The Rockwood Files

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 A windsock shaped like a hot air balloon with a spiral tail is suspended above our backyard deck. When the wind blows, the balloon spins, and […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 In 1995, I got my first job after college from a “help wanted” ad posted in a newspaper’s classified ads. (Remember those?) The headline on the […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 Have you ever gotten good at the wrong thing? I think it might have happened to me. Yesterday, I read this article about the myth of […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 The Rockwood family microwave, affectionately called “Mike,” died suddenly in the home on August 6, 2015 while attempting to reheat day-old pizza. It was 10 years […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 Let me set the scene. We were at a restaurant with the whole family, including my mom, all three of our college kids, plus two roommates […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 I’ve learned a lesson this week, and here it is: Sometimes, it’s okay to lower your standards. For the 26 years we’ve been married, I’ve told […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 My husband and I were born five years and two days apart in March. Since it’s birthday season again, here are 52 things I’ve noticed about […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 When our three college kids are home for a visit and we go out to eat, we follow a protocol. We usually ask for a big […]