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Opinion

Ask Lisa: My Teen Spends Weekends Alone, How Can I Help?

December 2, 2024
With the holidays upon us and the flurry of social gatherings and activities, many parents may find themselves worried about their teen’s social life — or lack thereof. One parent recently shared this concern: “My son is a junior in high school…
A golden retriever in the woods.

Generations: One Luxury of Being Older

November 19, 2024
The dog has her needs, just like the rest of us; but unlike the rest of us, every one of them is met with promptness and adoration. Many mornings, for instance, she wants to stroll through Rock Meadow conservation land, past the…
A brilliant red tree against a blue sky.

Garden Gems: A Drought-Tolerant Shade Tree

November 18, 2024
As dry weather persists nationwide, nurseries are turning their attention to drought-tolerant plants. On a list extolling the virtues of five drought-tolerant trees, I was pleased to see a favorite denizen of my garden, Acer rubrum, the red maple. Previous Columns Red…

Generations: Belmont Teens Need Their Own Space

November 12, 2024
Somehow we had ended up in a crowded cafe, surrounded by densely packed tables and a sea of glowing laptop screens. Espresso machines hissed and baristas barked out orders, but the overwhelming sound was the robotic click of keyboard keys. The afternoon…

Generations: Human Contact is the Great Redeemer

November 5, 2024
Until a few weeks ago, I would have full-heartedly recommended the nearby gourmet shop’s cinnamon bread to you. I would have served you a toasted slice without butter: naked bread, nothing but proud flavor, sold only twice a week in the store…

Generations: Gen X and Aging Parents

October 28, 2024
When I sat down to write a column about Gen X caring for our aging parents, I had many false starts. Did I want to write about how my friends and I discuss our parents’ reverse milestones (“Can he still drive at…

Generations: How Live Concerts Keep Gen X Young at Heart

October 23, 2024
For the Gen Xers, seniors, or even Millennials reading this column, how often have you caught yourself saying, “I’m getting too old for that?” Once a month? Once a day? I probably had this thought daily when my kids were younger, and…

Ask Lisa: Calming the College Chaos

October 22, 2024
Fall is here, and with it comes colorful leaves, crisp air, pumpkins, and for high school seniors — the college application process. A parent recently wrote me: “My senior has become increasingly stressed out about college applications. He is consumed with ‘acceptance…

Garden Gems: When Less Is More

October 15, 2024
Along with the pink-washed night sky of a rare aurora borealis last week, we started seeing the first true signs of fall around Belmont: yellow ash trees, orange sugar maples, and lots of front porch mums. Will it soon be time to…

Generations: The James I Knew

October 6, 2024
Though he has never met me, I have met James Taylor many times. Half a century ago, his long-haired gaze on the “Sweet Baby James” album cover promised to see me (and only me) through the depths of adolescence. ‘We’re in this…
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