The feelings came back as if it had happened yesterday. My hands and voice shook as I remembered. I was attending a lecture on advance directives offered by Tampa General Hospital through the Community Church College. Thirteen years evaporated as I listened to the lecturer describe planning for the end of life. ...more

December 24, 2008

'Tis the season to be jolly - or grouse about what to call the season. By now, many people have made peace with the fact that we live in a society in which people holding any number of beliefs about the events of tomorrow, Dec. 25. Some people who celebrate the events at the center of the religious aspect of Dec. 25 but do it on different days. Others have a celebration that this year began Dec. 21 and run for eight nights. Others observe a holiday that begins Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1. Some people observe Dec. 25, but the only spirit that moves them is ho-ho-ho and mistletoe. To some Dec. 25 is - bah, humbug - just the day before Dec. 26. ...more

December 24, 2008

For the past eight years, and at least the next four years, one person has been and will continue at the helm of the Highlands County School District - Superintendent of Schools Wally Cox. ...more

December 21, 2008

For some new nurses, it was the fear. They feared putting an intravenous catheter into a baby for the first time. They feared talking to their supervisors. They feared failure. ...more

December 9, 2008

Dear Abby: I would like to encourage all parents of daughters to teach their girls how to say "no" clearly and with grace. ...more

November 23, 2008

Dear Lyn: My mother is 82 and was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2002. She lives with my husband and me. She currently believes she has two little children other than her five grown children. She has these spells in which she starts worrying about them and is afraid they are outside alone and can't get into the house. Sometimes she thinks they are ages 9 and 10. Other times she thinks they are about 2 years old. ...more

November 22, 2008

Tarpon Springs officials have been trying to get the attention of the folks who operate Jack Willie's Tarpon Turtle Grill and Marina. They appear to have succeeded. ...more

November 22, 2008

Former Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig gets the call in net tonight to face his former team for the first time. Upon the team's arrival in the nation's capital early Sunday afternoon, Kolzig took time to answer questions about his feelings heading into tonight's game, his feelings about how things ended in Washington last year and the role he's filling with his new team: ...more

November 10, 2008

Dear Lyn: My grandmother lives with us. My 5-year-old daughter, Megan, is her only great-grandchild and they're very close. Granny has Alzheimer's and yesterday she was cross with Megan for the first time in Megan's life. I've done a little to explain Alzheimer's to Megan, but I don't know if I've done enough. She hasn't said anything about the apparent changes in Granny, but I keep wondering if Megan really understands and if her feelings were hurt yesterday. She hasn't said anything about it. What should I be doing to help Megan cope? - Kelly ...more

November 8, 2008

barring election upheavals - we'll know who won all the local races. Regardless of winners and losers, the real work begins today. ...more

November 5, 2008