It was a not so dark and stormy night before Easter. A rash purchase, fueled by emotions and a day full of laundry (that will make sense later), had me lugging a box that was too big to be bagged out of Best Buy. “I have a surprise for you guys,” I texted my sons, […]

MCFARLAND, Wis. O n Feb. 14, Brianna McManamy opened the first of her mother’s cards. It was a simple Valentine, decorated with red hearts. The only words inside were those written by her mom. They wished the 4-year-old a happy Valentine’s Day. They reminded Brianna her mother loved her. They were penned by Heather McManamy, […]

Last fall in my weekly newspaper column, I commented that if I’d been a good boy all year, I hoped Santa would bring me a lemon or lime tree, one that would bear fruit indoors. Santa did not do so, though I can’t imagine why. But many kind readers emailed me, saying, “Go to Logee’s […]

There is so much wrong with the Adam LaRoche situation that I don’t even know where to begin. So let’s start with a review: LaRoche, a White Sox first baseman and designated hitter, walked away from the second year of a $26 million contract after the organization said he could no longer bring his 14-year-old […]

ANN ARBOR, Mich. It’s been 30 years since Marc Ramirez was recruited to play football for the University of Michigan Wolverines. The 6-foot, 2-inch right guard from the Chicago area came here in 1986 to join Michigan’s offensive line, playing under legendary coach Bo Schembechler, The Ann Arbor News reported. Jim Harbaugh, who is now […]

The learning-to-drive thing was going well for my 15-year-old son, Ford. He only had one close call with a lamp post, and he had quit stopping at green lights. He did still pray out loud for little children walking on the sidewalk — “Please don’t step off the curb, kid. Please just stay on the […]

March is a good time to prune not just fruit trees, but also your blueberries. Blueberries here in New England are relatively slow growing, so they don’t need to be pruned every year. But they do need help from time to time. Ready to prune? Your first question should be, “Has the soil thawed and […]

SEYMOUR, Ind. Deciding to go through with an above-knee amputation was tough for Mike Couch. The Brownstown resident had dealt with pain and swelling from circulation issues in his right leg for years, and his doctor told him removing part of the leg was necessary. If he didn’t have the surgery, he could suffer a […]

We hear a lot about families spending too much time distracted by digital devices. But screens do have some family-friendly benefits: New apps can help family members stay connected and coordinated. Here is a handful of Apple- and Androidfriendly apps that might help keep your little group in touch and on task: • MINI-NETWORK: Slack […]

When I was a boy and saw robins hopping around on the lawn when it was still frozen and partially snow-covered, my first impulse was to go buy some fishing worms and put them out. We feed the chickadees sunflower seeds, don’t we, I asked my mom? Why not feed the robins? Sixty years later, […]