| The wonder of age-defying products |
I'm not sure when I slipped into the dreaded "older woman" age bracket, but it's clear that in my mother's mind, I've been there for a few years. Instead of the whimsical hair clips, funky socks or trendy dangly earrings she once added to birthday packages, recent gifts have veered in a decidedly different direction.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
 |
| Save ash trees; protect water resources |
As the emerald ash borer makes its way into the metro area, homeowners, along with municipalities, are scrambling to protect our valuable ash trees. At the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, we are concerned not only with losing trees, but with the potential harm to our water resources from the unsafe use of insecticides.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
|
| City sees green -- but only on the ground |
Well, North St. Paul boys and girls, there may not be a Santa Claus, but we do have Jerry Bell.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
|
| Summer: When men do dinner |
It's summertime in the Upper Midwest, and suddenly all the men are interested in making dinner.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
|
| Inquiring minds: How did the United States handle the deaths of Adams and Jefferson on July 4 within hours of each other? |
| Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
|
| Inquiring minds: Why don't you buy some more copies of books? |
| Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
|
| Looking for adventure in a 'Vette |
One of my teenage sons has a new love. This powerful muse is long, lean and oh so pretty. She's been turning his head all summer, and I worry that nothing good will come of it.
Friday, August 13, 2010 |
|
| DNR Q & A: What sort of problems does rolling weeds along the shoreline cause for fish and water quality? |
| Friday, August 13, 2010 |
|
| Inquiring minds: I want to buy a back-up electrical generator. How much output will I need to power my average-size house? |
| Friday, August 13, 2010 |
|
| Bicycling bumps and bruises |
There's nothing quite like zipping along on a bicycle on a warm summer afternoon, watching the trees, clouds, people and cars flow steadily by. That is, until that beautiful scenery provides a sufficient distraction to cause you become intimate friends with the pavement.
Friday, August 06, 2010 |
|
| The flag flap |
It began rather quietly, with a concert at Casey Lake Park a week and a half before July 4.
Someone at the concert had caught the seasonal spirit and brought a blanket woven to look like a U.S. flag. And someone had a trio of leashed Corgi dogs in attendance.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010 |
|
| Have a 'summer camp' on finances |
Kids this summer are participating in a variety of camps including language, sports, music, art and church camps. Why not add a financial camp experience -- something parents can do at home?
Monday, August 02, 2010 |
|
| Shedding light on the firefly |
My cousin Grant was out and about on a warm summer evening when he noticed the twittering light from nearby fireflies.
Monday, August 02, 2010 |
|
| A grisly experiment; an advance in science |
In June of 1822, French-Canadian voyageurs from the upper Midwest converged on the future state of Michigan's Mackinac Island for their annual summer rendezvous.
Friday, July 23, 2010 |
|
| Anchor away! |
We're in the heart of boating season here in Minnesota, and along with that time of year come a number of dangers.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 |
|
| 'Rock and roll can never die' |
They say old rockers don't die, they just fade away. Apparently, no one has told that to my fellow baby boomers, who can't seem to get enough of the hard-rocking, hard-living music icons from their youth.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 |
|
| Check the spellcheck - and then check again |
As part of my job as a journalist, I routinely have to write sentences, paragraphs, and from time to time, whole stories, all composed of words and names with correct spellings.
Friday, July 09, 2010 |
|
| Inquiring minds: I reserved a book online to be picked up at the Roseville Library. When can I get it? |
| Friday, July 09, 2010 |
|
| Inquiring minds: What is the check out period for talking books? Can they be renewed? |
| Friday, July 09, 2010 |
|
| When July 4th sky goes dark, community spirit dims |
For the first time in decades, the Maplewood skies will be dark on Independence Day.
Thursday, July 01, 2010 |
|
| Do not feed the geese |
There's a sign on the entrance door to my apartment building that reads, "Do not feed the geese." What it should really read is, "If you get near the geese, prepare for a battle that could go to the death, with the geese likely triumphant."
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 |
|
| Hooked on 'Mich' fish |
Rising with the sun, which seems to arrive awfully early in the Eastern time zone, I arrived at the Mackinac Island dock before the charter fishing boat. It was a perfect, though chilly time to take a few pictures of the pink sky framing the sailboats in the harbor and painting the picturesque cottages along shore.
Friday, June 25, 2010 |
|
| Give me back my money |
A robotic voice came across my voicemail last week after I missed a call asking me to call the Wells Fargo Fraud Department.
At first I was a bit skeptical. Was this a phishing scam and someone just wanted me to fall into a trap?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 |
|
| Bearly containing excitement for new state park |
It was a sun-kissed summer day in northern Minnesota. I was relaxing on a warm, flat granite rock on the edge of our island campsite and the hypnotic sounds of the waves lapping at the Lake Vermilion shoreline drew me closer to a nap than was wise.
Thursday, June 17, 2010 |
|
| Pecking at our reflection |
Each morning here at the newspaper office, a bird flies to the editor's window. Looking into the reflective glass and thinking it has encountered a rival bird, it pecks violently at the window.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 |
|
| The black hole strikes again
|
Summer is here, and my children have escaped the black hole.
For now.
