A man fatally stabbed his 17-year-old sister, decapitated his 5-year-old sister in front of a police officer and then turned toward his 9-year-old sister with a knife in his hand before officers shot him dead in what their chief described as "a killing field." ...more

March 29, 2009

It was a cold, snow-driven night on the plains. Only two sounds filled the cabin - the crackling from the fireplace and the whimpers of a newborn baby. The new father sat at the kitchen table and, by the light of a single oil lamp, entered into his Bible the date and the birth of the newest family member. ...more

March 29, 2009

In a short-term memory, seconds become years. ...more

March 25, 2009

Bette Killeen carried two scrapbooks to her kitchen table to show what singing with different chapters of Sweet Adelines International has meant. ...more

March 23, 2009

Goals can't be reached with vague plans. Saying "I'll try to get more exercise this year" won't work as well as saying "Monday and Wednesday morning at 6 a.m., I will pull myself out of bed and go for a half-hour walk with my friend Chris before I jump in the shower to get ready for work." ...more

February 28, 2009

Inspiration doesn't come easily or often to me, but when it arrives, it's a lollapalooza. ...more

February 25, 2009

Eight men sleep in the dark, share two bathrooms and have to watch television and eat supper in cramped spaces. ...more

February 13, 2009

Two very responsible adults and an I-don't-care chair inhabit my house. The adults bring home the bacon, clean, cook and pay bills, while the chair controls the peace, calm and energy of its fellow occupants. ...more

January 28, 2009

Breakfast with one of the children is always a treat now that they all have homes of their own. On a quick and unexpected visit from his home in Michigan, our son Paul was spending several days with us and breakfast suddenly became hot coffee and whatever. ...more

December 17, 2008

Gus Van Sant has spent the past few years making dreamy, amorphous meditations on life and death that seemingly were intended for his hardcore fans, himself, and no one else. ...more

December 12, 2008