Columns

When I first became my husband’s caregiver on his release from a three-week critical care hospitalization, it was a full-time commitment. Still, I thought I would be able to manage some of my job responsibilities part time while working from home. I had always struggled to juggle paperwork and…

The truth is, my husband is a motorhead. Like most of the rest of the world, I think Ronald is a great artist, divinely inspired to create delicate images of profound beauty. But he and my mechanic brother know he only does that to fund his passion for fast…

We think our lives tend to follow a natural trajectory. Starting as totally dependent infants, we progress slowly toward independence as we mature. As adults, we discover and develop our skills and talents, then find our market or audience. We produce and perfect for years, probably have a setback, maybe…

A four-day weekend, long-distance travel, large family gatherings, and too much food. After a season of solitude, many Americans celebrated Thanksgiving again this year. My husband was not raised with the holiday, having grown up in Northern Ireland. He was a subject of the crown rather than a cultural…

My jewelry stash is rather small, and most of it is costume. I can’t be trusted with the real stuff, as I have a tendency to lose or break it. It’s not that I don’t appreciate or value it, I’m just a bit forgetful and clumsy. So, with few exceptions,…

I came downstairs last Monday morning, feeling better rested than usual. The end of daylight saving time that weekend had given us an extra hour, and I woke up at 6 a.m. more easily than usual — naturally, even. I put the coffee on, parked myself in front of…

We, the columnists at Bionews, have good editors. They catch typos and grammar mistakes that slip through the computer spell checks and syntax filters. Then they read with a critical eye for clarity of meaning and consistency of style, and prescribe remedies. Finally, they point out patterns or habits…

My sister got the worst haircut last week. It’s actually a good cut, just not the one she asked for. She showed the stylist a selfie taken on a good hair day, and said she only wanted a trim. But when she looked in the mirror for the reveal, she…

Every fall, our religious arts studio exhibits along with half a dozen other specialized vendors at a regional gathering of clergy. In flush times, we distributed gift bags, raffled off prizes, and sponsored happy hour, complete with a classical guitarist providing the entertainment. In lean times, we simply…

A few weeks ago, I received a question about a column in which I mentioned genetic testing. A woman with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) asked for my advice about whether she should encourage her family members to get tested for the genetic marker. Suddenly, I was promoted from…