Recent Blog Articles
Operation Elves is underway! I've still got my rhyming game on from writing my first elf note. Lucky you: I'm sharing it too! #stillgotit My job tonight is to dig the elves out of the laundry room, where they've been hiding the past year, and simply place them in the...
Fifty-three percent. That's the percentage of white American women with college degrees who did not vote for Donald Trump. Over half of us woke up Wednesday morning (or, if you're like me, watched it all unfold in the middle of the night via the blue glow of your...
“After college, I drove my mother to the dentist to get her teeth fixed,” said Dr. Suzzette Lirio-Ona. “After having six crowns restored, her life changed. She went from being a meek and shy person who covered her smile to a friendly person who couldn’t stop smiling....
Bestselling Michigan author Lynn Austin, an eight-time Christy Award winner, delves into the rich history of our state in her new novel, Waves of Mercy. With deft skill, Austin seamlessly weaves the story of the founding of Holland, Michigan, into this...
With one former West Michigan woman's rather unexpected move to Florida comes a new wisdom—the wisdom of realizing there are (at least) 10 things only West Michiganders understand. 1. The Meaning of "The Lake" "What are you doing this weekend?""We're going to...
Changing leaves, apple trees and ... Yes. A lot of browning corn stalks. That's fall in West Michigan! Farms and orchards offer opportunities to enjoy autumn weather with hayrides, apple cider, pumpkin patches and plenty of chances to test your navigation skills in...
It takes a whole community to support homeless animals in West Michigan and make it possible to provide care for the 3,564 animals who were adopted from Humane Society of West Michigan last year. On Saturday, October 8th nearly 1,000 community members will come...
Recently, I was talking with someone about growing up so close to Lake Michigan's shoreline that I took the beach for granted. "Michigan is actually a really great place to live," I said. (My eavesdropping friend leaned over and added: "We do have some Great Lakes.")...
I read an article a few weeks ago that said, "We compare 100 percent of our own life to the best 5 percent of everyone else's." It struck a cord, because I think we all forget about that other 95 percent too often. How many times have you heard, "Oh, Jane Doe is on...
I walked across the stage at my high school graduation with a GPA over 4.0. Two years later, I'd sit in my professor's office with a B+ on an essay and tell her: "I don't think I'm doing very well in your class." The next year, I'd sit in a psychologist's office, and...