By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 The closest I’ve ever come to getting into a physical fight happened when I was five. I sat at a round table coloring pictures alongside a… 

Words are hard – much harder than they used to be. It’s a symptom of middle age I hadn’t heard about until it started happening to me. A few more aches and pains? Sure. Crow’s-feet… 

Once every five years or so, we get a new television. Sometimes it’s because we actually need one – like that summer when a lightning strike electrocuted several of our appliances. But most of the… 

My favorite character of all time isn’t in a literary novel, a blockbuster movie or a TV show. He is, in fact, a cartoon beagle named Snoopy. I assume you know him, too, right? I… 

This morning, I stirred the white powder into a steaming mug of Earl Gray tea, watching it scatter and swirl like a freshly shaken snow globe until it melted from view. The powder is unflavored,… 

If you’re not feeling delightful this December — often called “the most wonderful time of the year” – you’re not alone. It’s been a hard year for millions of people in many ways. You’re not… 

I’m good at some things — like making a paper projectile out of a straw’s wrapper, swatting a fly with one targeted strike, and quoting lines from reruns of sitcoms. Thanks to excellent teachers, I… 

I really do love words. For me, they’ve always been like magic. As a shy kid, I felt so fenced in by fear of nearly everything, but putting words on paper set me free. No… 

For years, I said the thing all busy parents say when we’re wading through the drama of raising humans – the feeding and cleaning, the last-minute science projects, and the after-school activities that swallow up…