As a parent, I spend a lot of time thinking about our family’s budget. Do we take a spring break trip, or contribute to the kids’ college fund? Do we eat out less to offset rising health insurance premiums? Every day, we weigh wants against needs and make choices based on what ...

A challenging situation that psychologists may encounter is someone who wants to lose weight. They may sincerely want to lose weight, but they then find many ways to sabotage their progress. For many people, controlling how much they eat presents a major struggle. Their self-control melts ...

Question: I enjoy reading your column in the weekly newspaper. I have a question I hope you can address. We’ve had some heavy fog recently and I get frustrated with the vehicles that do not have their lights on. Sometimes the headlights are on and the rear lights are not. What is the ...

Last week’s warmth brought with it what I can only hope is the final melt of the season, despite knowing that Mother Nature always has a few wintry tricks up her sleeves, even well into May. For that reason, the Minnesota fishing opener always serves as the “safe point” on my calendar for ...

My wife and I recently marked our 45th wedding anniversary. This is a mathematical impossibility as I feel as though I’m not a day over 40. But maybe that’s just my intractable immaturity talking. My wife was 22 and I was 23 when we were wed. Knowing what we know now, we know that we were ...

As spring arrives in southwest Minnesota, it brings a welcome sense of renewal — and a moment to reflect on the work that strengthens our communities. Each year, United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) takes this season to thank our Community Partners and look ahead to the opportunities ...