
If you’re female, you’ll probably be a caregiver at some time in your life. Certainly for your children, if you have them. Probably for your parents. Possibly for your spouse. And maybe for your grandchildren.

I’ve always had “the cool parents.”
HOW TO SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
At your best
Driven to the game of golfEverybody has a golf story, be it closing a deal on the course, driving a ball into a sand trap, or sinking a seemingly long-shot put. We talk to female golfers who appreciate the time away from the daily grind that golf offers, as well as the female friendships they have cultivated while playing. It’s easy to get started even if you have never picked up a club. Some of these ladies still take lessons and say that finding the right coach or mentor makes all the difference.
In my own words
Martha Logemann: Service specialist, Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on AgingThe first thing people ask me is “Where are you working?” It is a valid question, since I change jobs so often. At least I used to. At my age, I don’t have the opportunities anymore. I was out of work for several months before I received the opportunity to work for the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging. My husband commented at the time that I was fortunate to find a job from a place that surely wouldn’t discriminate on the basis of age. He’s right, and I plan to stay here a long time. I have had many very unique job experiences.
Shops
Stock your pantryA nicely furnished home doesn’t just have dust-free end tables and fluffed-up couch pillows. It also has a pretty well-stocked pantry.
At work
Brains and style: Alexis Peabody, up-and-coming fashion designerPeople tell me I’m both right-brained and left-brained. I have a creative side as well as a business side, and I need both in my line of work.
What does your __ say about you?
Best friends are 'priceless'There's nothing quite like having a best friend. And long after our note-passing, giggling-about-boys age, we still could use a girlfriend in the wings. She understands us like no one else. She knows when to crack a joke and when to keep the margaritas and tissues coming.
Guilty pleasures
Sweet dreamsIf you can’t remember the last time you woke from a night’s rest and felt great, you’re not alone, but you’re really missing out.
Things to do
Mark your calendarThe Rock River Valley is hopping with women-focused activities. Check out our list of things to do through September. For a more comprehensive look, go to rrstar.com or check out GO Monday through Saturday in the Rockford Register Star.
Spirituality
Touching lives as a lay personBeing a religious leader means taking on responsibilities and helping others strengthen themselves spiritually and grow in their faith. Often, laywomen affect the faith community more than they know.
Food
Minutes to 'yum'This recipe, for chocolate éclair torte, can be made with almost all fat-free or sugar-free ingredients.
Girl group
Not educating women cuts the potential of a nation in halfWhy is it important to educate females in countries where girls and women are oppressed? Rockford Woman asked that question of two local women who have the expertise to answer.
Money
Keeping a close eye on creditCredit cards can be our friends if we’re smart using them. Tammy Alger, 45, vice president/regional sales management for AMCORE Bank, says a credit card is a useful tool.
What would RW do?
How to manage your online persona and other technology tanglesSocial networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are becoming more popular, but there's a line between revealing personal information and staying professional. This raises two important questions. What is the best way to turn down someone's friend request when you don't want them looking at your page, in particular a business rival or boss? And how much information should a professional disclose on such a site? What would Rockford Woman do?
RW Health
Health news a click awayThis health section is part of a new approach to covering health care and healthy living.
Each spring and fall, Rockford Woman produces a special section that focuses on helping you look and feel good. We’ll tap local experts and talk to women like you.
This issue's health stories:
Mind your bottom line
Tootsy talk
Hair 'don't' to hair 'do'
Speedier recovery from a hysterectomy
How's your mental health these days?
Cut out the noise in life
Go green
Kick the plastic habit: Try not buying it for a week, and you might learn a thing or twoPlastic is the poster child for everything that’s bad for the environment. People are starting to abandon plastic bags for paper or cloth as a way to cut down on using plastic. But you don’t realize how plastic has become part of everything in everyday life unless you try to stop buying it, which is what Jennie Pollock did for a week in May.
RW Travel
Dream vacationsFor years, Ronit Golan, a physical therapist, wanted to take a cruise. Last winter, she got her wish and embarked with her husband, Roni, on a Carnival cruise to the Caribbean.