It’s been a week since gaining an hour of sleep from Daylight Saving Time. The sun’s been up with me and my bleary-eyed kid hasn’t been standing at the bus stop in the dark. Alas, my sunlit joy will be short-lived. Winter will rob us of precious minutes of daylight until nearly an hour of light vanishes over the next two months. If you’re a winter wimp like me, consider insulating your mood against Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression typically occurring in winter. People who live far from the equator, particularly women, are at greater risk of SAD. My husband will likely…

Today we’re asked to vote on three open school board seats in South Washington County Schools. School board elections aren’t as sexy as presidential races, but they’re important because the results have a more direct impact on local families. Current economic conditions necessitate our district to stretch budget dollars while simultaneously providing a top-quality education. That’s a tall order. One that requires intelligent, thoughtful and visionary people at the helm. I’ve studied candidate profiles and watched the web-streamed League of Women Voters candidate forum. Here are my impressions…

Care Providers of Minnesota, a statewide nonprofit trade association, will award Chaplain Basil Owen the 2011 Champion Award at their convention this month. Basil is campus chaplain for Woodbury Senior Living, which is comprised of Woodbury Healthcare Center, Woodbury Estates and Woodbury Villa. I have the pleasure of working with Basil every Thursday during Woodbury Healthcare Center’s midweek ecumenical church service. My job is to gather residents who wish to attend church and wheel them to the chapel. I tell my kids that I volunteer to push old people around. While there, I witness …

Halloween is approaching. I’ve got my costume and candy. I don’t go to Halloween parties but I do dress up to distribute a variety of chocolate treats. No Dum Dum suckers here. I love seeing all of the creative costumes that the neighborhood kiddos come dressed in. And I douse disdain on teens with the munchies who decide to drag their pillowcase to my doorstep without any attempt to entertain me with a costume. Come on kids. Let’s see what silly irony your highly developed 21st century minds can dream up. I’m surely dating myself by sharing one of my most creative Halloween costumes. I once …

Are kids eating too many peas at lunch? Not according to my friend, who spends her workday in an elementary school cafeteria. She’s a bit “steamed” over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s desire to limit starchy vegetables like peas, potatoes, lima beans and corn in school lunches. This is the government’s latest strategy in the battle against childhood obesity and it seems to have rankled the ranks of some nutrition service employees. These lunch ladies are the people who see what kids actually eat and what they throw away. And guess what? It’s not starchy vegetables that the kiddos are …

Flip-flops and high heels are two of my favorite things. Sadly, I live in Minnesota—a state with a very limited season for such indulgences. Years ago I heard radio talk show host, Joe Soucheray, label Minnesota as a “bad-shoe” state. I completely agree. Seasonal snow, ice and freezing temperatures drive women in Minnesota to make atrocious shoe selections. I’ve tried to maintain some sense of style and resist bad shoes with a modest collection of what I call my “big girl” shoes, stylish pumps and sandals that say my ankles are still strong and my ballerina balance is still intact. Oh, and I’…

I’ve been covered in dirt, moderately inconvenienced and am a bit lighter in the pocketbook. But I’m still appreciative of the recent road rehabilitation project in my neighborhood. At initial public meetings, some neighborhood residents expressed concern over the cost of such a project in these economic times. Ultimately, a struggling economy proved favorable for obtaining competitive bids—resulting in lower assessment levies than originally projected. While still not a cheap date, the project should be a worthwhile investment for neighborhood homeowners. Many of us had hoped the project …

“Do the hardest thing” is a quote from a novel I once read. It stuck with me. The quote refers to making choices when faced with multiple options. It’s a beautiful proclamation that we’re each created with certain talents that should be cultivated to the best of our ability. Potential shouldn’t be shelved when pursuing it seems too hard. But the hardest thing is different for each individual. And how do we measure success? My mother used to say, “Don’t measure other people by your own yardstick.” I’m assuming she meant that what’s easy for me might be more difficult for someone else. …

School has been in session for over two weeks. For parents whose baby birds are out of the nest for most or all of the day now, I ask: “Are you making the best use of the time they’re away?” This may seem a silly question for parents who work outside the home, for whom every day is dictated by some required and measurable production. But for parents who stay home full time or work part time, September can be a transition period of re-grouping and re-directing energies from daylong childcare to other endeavors. When I think back, the most difficult part of transitioning from full-time …

Fall is a fresh start season. A time of new beginnings and growth. Classes are in session for students in kindergarten through college. Fall sports schedules with new players and new plays are in full swing. Tulip bulbs and perennials will soon be planted in preparation for next spring. And this Sunday I’ll begin my fourth year of teaching Sunday school. I didn’t grow up going to Sunday school. But I did attend for a string of Sundays when I was around 10 years old. I was invited by a friend. We rode a bus to Riverdale Baptist Church in Michigan. I heard lots of stories about people who lived…

