The sadness continues as police officers are killed in the line of duty. One of the men killed last week in Las Vegas, Alyn Beck, was buried yesterday. His family and friends gathered to honor his life – his commitment to his family, his service…
I read the Spot books a zillion times to my son when he was little. Spot had birthday parties, meandered and was lost, celebrated Christmas and had an eclectic collection of friends. His marketers also produced fabric with Spot’s image. My son has a pillowcase…
A family has adopted its son’s military dog. Marine staff Sgt. Christopher Diaz was killed in 2011 in Afghanistan. His military dog, Dino, was his constant companion. Diaz’s parents, Salvador and Sandra Diaz, welcomed Dino into their life last week when the dog was discharged…
Sometimes it is nice to read stories from other cultures and learn what their customs and beliefs signify. A wedding between frogs – really? I wonder if the Indian “bride” had her croaking opinion considered in the union – or if it was an arranged…
He claims he did not know sex between a child and priest was illegal?! Robert Carlson, a former archbishop of the Minneapolis-St. Paul archdiocese, claims he did not know sex between a child and a priest (or presumably any adult) was illegal. I had to…
Hillary Clinton’s book comes out today. “Hard Choices” may be a prequel to her announcement of a run for president – or perhaps her last publication before permanently retiring into her private life. She sits with journalists as they ask her the hard questions and…
Hunter Gandee a strong 14-year-old boy carried his 7-year-old brother, Braden, on his back – for 40 miles. The trek, the Cerebral Palsy Swagger, was held to raise awareness of cerebral palsy, a muscle disorder. While we read about another shooting in America, today in…
Jon Meis did what he knew was right on Thursday when he tackled the active shooter at Seattle Pacific University. He saved lives when he used his pepper spray to subdue the shooter who was reloading his weapon. Jon Meis is a young man of…
We watched with disgust at “Philomena,” a movie based on the true story of a birth mother looking for her child. She was a young, unmarried Irish teen who got pregnant and had her child taken from her and placed for adoption with a U.S.…
Actress Ann B. Davis died on Sunday at the age of 88. Davis was an actress whose name may slip from one’s memory, but her face and delightful presence cannot. We loved her in the sitcom “The Brady Bunch” where she was the live-in housekeeper/caregiver…
Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is coming home! Bergdahl, from Hailey Idaho, was released today into the presence of the U.S. military; his freedom gained in exchange for five prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay prison. Officials reported the sergeant was able to walk on his own…
With her sultry voice as distinct as her life as her poetry as her courage, Maya Angelou gave voice to her life and to millions of others’ lives. She wrote her way through healing and ascended to a level of profound accomplishment – and humility.…
A recent study indicates that a moderate physical activity program among older adults will keep them walking –without assistance. Seems logical, but it is nice to have science say so. The study tracked people who followed a regular physical activity – walking, strength training and…
Today we remember and honor the men and women who served our country through their military commitment. We continue to cherish freedom so many other countries do not enjoy. We are a grateful nation. (S-R archive photo: Mark and Terri Stiltz pose for a photo…
Cardinal Timothy Dolan – Archbishop of New York - has been the media darling for the last few years. He lives on Madison Avenue in a residence adjacent to St. Patrick’s Cathedral - not unusual for a priest to live next door to work. Still,…
Jackie Kennedy wrote letters to a priest years ago and now the letters may be auctioned off to a highest bidder? Is nothing sacred? Apparently not. Just like attorney-client privilege, a priest has the moral responsibility not to divulge the conversations a person has with…
Not so fast. For the last few decades we believed consuming red wine and chocolate (both containing resveratrol) helped with heart health, decreased cancer and increased our longevity. Seems not. A team from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and NIH’s National Institute…
Thatcher Wine creates stylish libraries. He thinks readers should enjoy looking at books as much as reading them and so he creates and re-creates library shelves by decorating each spine of a book to create an expanded image. From his workshop in Boulder, Colorado, Wine…
Barbara Walters took leave today from her decades-long career in journalism. Hillary Clinton, Michael Douglas and Oprah Winfrey, surprise guests on The View, reminisced with her and celebrated her remarkable career. The true legacy of Walters’ career walked in as their names were announced –…
Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, a woman in Sudan, is sentenced to death because she refuses to renounce her Christian faith – and claim Islam as her faith. Abandoning or criticizing Islam is punishable by death. Ibrahim is pregnant and has a 20-month-old son. She was given…
The pace of our lies has become, well, almost comical. Except that it is killing us. Arianna Huffington knows this experience well. Her Huffington Post website brought her great success – and exhaustion. She writes about the cost of multitasking, based on extensive research, in…
Soon, Boomers may be asking for blood from their youngsters to ease their own suffering and the consequences of aging. Recent studies in mice show that blood from young mice injected into their elders has improved the muscles and brain of the recipient. As expected,…
While we celebrate our motherhood or spend time with our own mom, we can easily overlook the anguishing silence in others’ lives. I am reminded of friends whose mothers are gone: this day stirs memories of joy and loss, of grief and new traditions. Hope…
Anna Quindlen wrote the following column years ago about motherhood describing wistful moments and time's message of live now- these babies grow up. As parents we think we mold and shape our kids, and we do - a bit. Mostly, our children teach us about…
On September 11, 2001, after the planes hit the twin towers, 2,753 persons were reported missing – and today 41 percent of those missing persons have not been identified. The unidentified remains – 7,930 body parts - have been at the medical examiner’s office on…
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.