Monday, June 14, 2010 |
|
| Whatever happened to the birds? |
The sky was spacious, the weather was perfect, the farmsteads were familiar, the fields were sprouting lemony-green shoots. All perfectly normal for a late-spring trip to central Iowa.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010 |
|
| DNR Q & A: How important is the spring runoff to Minnesota's groundwater supply? |
| Friday, June 04, 2010 |
|
| Inquiring Minds: How many pounds of beef does it take to make a bouillon cube? |
| Friday, June 04, 2010 |
|
| Session ends with tough choices |
On May 17, after long hours of negotiation with Governor Pawlenty, the Legislature successfully found agreement on a balanced budget solution for the current budget cycle.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010 |
|
| Reflections of Memorial Day |
President Dwight Eisenhower once said, "Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die."
Wednesday, June 02, 2010 |
|
| Beware door-to-door security scams |
Everyone wants to feel safe and secure in their own home. Homeowners should be on guard, however, against door-to-door traveling alarm sales agents who use deceptive pitches or questionable tactics and who may sell substandard but costly merchandise or service contracts.
Friday, May 28, 2010 |
|
| Improving public safety |
As one of our founding fathers, George Mason, once said, "Every society, all government, and every kind of civil compact, therefore, is, or ought to be, calculated for the general good and safety of the community."
Thursday, May 27, 2010 |
|
| Thank you and never forget |
I can never begin to thank everyone for the outpouring of sympathy and condolences we have experienced since the senseless murder of Sgt. Joe Bergeron.
Thursday, May 20, 2010 |
|
| Keep a tight leash |
Accepting personal responsibility can be a daunting task for many...especially when it comes to their pets.
As I regularly jog through Maplewood and North St. Paul with my girlfriend Karyn, I rarely worry about being attacked by an unleashed dog.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 |
|
| Am I smarter than a third-grader? |
It's 6:30 p.m., that after-dinner time slot when my daughter and I play our least-favorite game show, Are You Smarter Than A Third-Grader?
Thursday, May 13, 2010 |
|
| Learning real lessons from Fake Baby |
It's only an hour into her weekend, and the 15-year-old is ready to give back that darn baby.
It's not a flesh-and-blood baby; it's one of those computerized dolls that high schools use for the purpose of showing teenagers how exhausted and limited you are when you have a baby. An infant simulator,if you will. A Fake Baby.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 |
|
| Get out and enjoy Minnesota |
Minnesota is a great place to get out and enjoy life. From the state parks and forests to our local parks and trails. With hiking, biking, fishing, bird watching, camping, canoeing, and more, wherever you live, there are opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
Friday, May 07, 2010 |
|
| A tick attack |
Ah, springtime - that wonderful season when formerly brown lawns transform into lush green hues, buds sprout on various types of foliage, and Minnesotans get to partake in the pleasure of having myriads of tiny insects and other blood-sucking buggers assault them any time they leave the confines of their homes.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 |
|
| The 'dandelion queen' abdicates |
It's been a long time coming, but I've finally decided to give up my bright yellow, many-petaled crown.
Thursday, April 29, 2010 |
|
| Spooky noises in the night |
Each year in college, I swore I would go somewhere warm for spring break. Inevitably, however, spring would arrive and I would be broke. Finally during my senior year, my roommate Karla and I hatched a plan to drive south to Texas and save money by packing a cooler full of food and camping once we got there.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 |
|
| Focused on results |
State lawmakers used to wait until the last minute to accomplish anything. But over the last several years, things have changed. Ever since the DFL took over the majority in the House we've been getting our work done earlier and earlier.
Friday, April 23, 2010 |
|
| Inquiring Minds: What is the word for the male equivalent of a 'cougar'? |
| Friday, April 23, 2010 |
|
| Inquiring Minds: Do you have wi-fi internet available in your library study areas? |
| Friday, April 23, 2010 |
|
| Celebrate Earth Day |
April 22 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in the United States. The annual event was designed to be a day where we take a step back to look at how our actions affect the earth, and recognize the things we can change to make our planet a better place to live.
Thursday, April 22, 2010 |
|
| At prom time, a lament for a friend |
There are certain moments in a person's life that just stick with them. Time can blur the edges of memories, making them less defined, but the important moments stay with you and stand out in vivid detail.
Monday, April 19, 2010 |
|
| Improving
government services |
Our government needs to continually streamline the services it offers. At the federal, state, and local levels, we need to combine efforts and see how services can be more effectively delivered. I commend the units of government that are looking for ways to become more efficient.
Friday, April 16, 2010 |
|
| Mid-session accomplishments |
Easter/Passover break marked the midway point of the 2010 Legislative Session. In the short time since the Legislature convened, we have made significant progress on several goals we had leading into session.
Friday, April 09, 2010 |
|
| Oh, Jesse, you Jackal! |
All I wanted was a copy of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."
So I walked into Borders and gleefully snatched up a copy of the latest novel by Seth Grahame-Smith (of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" fame). Heading for the nearest cash register, I heard a vaguely familiar, unsettling voice.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010 |
|
| A wise old owl once told me ... |
Isn't it funny how an animal encounter can stay with you for years and years?
Friday, April 02, 2010 |
|