Today, the children of District 833 are back in school! Summer limped into existence during a cold, rainy June. The heat cranked up with smothering July temps. Then August arrived to produce a level of anxiety in me that today should resolve itself. Most parents fall into one of two camps. The first group is exhausted. Their patience is worn thin by summer’s end. They’re eager for September’s routine to refocus their bored, crabby kids. Although I understand this first group, I fall into a second group. I don’t buy Christmas gifts or school supplies in July. I don’t crave schedules or …

I’ve bought more books at Borders in the past week than I have in the past year. Why did it take the company going out of business for me to shop there? Price, primarily. Only with recent discounts advertised at 40-60 percent off are Borders prices finally competitive. Some bibliophiles renounce my frugality as if the cost consciousness of book shoppers ruins literacy. Nonsense. Shopping online is quick, convenient and costs less. Plus, ordering books from Amazon is unlike buying things like furniture at a big box retailer where shoppers typically sacrifice quality for price. When the product…

I get tingly this time of year. It’s Minnesota State Fair time, an annual highlight for our family. But my appreciation for all things fair is not homegrown. I’m a city girl whose food magically appeared in a well-lit grocery store—a girl who used to snub all things farm. When I spent weeks on bed rest while pregnant with our first child, I discovered KARE at the Fair on television. I was enthralled. The whole thing looked amazing on TV. That’s when I announced to the world: “I want to go to the fair!” My expectations were generously met and we haven’t missed a fair since. But it’s a big …

I love great pictures. But I don’t take very good pictures. So when a parent from my son’s baseball team offered to photograph all players during games, I was intrigued. I didn’t expect the incredible quality and quantity of pictures taken and offered to parents at printing cost. They were so good, I didn’t bring my own camera to any games. The photographer is Brad Mischler, Woodbury resident since 1999 and a repeat prize winner of the Focus On Woodbury photo contest. His beautiful first-place photo, "Mother’s Day Storm, 2004" was shot right out of his front door! Brad’s interest in …

It’s time to begin preparing for the Minnesota State Fair. A good way to get warmed up for what can seem like a marathon fair day is to do some sprints through a smaller venue. The Washington County Fair is that perfect venue. And it’s this weekend! For me, the Washington County Fair is like dipping a toe in the warm August waters of fair-dom. While the State Fair is a sun-up-to-sun-down adventure that can’t even be appreciated in just one day, the Washington County Fair is very doable in a few hours. It can be just as much fun but with a bit less stress and drain on the pocketbook. It’s an …

There still may be time this summer for you to squeeze in some family camping. Some Washington County Parks campsites are still available now through September. Both Lake Elmo Park Reserve and St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park offer outdoor experiences that are close to home and for minimal cost. Surprise! I’ve camped quite a bit. Surprise again. It’s all been in a tent, not a camper, and sometimes with little more than an outhouse and pump water. My husband and I once spent an anniversary camping across British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. We would hike primitive trails and see couples with …

I’m more of a sitter than a doer. I like to sit and watch other people do stuff, read about other people doing stuff and write about the stuff other people do. I take walks, play tennis and occasionally bike to the library. Other than that, I don’t enjoy exercise or the accomplishment of pushing my physical fitness boundaries. So I’m definitely not a candidate for this weekend’s Warrior Dash at Afton Alps. (Editor’s note: I’m competing in the event on Sunday morning. I’ll have a camera and be looking for Woodbury folks. I’m the dude with the spare tire.) The Warrior Dash is a 5K race in the …

Milan and Meg Hruby moved to Woodbury from England a little over four years ago. As newcomers, they heard a lot about Minnesota’s reputation for water sports and recreation. They thought maybe their young son, Lukas, might enjoy boating on Minnesota’s celebrated lakes and rivers. But how and where? They didn’t know anything about water sports and didn’t own a boat. So when they saw an advertisement for St. Croix Sailing Camp last summer, they signed Lukas up. “We like summer camps for the variety of sports and creative-thinking experiences they offer,” says Meg Hruby. And for a child growing …

What inspires you? Inspiration is defined as stimulation for the mind toward creative thought. Better yet: Divine guidance and influence. So what stimulates your mind and awakens your senses toward creativity, beauty and the divine? This summer you may find outdoor worship offered by Woodbury area churches inspiring. Here’s a sampling of churches offering outdoor worship: King of Kings Lutheran Church, Sundays, July 10 and Aug. 21 at 10:45 a.m. Every summer Sunday, weather permitting, at Resurrection Lutheran Church at 10:30 a.m. Every summer Sunday at Woodbury United Methodist Church at 10 a…

There are a couple of times a year when I don’t like to be away from Woodbury. Independence Day is one of those times. I didn’t grow up in a place where such a “large” town could shrink down for a few hours and feel like such a “small” town. But now I live walking distance from Ojibway Park and its upcoming Fourth of July festivities. The experience is so good, so family-friendly. It’s such a community expression of celebration and I don’t like to miss it. I recommend priming your history pump with a video series that depicts our country’s founding. My kids were introduced to America, The …