Grieving isn’t easy, but my father did it well — My husband and I live in Lincoln, Nebraska. On Sunday night, September 16, 2007, my sister called from Philadelphia and told us that Mom was in the hospital. The call was brief. “I’ll keep you posted,” she promised. My brother-in-law called me at work the next morning and said, “They…

Stress was killing me and I didn’t have a clue — I awoke, grabbed my phone from the nightstand and scrolled through Facebook. A familiar face kept popping up, a colleague had taken his life the previous night. My body reacted immediately. Blurred vision. Ragged breath. Shaky legs. Somehow I managed to get out of bed, go to the kitchen and…

I tried to be nice to my elderly neighbor and here’s what happened — “Why didn’t you say something before the dress was finished?” I asked with more than a bit of exasperation. I was on the phone with Thelma, my neighbor down the street. “I didn’t realize how awful it would look,” she sputtered. “I would never wear anything so, so . …

The remedy was within clear view — My husband and I moved halfway across the country right after our honeymoon. We had hardly opened our gifts when we had to repack and load everything into the moving van. Even before we pulled out of the driveway, I began missing my family and friends. Once we got settled…

You’ll love this 3-ingredient fruity frozen dessert — Fresh fruit is plentiful during the summer. The problem is, if you don’t eat it right away, it will spoil. Preserving summer’s bounty through freezing and canning works for some people but not for me. So instead, I look for ways to enjoy perishable fruit immediately. …

Try my favorite way of enjoying summer’s bounty — Summertime is veggie time in the United States, and thanks to our abundant harvests, fresh vegetables are readily available at a reasonable price. If you enjoy vegetables like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers, asparagus, green beans, and tomatoes, you should experiment with this recipe for…

Who knew that plain old lettuce could taste so good? — My friend Connie gave me this recipe while I was volunteering at Foodnet, an urban gleaning organization in Lincoln, Nebraska, that collects short-dated perishable foods and distributes them to people in need. You don't have to fill out a form or show your tax return to qualify. All you have…

Our kids canceled us. Here's how we've coped. — You are reading the first chapter of my book on reclaiming your life after estrangement. I am looking for feedback and welcome your thoughts. Estrangement between loving parents and their children is nothing new. When I was 13, I babysat for a delightful little boy whose mother doted on him…