Times-Newspapers

Beginning in July 2003, the South County Times, a weekly community newspaper in South St. Louis County, allowed me, quite literally, one Friday column of type. For 17 years, I did my best to fill the space — 870 consecutive weeks and didn’t miss one deadline. The paper ceased publication in March 2020, when advertising dried up as quickly as coronavirus became part of our vocabulary. In the fall of 2020, its sister publication, the Webster-Kirkwood Times, returned, and so did I as a contributing columnist.

Where did I get my material? I’m a mom first, thanks to Tom, my St. Louis University High School history-teacher husband of 29 years, who also doubled as an editor and sounding board. The best topics were often right in front of me. Our boys, Matt, 27, and Jack, 24, grew up in the space. I never wrote about them without asking permission first, although as they got older they pretended not to care.

I also told stories in and around my South County neighborhood, beginning with our little suburb of Crestwood and spilling over into Affton, Webster Groves, Kirkwood and other surrounding areas.

No matter what I write from week to week though, the heart of what I write almost always goes back to stories of my community, my friends and my family. “Mom, am I really that interesting to you?” a teen-aged Matt asked once. Yes. Yes, you most assuredly are.

An archive of my columns is available here.