Adapting is something we older adults have figured out how to do. Let’s face it: life demands that we go along with changes that are out of our control. Fighting changes that are thrust upon us just uses up the energy that could go toward the more productive response of adapting.
On my last day of high school, a piglet went blazing through our hallways with a trail of squealing, emotionally charged high school seniors in its wake.
I like to ride my bike. Fast. If you see me pedal by while you’re on a ride of your own, I’ll pretend that I don’t see you as I spin the crank just a little bit faster to be sure that I stay in the lead. Yes, we’re racing. No, you aren’t going to win.
No question we’ve been handed bushels full of lemons this spring. Between staying at home as much as possible and worrying about the global pandemic, we have hit upon a sour note.
Last weekend, Minnesota’s 2020 fishing season opened with a bang. There was snow up north, only a few fish caught in the St. Croix River, and no cameo appearances from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. None-the-less, record numbers of Minnesotans purchased fishing licenses last week and set sail …
I took a few weeks off from writing the column to make 487 grilled cheese sandwiches. Thank you for your patience.
Curbside pickup, checkout splatter screens, and … bikes. The cultural fallout of the pandemic is underway and one of the most surprising trends is the elevation of the lowly bicycle as a preferred form of transportation.
We have been living – some might say trapped - in a sort of “twilight zone,” where the end felt indefinite. But recent glimmers of hope keep showing and increasing. For family friends and obvious extroverts, Margot Rheinberger and Louisa Westrup, both Gazette columnists, their personas have …
During this turbulent time, it can be difficult to maintain positivity and have hope for the future. While we continue to practice social distancing to protect the health of our communities and ourselves, many of us are feeling lonely and missing our loved ones. Missing human contact is norm…
These are strange and difficult times. I hope this first day of May finds you healthy and happy.
Thinking is a luxury in our world, let’s face it. Have you had time to slow down and think? Like, during this pandemic, how “interdependent” we are? The actions of each of us can affect all of us. We depend on healthcare workers and medical researchers. We depend on the clerks, delivery serv…
Usually folks get worked up about the weather in March. We want spring so bad, but we know it is a snowy month. How many times have you been told about those high school tournament storms? Well, we got off pretty easy last month. March came in like a lamb and went out the same way. We only t…
Once upon a time, there was a great big busy kingdom that was marvelously filled with magic. Rocks split open, allowing crystal clear water to pour out for the villagers to drink; trees oozed with liquid that turned to sugar when it was cooked; and tiny crystals fell from the sky every winte…
The year so far has not quite been what any of us expected nor hoped for. Currently, it is imperative that all of us practice social distancing and remain conscious of our health and the health of those around us. However, despite the limitations, uncertainties and fears, many of us have bee…
Stillwater city officials have selected engineering, architecture and planning firm TKDA to design and provide construction administration services for the Chestnut Street Plaza project. The project will turn the former portion of Chestnut Street between Main Street and the Stillwater Lift B…
We went to the woods on Sunday afternoon to enjoy fresh air, warm sun reaching through frostbitten air, and no other humans in sight. For the dog, it was just like any other day. She had no idea that the world was turning upside down as she galloped across the blackened prairie, still charre…
If you take a walk around the streets of White Bear Lake, you might be lucky enough to hear children from Frassati Catholic Academy singing a song in honor of the four storm drains adopted by their school. Fifth-grade students at the school adopted the four storm drains in 2019 and have affe…
When confronted by what seems like an overwhelming challenge, have you ever gotten the advice: “it’s a marathon, not a sprint”? In other words, pace yourself, it will be a long journey - especially if you find yourself a caregiver for someone experiencing dementia.
One year ago, Old Man Winter had us begging for mercy. We had just wrapped up our snowiest February on record with 39 inches. And March came in like a lion with 5.6 inches of snow on the first of the month.
To the young woman who politely asked if I needed help in the Target dressing room on Tuesday evening: Thank you. And my apologies.
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It is never a secret when my son and I go for a walk. You can hear us coming from at least a block away. I’m usually singing because I consider myself to be either Julie Andrews or June Carter, depending on the day. Charlie is tripping along behind me in oversized boots replacing all of my w…
The recent impeachment hearings in Washington, D.C., generated a lot of discussion about a legal document known as a subpoena. A subpoena is a document which compels a person to provide information in a legal or other governmental proceeding.
