March 2010

Alex Nyerges, director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, has a message for all of us: “This is your museum.” Indeed, VMFA’s $150 million expansion and transformation project, underway since November 2005, seems to reinforce Nyerges’ point – that art belongs to everyone and connects communities and cultures. While a…

We crank up the radio in the car on the way to school, and we often form our own little marching band, complete with maracas (uncooked rice inside plastic eggs), drums (empty Quaker oatmeal canisters) and plastic recorders. As it turns out, exposing my children to music benefits them in many…

I was four years old when I was kidnapped. If anyone should be a paranoid parent, it should be me. But living through a traumatic ordeal has made striving for normalcy in my daughter's lives that much more important. I can remember the white Mustang and the July heat, which…

Suddenly, your son doesn’t want to walk home from school, begging you to pick him up instead. Sweaters and jackets are now forgotten in the classroom by your once ultra-responsible daughter. Nightmares plague your son. Stomachaches bother your daughter. Maybe your child comes home in tears. Or worse, she’s silent…

Wouldn't You Like to Know? Every once in a while, instead of my usual column, I’ll find a Richmonder who I think we’d all like to know a bit more about. Same questions each time, from the Prying Publisher (that’s me!) And the answers are just for you. This month, I discovered…

Time now for an issue that despite the dearth of attention it receives in the media, affects us all. Today, we’re going to talk about glue gun control. My guess is you’re wondering how we’ll have a productive conversation about glue guns, especially if I’m the only one talking, and…

Come on. Admit it. You’ve said it. “It’s date night,” you say. “Just you and me, babe.” Could be dinner and maybe a movie. Better yet, a quick stop for hot tapas at that trendy joint on your way to the show you’ve been waiting months to see. You might drop by…

1. Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps Heat 2 tbsp peanut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb ground chicken, 6 thinly sliced green onions, and 2 tsp cornstarch. Cook the chicken until no longer pink while breaking into pieces. Add ½ cup chopped water chestnuts, 3 tbsp soy…

Q: A new mom friend of mine is behaving strangely and I’m worried. For a while she refused to take a shower when the baby was napping because she worried someone would sneak in the house and steal the baby. Now, she checks the doors a million times, but she…

According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control, the adverse health effects of smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths annually in the United States. The report went on to say that tobacco use causes more deaths each year than…

No need to buy accessories for St. Patrick’s Day when kids can have tons of fun making them at home. Send your little ones on a treasure hunt for that pot o’ gold wearing a designer hat.   What you need: Brown paper grocery bag Green paint Sponge or paintbrush Construction paper Scrap fabric, tissue paper,…