Articles by Amy Shankland

Influenza A hit our entire household last week like a freight train. I woke up a little after midnight Tuesday morning, Feb. 25 thinking, “Huh, my throat’s getting scratchy.” By…

When you’ve been married for as long as I have (26-plus years), there are bound to be a few inside jokes between you, your spouse, and your kids if you…

My husband John and I traveled to the delightful little town of Peotone, Ill., last Saturday. We met my brother-in-law Ron and his wife Shelly to close out my father-in-law’s…

I think it’s almost a rite of passage when you reach middle age to encounter issues with your back. What I commonly people saying is, “My back went out yesterday.”…

With all the bad things happening in the world, both near and far, I thought it was time to write a column to share tidbits of hope. Here goes! Feeling…

Last weekend, I received a text from one of my son Jacob’s closest friends, Colton. Since I am a grant consultant during the day, he was curious if I knew…

After my “let’s embrace winter column” last week, I realized that we all can’t be perky and happy about winter 100 percent of the time – including myself. Throw in…

I’m in complete disbelief and shock that I just typed that headline. Some readers may recall that I am a self-professed “summer girl.” Or, lately due to menopause, a “spring…

Nothing brings a household to a grinding halt faster than a major appliance that isn’t working properly. In our home, that was our washer last Wednesday. Since I do laundry…