In the 1950s, a physician named Thomas Findlay wrote, "The physician is a vastly more important institution than the drugstore."

Findlay was writing about the mystery of the placebo. He was claiming the sugar pill was not the critical element but the manner of the physician who gave it to the patient was what mattered.

Recent research finally has addressed in a sophisticated way what Findlay was pointing to a half-century ago.

I'm no Kalamabrew, but I do enjoy lifting a cold one every now and then and now and later and now and again and always and forever. Uhh...... oh yeah. So, when Budweiser recently flooded my precious interwebs with relentless advertising about their new American Ale, I became just the sort of lumpen dupe they needed to snatch up a sixpack and power their evil Belgian ways.

I feel pretty lucky that Kevin doesn't have to travel often for work. I have friends whose husbands travel nearly every week, and while they seem to handle it fine, I know that I could not.

Last week Kevin did take one of his rare business trips (to San Diego of all places, the bum!). Usually when he is gone, I call in reinforcements, in the form of grandparents. But this time I decided to let it ride, and with a dramatic lowering of expectations, plus a little help from my friends, it wasn't too bad. (I was mostly nervous about the sleep situation, but Wes has continued to sleep pretty well on his little mattress in our room, and I feel like I'm getting enough rest again -- hooray!)

Before Kev left, a friend sent me this blog post, which I feel like I could have written, but which was great to review right before him leaving. Among the author's tips for getting by when your spouse is away was this gem:

I needed to hear that, because even though I know I shouldn't, I always feel compelled to cook when Kevin is away (it's healthier, cheaper, bla bla). Granted, not cooking is probably not feasible if your spouse travels often. But it works for my situation, and not having to do dinner dishes really reduced my bedtime stress level. In fact, we ended up having pizza at friends' houses two of the three nights (thanks, girls!), and the other night was my neighborhood moms supper club, so I fixed fish sticks for the kids and left them with a sitter.

The other bit of advice I followed was "don't do more than you have to." To me, that means don't constantly pick up the house. It was a disaster when Kevin got home, but it let me focus more time playing with the kids, which they needed with dad gone. Again, not feasible for someone whose spouse travels often -- or for single parents, for that matter. Seriously, how do you moms do it?

Jennifer Harnish / Kalamazoo GazetteA Michigan Department of Natural Resources inspector examines a deer brought to the DNR's Plainwell Operations Center Saturday. Inspectors determine the age of each deer, measure antler beams and examine the animals for disease.

PLAINWELL -- Ron Dolegowski has taken six deer with his old 20-gauge shotgun over the years. On Saturday, it was his daughter Julie's turn.

The Dolegowski family drove up to the garage of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Plainwell Operations Center in their 1986 Ford van -- fresh from a field just south of Dorr. The side door slid open, and out popped 15-year-old Julie and her three sisters: Krysten, 9; Amber, 11; and Heather, 13.

Lying in the back on a large piece of cardboard was Julie's trophy -- a small doe she shot from about 70 yards.

MULTIMEDIA

• Deer hunters share opening-day success stories

• Readers Gallery: Submit your fall hunting photos

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• Firearm deer season opens with bang in Michigan

• Financial impact of deer hunting is huge

• While some men have their deer, their spouses shop

• Ann Arbor: Washtenaw Co. hunters undaunted by poor weather

• Flint: Poor weather sends hunters head to public lands

• Flint: Weather dampens start of deer season for some, state interest higher

• Jackson: Hunters deal with a wet, cool opener

• Kalamazoo: Hunters see busy opening day of deer season

• Some hunters say they'll be baiting, anyway

• Hunters, businesses want good Michigan deer season

• Belding inventor assists disabled hunters

• Diligence needed in deer processing

• Participation in small game hunting at record low

• Deer season: Where rubber meats the road

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Baby-boomers may remember a time when the home's formal dining room was off limits and used only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

A new generation of furniture -- buffets, tables, chairs and chifforobes -- is no longer just for show. The furniture doubles as a game table, homework table, cellphone docking station, work station and TV tray.

It is not a passing fad spurred by Sarah Susanka's "The Not So Big House" books. Even before the economy tanked, furniture makers were getting the message from consumers.

"The dining area has become a real multitasker in recent years," said Janice Simonsen, spokesperson for IKEA.

"There's a lot of ways to make the most of this hardworking space."

So, what brought about this change? In some respects, we have technology to thank.

Courtesy PhotoPress art and craft columnist Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood didn't want to miss the opportunity to stitch with professional daredevil and fiber artist Rocky Hardcore.

I'm totally hard core when it comes to art and craft.

I happily forgo meals and sleep and frequently exhaust craft pals with my creative endurance.

I thought I had the corner market on craft tenacity until I met Rocky Hauri, aka Rocky Hardcore. He's a 53-year-old stunt man from Owosso who embroiders the uniforms he wears to crash cars.

We met last month at the Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival at Wealthy Theatre. Hauri was in town to promote "Hell Drivers: America's Original Crash Test Dummies," a film in which he is featured doing wild stunts and embroidering his uniforms. I worry too much to be a fan of death-defying stunts, but I quickly became a Rocky Hardcore fan after previewing the documentary and seeing what he can do with a needle and thread.

Press Photo/Rebecca FinneranTo prevent damage from freezing, pumps should be removed and stored indoors for the winter.

You've enjoyed the peaceful sounds of trickling water in your backyard pond all summer. But now it's time to put the pond to bed for several months. A few simple steps can save you some slimy and potentially costly work in the spring.

If you have a pond that is strictly decorative and you're not concerned with maintaining existing plant or animal life, you can just drain it, clean it and store the pump indoors. Check another task off the list. A more complicated pond, though, does require some work each fall.