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…
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…
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…
…how Andy Rooney spent the minutes outside of 60 Minutes? The legendary commentator died Friday from post-surgery complications. He was 92. His words, his attitude, his I'll-say-whatever-I believe voice gave us perspective and always something to think about after the second hand stopped. He earned…
A trilogy of holidays is upon us. While the children are counting their trick-or-treat candy pieces, other folks will be preparing for the other holidays which are attached to Halloween (All Hallows' Eve). November 1 is All Saints' Day - a feast day in the…
The leaves are turning and the weather is finally great for walks in crisp, cool, intoxicating air. The seasons give us lessons - dormant rest in winter, the eager new life of spring, full passion in summer and the brilliance of autumn. Autumn offers final…
The man gave us a superhighway to the e-world. Yet, his world was filled with self-imposed obstacles to healthy relationships. Did his disregard for women stem from his own abandonment? What price did Jobs pay for his amazing contribution to our lives and our future?…
When the human spirit is filled with hope, miracles occur. The story today out of Turkey is welcome news after reading about all the death that the earthquake has left. A baby is alive and deemed healthy; her mother and grandmother pulled out alive, too.…
In India unwanted girls know they are unwanted, because they are named "unwanted." Now, an effort to change a negative self-image begins with a new name. A central Indian district held a renaming ceremony Saturday that it hopes will give the girls new dignity and…
Becky's story today reminds readers of what has endured in the Inland Northwest over the last several decades: marching bands as football teams rally for a field goal; men setting out in early morning to hunt for the prized deer and quiet lakes serving as…
My good friend would be 76 -years -old today; she died last year. Yet, we will remember and celebrate her life today. Her humor and grace remain. And, oh, those stories! When I brought my fiancé to meet her, she gushed over him with oozing…
In these cash-strapped times, some Washington residents are cashing in on their future residence: their burial plots. Depending on one's future "neighborhood," owners can sell their sites for thousands of dollars. However, like all real estate situations, well-heeled buyers are few and more people than…
A recent New York Times story reports the battle that people who suffer with eating disorders are fighting: insurance company wars. I was stunned to read the following: "An estimated 11 million Americans, mostly young women, suffer from eating disorders…These disorders, particularly anorexia, have the…
The couple who took their 3-week-old baby on a little journey through a corn maze - and stayed lost - have attained national attention. The couple ended up calling 911 to be rescued. But their brief maze in the maize gave radio talk shows a…
Our EndNotes column alternates on Tuesdays in the S-R with Dr. Alisa Hideg, a family medicine physician at Group Health’s Riverfront Medical Center. In this week's column, Dr. Hideg tells readers of her breast cancer diagnosis and debuts her bald look - a result of…
Albert D. Rosellini, who served as Washington's governor from 1957 to 1965, died Monday in Seattle after complications of pneumonia. He had turned 101 in January. "He was a trusted mentor and beloved friend, and the countless lives he touched, including mine, may be his…
Our class reunion – minus Becky – called a group of us to California where we laughed, reminisced, and discussed what middle-age people discuss: jobs, kids, lovely grandkids and a few aches and pains: “What do you take for your blood pressure? “ I overheard.…
After four years in prison, Amanda Knox is coming home after her conviction was overturned today on an appeal. Our blog and EndNotes column deal with grief, loss, illness and suffering. Amanda has suffered through all of these life experiences - while locked up for…
When 67-year-old David Lavau drove away from home, he had his cell phone turned on, a decision that saved his life. After missing for six days, his children, relentless in their effort to find their missing father, followed information that a sheriff's detective provided: the…
The Amanda Knox appeals trial will soon yield its verdict: will her conviction be overturned, allowing her to come home to Seattle? When I was a woman of 20, I spent a year in Florence, Italy, as a college student. Our class of American students,…
We continue to read about them each week – soldiers killed in Afghanistan. It is good to pause, to honor, to read their story and hold their loved ones in our hearts. Sgt. Tyler Holtz, 22, a member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment,…
Our boomer generation is again making headlines as we become grandparents: The newer grandparents are still working, with greater disposable income and now make up 1 in 4 adults. And more than ever, grandparents are once again parents - to their grandchildren - either offering…
We grieve the loss of loved ones, but today I wonder about the grief created by the loss of place. Not a home, but a work space where people evolved into a community of supportive colleagues, caring for each other as they went about their…
St John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and Donald Jackson, scribe to the Queen of England, have completed an amazing project: the only hand-scribed and illuminated bible (well, in the last 500 years). The St John's Bible project began with a conversation between the renowned scribe…
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.