On My Mind

I blanched at the length of the school’s “Required Items” list, but as I prepare to send my son off to boarding school for the summer I deci...

As concern grows over the economic impact of imported oil, and the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels in general, I thought it wou...

There was wailing among glass collectors when Fenton Art Glass announced last fall that it would soon be forced to close because of economi...

My sister commented that the new “ Why Care ” page of my website was just bad news, followed by more bad news! It made me sit back and think...

Today’s topic is bedsheets . I know, I know…”Boring!” you say. But wait, there’s more. You also get… As a parent I have observed the followi...

Happy New Year to all! The holiday shopping season was fast and furious, especially for American-made toys. Perhaps there was a silver lini...

Today is one of those clear, sunny, fresh autumn days that I love so much. The sunlight falling on the trees makes them glow-- red-orange ma...

At a time when many manufacturers are eyeing low-cost locales in Mexico or Asia, a New Zealand manufacturer of washers and dryers has set up...

At the end of February 2007, Camillus Cutlery (Camillus, NY) closed its doors for the last time. The knife manufacturer, in business since 1...

As Valentine’s Day approaches, I am happy to say I am in love. But let’s talk about cars! After several months of driving my Pontiac G6...

One symptom of advancing age is declining ability to adopt new technologies. Egad! So, here I was, seemingly the last person on the planet (...

I like to enjoy each holiday as it comes along, including Thanksgiving. It’s the last bit of sanity before the winter holidays. I made my pu...

How does a “Buy American” goddess go about buying a new car? Particularly a goddess that likes hybrids and high gas mileage and worries abou...

[ Part 4 of my Manufacturing Travel Log (Previous installments are at Greenfield Village , Dearborn Assembly Plant and Ford Rouge Complex...

[ Part 3 of my Manufacturing Travel Log (If you can't get enough, read Part 1 and Part 2 . More to come!)] Greenfield Village in Dear...

Part 2 of my trip report on the Ford Rouge Complex in Dearborn, MI ... [Part 1 gives my reactions to the tour inside the Dearborn Assembly ...

This summer, rather than head to the beach or something else predictable, our family took a “manufacturing” vacation! I figured I’d better g...

Sorry to be such a girl, but my idea of tools is hammer, saw and screwdriver (and yes, I know about the slotted vs. Phillips head thing). Th...

I thought I was so crafty when I decided to have all of my children in late summer. I wanted my maternity leave to be in the fall, and after...

Perhaps it is my East-coast bias, but I always associated furniture manufacturing with North Carolina/Southwestern Virginia/Pennsylvania, wi...

American-made polo shirts are scarce as hens’ teeth, but perhaps will be spared the fate of the Passenger Pigeon. Pine Island Sportswear , m...