Columns

With the second week of school behind me, I’m starting to get back into the rhythm of my teaching routine. I recently noticed that, on some days, the bottom of my foot near my heel is sore. This has happened to me in the past, and it usually goes away…

After getting bodywork last week, my shoulder is thankfully improving after a recent pain flare. While I still don’t know what I did to aggravate it, I’m glad to be on the path to better comfort. I always have to be careful to take it slowly for a while…

Last week, I experienced some significant shoulder soreness. While that’s common in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, I also badly injured it when I was a teenager, and it hasn’t been quite right since. After my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome diagnosis at age 22, I finally had some tools…

As a college counselor and teacher at a local high school, I’m glad I return to work a week earlier than the rest of the staff after summer break. My first week back is still on summer hours, so we work Monday through Thursday. It’s quieter, so it’s a…

I’m not sure how it’s August already. I’m a teacher and feel like school just finished for the year, and now this week I head back! This summer has been odd, as my horse Cherry has been off due to injury, the heat has been intense, and I’ve been…

I recently was able to escape the Southern heat for a few days and visit my grandparents and extended family up in New England. My dad has six siblings, and each summer and Christmas, everyone does their best to gather from all over the world to spend time together.

To remove any doubt that summer is in full force, all you have to do is step outside. Like elsewhere across the country, temperatures here in Virginia have soared into the upper 90s, with the heat index climbing over 100 degrees at times. Thanks to living on…

As some of you may know, outside of being a high school teacher and college counselor, my life primarily revolves around animals. I live on a small, private farm where I help with chores and maintenance. That part-time job, this column, and my full-time teaching job allow me to have…

Last fall, I repeatedly woke up quite sore, and it finally dawned on me that I needed a new mattress. Great! Easy fix, right? Well, it should have been — if I hadn’t forgotten to do it. You might be wondering, “How in the world do you forget to…

Every summer, I face the same conundrum: Do I wear shorts and skirts, or not? My answer tends to vary, but this year, I bought myself a few new pairs of shorts that I’ve already worn several times. I’m not sure I had any shorts I actually liked last…