November 2017

Like her colleagues at NASA Langley, Christine Darden never thought of herself as a pioneer. She was just doing her job. But now, after Margot Lee Shetterly’s New York Times bestseller, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space…

With pass-holder access to Historic Colonial Williamsburg, my family and I make frequent trips to one of the largest living history museums in Virginia, discovering something new about the past each time we go. Through our numerous visits, my son and daughter have learned about the beginnings of our country’s…

When Karen and Pat Morrissey registered their son, Michael,  to play soccer with the Richmond Strikers, they didn’t realize that the idea of soccer as the world’s game would apply quite so literally. I mean, soccer at Striker Park, sure. Bryan Park, no problem. But Kazakhstan? As it turned out,…

We have empty seats at our Thanksgiving spread. This year, someone else will slice open the boiled eggs and mix the yolks with paprika and relish before presenting them as deviled eggs, the way my grandmother did every Turkey Day for as long as I can remember. Someone else has…

Our 1972 Toyota Corona station wagon lived a tough life when I was a kid. From the factory, it came with an AM radio and no AC. How much fun can anyone have with that? While other families had Oldsmobile Vista Cruisers and Ford Galaxie 500s with electric windows, power…

I write this note the morning after I gathered with about forty of my classmates from my graduating class, the Hermitage High School Class of 1987 (Go Panthers! And yes, I almost x’d out the 87, but hey, age is nothing to be ashamed of, right? It’s just a number!…

My 12-year-old has a community service program at her middle school. It’s not required, but I can’t decide if I should encourage it or not. I think it’s a good idea, but it feels like one more responsibility she might not be able to handle. What are your thoughts? I encourage children…

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond has been a fixture in the community for fifty-four years, but it’s changing all the time. In January, the center will roll out a brand new open-access program intended to get Richmonders into the art studio, even if a traditional art class isn’t the…

At a recent social gathering, a friend of mine mentioned some ringing in her ear. She said it had been keeping her up at night and she wondered if she should see a doctor for it – or if talking to me for five minutes would relieve her anxiety and…

  Cornbread Dressing Place ½ cup butter in a 13x9-inch pan; heat in oven at 425 degrees for 4 minutes. Stir together 3 cups self-rising white cornmeal mix and 1 cup all-purpose flour; whisk in 3 eggs and 3 cups buttermilk. Stir until evenly mixed. Pour hot butter from the…

The average American family owes $8,377 in credit card debt according to a May 2017 article from CNBC’s MarketWatch. While a third of borrowers pay off their credit card bills in full each month, two-thirds of borrowers are carrying some kind of balance. In fact, Americans are loaded with debt,…

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holidays should be a time for welcoming friends and family into your home – not for making emergency trips to the animal hospital. But if this year is like most others, veterinarians like myself will be treating many dogs and cats who have gotten sick…

Children experience a continuous stream of stimuli on a daily basis which can lead to a variety of reactions, including fear. While some fears may be rational, it’s not uncommon for children to develop irrational fears.  Parents can help children overcome these irrational fears by taking several steps, the first…

On May 24, 1607, Christopher Newport and John Smith, along with the members of their expedition party, reached the fall line of the James River. To claim the territory for King James I, Newport planted a wooden cross.  Three hundred years later, in 1907, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia…

The holidays are the perfect time of year to use traditional plants with non-traditional choices to create unique containers. This allows you to arrange and create awesome looking containers for the exterior or interior of your home. Don’t forget, these creations also make wonderful gifts!  Colorful containers flanking your door…

During a recent gift-shopping venture, I noticed an overwhelming number of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) toys available. The STEAM toy industry, also known as EdTech, is booming. It feels like there’s a new toy on the market every day, especially as the holiday season approaches. As a software…