The Marvelous Mr. Moo: His guide to the good life

July 31, 2021

I am in awe of my dog. I simply find him fascinating — the way he walks through the world. As though it’s Mr. Moo’s Universe and we’re all along for the ride. And not just because he has 0% body fat, either. Every time I watch him, I marvel at what it must be like to live without a shred of self-consciousness the way he does. He doesn’t care if people look at him — actually, I imagine he assumes they will and figures it’s his due. “He’s so cute,” a woman told me the other day. “Yeah, he thinks so, too,” I answered. And while I understand ...

A COVID-19 time capsule

May 23, 2021

Katie McDowell When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the time capsule buried in front of my elementary school (shout out to William Tyler Page in Montgomery County, Md.) It was planted in among an herb garden  in a little square near the entrance (the smell of fresh thyme still takes me there), a stone bearing a plaque with two dates: when it was set, and when  it would finally be unearthed. I didn’t understand what it was at first, only that it seemed like some sort of treasure, or clue. When I asked my mom about it I only became more obsessed.  What could be ...

Gratitude list helps keeps blues at bay

March 22, 2021

Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about “journaling.” I put it in quotes because I doubly dislike the use of it as a verb. Even in my teens I was hopeless at keeping a diary, breaking open the one I had only to occasionally profess my love, or hate, for a particular boy. Probably my most successful attempt was the clothing log I kept in high school, where I would write down what I wore every day in order to avoid repeating anything for at least a month between wearings. Even that I gave up mid-junior year, when I guess I decided it was OK to put on those Guess ...

Not me, but I do wish Pizza Girl the best

February 21, 2021

Katie McDowell I tend to hate romantic comedies. But recently, some folks thought I might be living in one. After an ad ran in our paper last week seeking a mystery woman from the frozen pizza aisle, I had quite a few people reach out, wondering if perhaps it was me. You probably saw it: A big tagline reading, “If you like pina coladas … getting caught in the rain.” A description of a meet-cute at Sabraton Kroger, from a man desperate to know more about a girl he spoke to. She was buying pizza and pet products. Waxing philosophical about pepperoni. And talking ...

Hardship is no stranger this holiday season

December 20, 2020

Well, friends, here we are. Five days out. There’s no question Christmas will look different this year. Already we’ve seen some it: Socially distanced Santas, drive-through-only light shows, performances of “The Nutcracker” viewed on laptops instead of in theaters. Black Friday sales went online, as did the many craft fairs and church bazaars that usually mark the season. If we’re being smart, a lot of us will share family meals over Zoom, rather than around the table. Holiday toasts will end with a clink on a screen. It’s weird. Sad. Definitely not ...

Giving thanks in a very unusual year

November 22, 2020

Katie McDowell I have no idea how it happened, but with Thanksgiving a mere five days away, it seems it’s time for me to make my annual list of things for which I’m thankful.So I suppose I’ll get right to it. One: My health. In previous years, I’ve always avoided listing health as one of my grateful-fors. It just seemed to me a bit trite — one of those things that goes without saying. Or that people say, but don’t really mean, because they take their own good health for granted and therefore don’t actively feel thankful for it at all. It just is. Obviously, this ...