why, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Drowning results in more deaths among children 1-4 years of age than any cause except birth defects, but early swimming lessons…
Our parents role-model how to earn, spend and save money. Brooks C. Sackett, a Spokane financial planner and advisor, recently shared his Mother's Day message in an email to his workout friends. I asked his permission to share it with our blog readers. Here it…
It is easy to believe those who are wealthy, famous or educated must have a great life, free of the anxiety and problems others suffer. Then you think about the Kennedy family. Tragedy has once again befallen this American family. Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife…
Today, my husband I celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary. We scanned this photo in of all the family members who attended in 1985. Seven of the people in the photo have died -- my dad, two brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law, an aunt and two uncles. The…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released statistics today on the link between education levels and obseity and smoking. The better your education, the less chance you'll smoke or be overweight. And the greater chance you'll live longer. Some highlights: In 2007-2010, women 25…
In our "one more damn thing to worry about" category comes this news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal: Have you have tried the new spa trend of having a pedicure in which your feet are nibbled on by…
This morning, I walked over to the advertising agency Boom to return some Women Helping Women photos. I walked in and two hip looking young men, and a very fashion-forward young woman, were in this cool space that didn't look very Spokane at all. They…
If you have a purpose in life, you might not lose your memories. HealthDayNews released a story today about a study that looked at how having a strong purpose in life can keep your brain strong. "Somehow, having a purpose allows people to cope with…
When we are young, we seek adventure and look for ways to explore our world. Young people are so privileged to travel to different countries, to immerse themselves in another culture, and to learn about life while living it in new and exciting ways. Travel,…
When I was younger, I always wanted to jump ahead a generation. At 10, I dreamed of driving and steady boyfriends. At 20, in a Florence, Italy cafe, I journaled for hours about my worries and hopes for a career someday. As I age, I…
Mother’s Day. I tolerated it during those years when I longed for a child who could not be born. A child who could not be born from me. And then...he arrived. A child through adoption, the miraculous process of child matched with parents. The ultimate…
Kids can do grief much differently than adults. They cannot sit with their sadness too long. And play is essential to their healing. For several summers now, Hospice of Spokane has offered free camp for children ages 7 to 15 who have lost a loved…
Today I bumped into an Italian man who has lived in this country for 30 years. Since I can still speak some Italian from my college year in Florence, I started a conversation. He spoke about what has changed in Italy, his mom, how he…
Hillary Clinton received a great deal of attention yesterday…not for anything she said in Bangladesh as Secretary of State, but instead for the state of her appearance. She wore her glasses, no make-up and had this to say when comments were made: “I feel so…
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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