Editor’s note: This commentary has the full support and backing of the Adams Publishing/ECM Editorial Board.
My brother, Joe Rheinberger, turned 60 last December. As I had done with my older brother, John Rheinberger, who turned 70 last March, I decided that a mystery birthday trip gift for Joe was in order. I chose San Francisco as the destination, as I knew the city’s Chinatown would be in the mi…
This is a Public Service Announcement: Do not ask your teenage daughter where her black swimsuit is the morning before she begins the dreaded swim rotation in middle school. While you may think you are simply providing logistical direction, you are not. You are bossy and nosey and unsupporti…
If you are like me, hearing loss has become a reality of aging. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 40–50% of adults over the age of 65 years have a measureable hearing impairment, rising to 83% for age 70 plus. This makes hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic medical…
Nothing kills the mood on Valentine’s Day faster than a pending carpool pickup at 7:30 p.m. sharp.
I think we can all agree that this past January wasn’t so bad. We ended the month five degrees above average when you combine the highs and lows. We average 12.2 inches of snow, but we wound up shoveling 9.8 inches away. And here we are a week into February. It’s been cooler, but this month …
I am a 16-year-old climate activist. I learned about global warming and climate change in second grade. My teacher nonchalantly informed us of humanity’s impending doom from greenhouse gases collecting in the atmosphere and ocean.
When I was a young boy, I dreamt of traveling to every country in the world. Decades later, in 2011, I returned from Somalia having completed my childhood dream.
I like a good car jam and given the amount of time I spend driving kids around town, I feel my relationship with 90s hip hop should be allowed without judgement. When there is an eye roll, or a reach for the volume dial, I am quick to remind my kids they are always welcome to sit in the back…
When my boys were still in diapers but old enough to stash a supply of pacifiers in the front pocket of their denim overalls, I tried to institute “quiet time.”
Stillwater Rep. Shelly Christensen and Rep. Jamie Long, two key environmental advocates in the Minnesota House, got several climate-related and clean energy bills passed in the 2019 legislative session only to see them killed in the Senate. Let’s make sure these bills are brought for a vote …
Driving down a country road last week, I turned to gaze at a lone tree in the west that always stands so firmly, silhouetted against the evening sky. On this night, however, one half of the tree lay sprawled across a nearby farm field, toppled over by wind or age. “How sad,” I thought to mys…
For older adults who wish to age well by planning for their future needs, there’s a helpful printed guide available. The Seniors Blue Book, published twice a year, is a free publication covering resources over the twin cities seven county metro area, including Washington County.
“Growing up in Jamaica, my family had a deep connection with the land and the ocean where we lived,” says Angelo Williamson. “When I moved to the United States, I felt a strong sense of identity as a Jamaican. When other people looked at me and saw me as a black, African-American man, that w…
Have you ever heard of the term, “Kangaroo Court?” It refers to a case where justice proceeds by leaps, like a kangaroo, intentionally jumping over evidence or established rules to insure a predetermined outcome. Some historians suggest the name comes from Great Britain around 1800 where a q…
Gather round close and lend me your ear, shoulder to shoulder near the fire’s warm light. Watch sparks from the flames dance into the air – bright stars below meeting bright stars above.
What do you think was the biggest national news story of 2019?
Last week, I was shopping at the Mall of America with my youngest daughter and stumbled upon a long line of people stretching around the balcony (which – based on the amount of strategic assembling – I assumed was for samples of free chocolate or wine, either of which I naturally would have …
It’s official: I just turned 65 and enrolled in Medicare. One of the first documents I received urged me to talk to my doctor about my risk of falling. According to the statistics, I am now in a high risk category: among those age 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of injury and death…
As part of a mission to make Stillwater streets more walkable, bikeable and livable, Sustainable Stillwater MN recently conducted a public opinion survey to find out what Stillwater’s residents, business owners, and visitors think about downtown truck traffic, crosswalk safety, motorcycle no…
Three months ago, I became Minnesota Department of Human Services commissioner. I took this role because I believe in the agency’s mission and wanted to help provide better health and fuller lives for the people of Minnesota – at a lower cost for taxpayers. It is also essential that we move …
I’m not sure who needs to hear this today, but the cookies will get baked. You, there, with the green frosting in your hair and the entire container of decorating pareils spilled into your bra, the cookies will be delicious (and you better get the bra in the delicate cycle ASAP or it’s a gon…
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