REEL REVIEWS Movie Reviews for Real People August 28, 2012 – Let me start out by saying that I just love, love, love Meryl Streep. Mama Mia (2008), Julie Julia and It’s Complicated (2009) are on my top movies of all time list! So my expectations were high for Hope Springs (2012), directed by […]
…and a plea to elevate the human condition August 27, 2012 – On August 25, 2012 America lost one of its greatest heroes. The first of our species to step foot on another celestial body in our Universe died from complications related to heart surgery for clogged arteries. Our planet should mourn the loss of […]
(August 26, 2012) – Reading the book of Jonah for the first time troubled me. Not the miraculous aspect—I easily digested the man-gets-swallowed-by-fish part. But Jonah’s stubborn response to God bothered me. I couldn’t relate to the prophet’s attitude—until I found myself following his example. Wednesdays meant prayer meeting at our church on the edge […]
Dear Sassy, My dog Shelby (mini doxie) who is now 10 years old has continuous impacted anal glands. I have tried giving additional fiber, etc. to no avail. Do you have any suggestions? Signed, Scooter Dear Scooter, Impacted anal glands are a common canine health issue. Dogs with impacted anal glands often scoot or drag […]
August 21, 2012 – There is a lot of news from City Hall – and it’s all good! First, newly appointed City Manager Rick Crowley selected two current employees as his assistants: Finance Director Mary Smith and Municipal Services Director Brad Griggs – picked from a field of 160 applicants – will share the additional […]
At a neighborhood coffee, Cheryl announced that she had stopped eating sugar. Several women gasped at the thought. “But that’s so limiting,” said one. Cheryl smiled and said, “Actually I find the limitation is quite freeing. I don’t worry any more whether I should eat something or not. Drawing the line at no sugar has […]
“Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment,” read the sign in the gift shop. The sign reminded me of what I’ve learned about errors: since mistakes are at the forefront of learning, it is best if we can be friendly with error and welcome mistakes for the learning opportunities that they […]
Summer nights right before the news there was a public service announcement: It’s 10 o’clock, do you know where your children are? What I’d like to hear today is this: Do you know who your children are? When parents or grandparents contact me asking for advice about how to handle a child who is being […]
August 14, 2012 – Establishing routines with our children is an effective and powerful way to set boundaries. Setting limits helps our children feel safe, and allows them the freedom to focus on skill building and learning. Our routines, though, may have unintended consequences. If we spend the morning reminding, organizing and coercing our children […]
August 14, 2012 – The Heath City Council has begun its work on developing the City’s annual budget for Fiscal Year 2012-2013. With that in mind, I wanted to answer some common questions about the City’s budget and the budget process. What is the Purpose of the City’s Budget? The City’s budget is one of […]