Barbara Godin is a graduate of Athabasca University. She writes the “”Dear Barb” and the “Women of Interest” columns. As well, Barb has written many personal interest stories and enjoys connecting with others through her writing. She has been writing for The Voice since 2003.
If you enjoy reading Dear Barb, you can also purchase her curated collection, Dear Barb: Answers to Everyday Questions at her website, http://www.barbgodin.com.
Dear Barb: Christmas is just weeks away and I can feel anxiety building in me! I’m one of the middle girls out of six in my family, and when we get together it is chaos! Some of us live halfway across the country, and the only time we all get together is Christmas at my… Read more »
Elizabeth Magie was born in Macomb, Illinois, in 1866, and died in Arlington, Virginia, in 1948. Magie developed The Landlord’s Game, a board game which was said to be the stimulus for the Monopoly game. The game was based on the economic philosophy of Georgism, with the goal being to show how rents enrich property… Read more »
Dear Barb: I have a friend who is very difficult to get along with. She finds fault with everything and everyone. When my husband and I go out for dinner with her and her husband it is always a big production. To begin with, she refuses to wear glasses and she can’t read the menu,… Read more »
Margaret E. Knight was born February 14, 1838, in York, Maine, and died October 12, 1914. Knight was an inventor who has been considered the most famous 19th century woman inventor, and she was often referred to as “the lady Edison.” Margaret’s first and most important invention was a machine that folded and glued paper… Read more »
Dear Barb: Hi, I have a family dilemma. I am the second oldest of four children. We weren’t a wealthy family, but we did ok. My parents were pretty generous with us until recently. Whenever we would go out for dinner they would pay, but now they want us to pay for our own meals…. Read more »
Dear Barb: I guess I have more of a comment than a question. As Remembrance Day is approaching I think about my grandfather, who was a soldier in the war. He passed away a few years ago, as did my grandmother. My mother often told stories about how difficult it was for her family after… Read more »
Julia C. Stimson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 26, 1881, and died in 1948 in Poughkeepsie, New York. In 1920, Julia Stimson, one of the most significant nursing leaders of her era, was the first woman to be given the rank of major in the United States Army. In World War 1 she… Read more »
Harriet Brooks was born on July 2, 1876, in Exeter, Ontario, and she passed on April 17, 1933, in Montreal, Quebec. Brooks is credited with being Canada’s first nuclear physicist and is a member of the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame. In 1901 she was the first woman to obtain a Master’s Degree… Read more »
Dear Barb: I have been married for five years and my husband and I are very happy and get along well. But before we got married my husband was a lot more affectionate than now. For example, he always used to sit beside me on the sofa and now he sits in his own chair…. Read more »
Dear Barb: My mother and I have not always gotten along and now that we are both getting older I really wish things were different between us. I love her, but I’ve been so involved in my own life that I never think about what she is going through. As my kids are growing up… Read more »