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: 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 »
Ruth Handler was born November 4, 1916, in Denver, Colorado and passed away April 27, 2002. Handler was cofounder of the Mattel Toy Company. In 1959 she invented the one and only “Barbie” doll. This invention came as Handler observed her daughter playing with paper dolls. She wanted a more realistic doll for her daughter… Read more »
Dear Barb: My girlfriend and I have been together two years. We get along great and have a lot of fun together. I thought I wanted to spend my life with her, but I’m having second thoughts. we’re in our late twenties and, I get we both have a past, but I thought we’d discussed… Read more »
I can’t believe it’s been twenty years since I first saw those two little green eyes peering out at me through the bars of the cage. I tried to look away, but my eyes were locked and I knew I had been “picked.” The paperwork was completed and the next day we picked up our… Read more »
Dear Barb: I am in my late twenties and I have a one-year-old daughter. My daughter’s father is not with us, we tried to stay together but it just didn’t work. Before I got pregnant I was in university and now I want to spend time with my daughter so I decided to get my… Read more »
Dear Barb: Recently my 18-year-old cat passed away. I have two dogs at home, and, since Tabby has passed, they seem to be grieving. I am surprised as I didn’t notice them hanging out much together. The dogs are hardly eating and keep checking Tabby’s bed. Often they lay on the sofa with their heads… Read more »
Patsy O’Connell Sherman, was born September 15, 1930, in Minnesota and died on February 11, 2008. Sherman was the inventor of Scotchguard, the fabric protector. In 1989 Sherman was the first woman inducted into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame, and in 2001 into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Sherman achieved many firsts in… Read more »
Josephine Cochrane was born March 8, 1939, in Ashtabula, Ohio, and died August 14, 1913, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the inventor and designer of the first automatic dishwasher. Cochrane needed help with the construction of the dishwasher and sought the assistance of mechanic George Butters. Cochrane’s dishwasher was the first to use water pressure,… Read more »
Dear Barb: I come from an estranged family and until recently we hadn’t seen each other for years. For the past three years I have tried to organize a family reunion at a nearby park, but it has not worked out well. When everybody attends, they usually stay within their own family group, so I… Read more »
Stephanie Kwolek, was born July 31, 1923, and died on June 18, 2014. As a chemist at DuPont, Kwolek accidentally invented Kevlar while attempting to develop a lighter fiber for car tires. She earned a patent in 1966. Kevlar is lightweight synthetic fiber which is five times stronger than steel and is used in bulletproof… Read more »