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…
Maurice Sendak, children’s book author and illustrator, died early today. He was 83. His work entertained and delighted children. He once said his illustrations for “Where the Wild Things Are” were taken from his relatives – the less attractive and rather unpleasant ones. “Sendak also…
It has been 15 months since my nephew arrived home from a one-year tour of duty in Iraq. Tomorrow his brother leaves for a nine-month stint in Afghanistan. I have three sisters, no brothers. And among us we have 10 sons, no daughters. And our…
I am from the Beach Boys era, not the Beastie Boys, but I could not help noticing all the attention the death of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has received in the last 24 hours. The trio was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall…
Our Boomer lifestyle choices, discontinued decades ago, may still influence our health. A report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reveals the “number of baby boomers dying from a ‘silent epidemic’ of hepatitis C infections is increasing so rapidly that federal officials are…
U.S. Catholic, a monthly publication discussing, reviewing, contemporary issues among Catholics, has commented frequently on the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith’s investigation of American women religious (sisters, nuns). A current commentary on their weekly bulletin gives readers a chance to read the details…
What a week to live in Washington state! The Seattle archbishop is trying to upend the same-sex marriage law signed by our (Catholic) governor in Washington state and now Rome has set forth an investigation into the work of thousands of American Roman Catholic sisters…
I always put the release date in my calendar for new books by my favorite writers. On Tuesday writer Anna Quindlen’s new book, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, hit the stores. I had to be at work before the book store opens (I have…
You don’t think one creature can make a BIG difference in your day? Enjoy the power of this little puppy who stopped air traffic and complied with the FAA once she was reunited with his owner. (S-R archives photo)
At 8:30 this morning I opened the Tacoma paper to read a story about Referendum-74 which seeks to repeal the Marriage Equality Act by putting it on the November ballot. Signatures are needed to put the recently passed legislation to the people’s vote. Seattle Archbishop…
Before you require a green burial as referenced in Becky’s post, see what you can do to save our planet from all our own foolishness. Checkout the website of activities you can do to make a difference and if you are in the Washington, D.C.…
A report was released today criticizing the lives of American Catholic sisters. After reading the report, I think Jesus would want to have a conversation with the Vatican regarding their view that the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (nuns) in the United…
She is recognized in our state’s capitol building as one of our most important pioneers and today is her birthday…she was born April 16, 1823. Mother Joseph arrived in the Pacific Northwest on December 8, 1856, by boat, along with four other sisters from Montreal.…
.. eye of a tornado, life can change. The people in Kansas have given thanks for their lives as their homes and possessions flew away. Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems lost property as well as mobile home owners. Wichita’s losses alone are estimated at $283 million.…
My grandma used to say, “I have never seen a hearse with a U-Haul behind it!” That statement was grandma’s way of saying that you can’t take your stuff with you to the afterlife. However, our possessions can represent what does matter: family, relationships and…
I spent last week on the East Coast with singing children. The choir sang at various monuments in and around Washington, DC. Then we went on to New York. The two most poignant moments: singing at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland. The kids sang,…
We all have vague plans for our after-life: cremation, burial, don't care - let others figure it out. But when I read this story, I had to wonder about misplaced affection. My grandmother said she had never seen a hearse driving to the cemetery with…
Coffee, alcohol, dark chocolate…you name the substance and there is a study which indicates that substance’s health-enhancing properties or its contribution to your demise. In Dr. Alisa Hideg's column today, Dr. Hideg advises readers how to dig into these various studies and their claims. She…
Many times when police encounter an armed person, that person is looking for a way to die – and want the cops to kill them. The phenomenon is so common it even has a name: suicide by cop. It happens in about 10-20 per cent…
His smile and innocence captured my heart. The story will not fade from my mind. The young man who was killed in cold blood in Florida deserves justice. Will President Obama’s comment – that Trayvon Martin looks like he could be a child of President…
Noted theologian, Elaine Pagels has a new book out on the book of Revelation – that last book included in the New Testament. You know that book – with apocalyptic images of death, destruction, violence. And The Beast marked with the number 666. For years…
Today's EndNotes column addresses the issue of infertility and the grief it brings to those who long to become parents. So many people want to have children and seek avenues to get to parenthood. Take a moment to learn what you may do to support…
What’s the deal? We know that women make most of the health care decisions in a family. (I once told my sister, if I die young she is to make certain my husband gets our son to the dentist every six months…it goes on from…
The sad news out of Afghanistan makes one ask all kinds of questions: what is the U.S. military really doing in that country? What is the benchmark for “success” and our departure? What happened to the soldier, a father and husband, that caused him to…
As a person who once lived a fairy-tale year in Florence, Italy, I love to hear news from that city. It feels like news from home. So when the Associated Press reported that perhaps the hunt has ended for DaVinci’s unfinished mural titled “Battle of…
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.
