Before this latest freeze, I thought I felt a touch of spring in the air. more

As the legendary college football coach Lou Holtz once said, “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.” Last week was the annual legislative spring break, marking the symbolic halfway point in the 2023 spring legislative session. Looking at the first half, we saw progress on a number of Missouri Farm Bureau priority issues.   more

Though I’ve yet to settle on what I want to be when I grow up, I’ve never wanted to be anyone other than me. more

Monday morning, the 20th, I looked and my front yard was full of robins — dozens of them. I had always heard that seeing the first robin was a sure sign of spring. Here is what one Internet site said, “Some people believe that the robin is a promise of new beginning and renewal, just like how plants begin to grow and bloom in springtime. Seeing a robin may encourage the observer to make positive changes in their life, let go of any grudges and follow their dreams.” Whatever the belief, it was absolutely amazing to see that many robins. more

The 1955 American country song written by Jerry Reed starts, “If God is willing and the creek don’t rise …,” which was the song that played over and over in my head on Friday as a group of crazy women in purple and red hats made a pilgrimage to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. more

I’ll admit I’m not a Buffalo native. more

How many times have you heard that we should learn how to bottle up the energy of a 3-year-old, sell it and make a million dollars? I heard that statement many times while my children were little, and I heard it again recently about my youngest granddaughter. She runs and squeals, enjoying life in front of her.  more

I’m often asked about my work in hospice, which many people misunderstand if they’re aware of it at all. Like my colleagues, I’m passionate about my work, and we continuously try to help educate patients, families and other health care professionals about the benefits of hospice. more

From the time they were big enough to make their own beds, my girls always had rooms of their own. more

I just received the news that an old friend has left us for his eternal home. Many locals probably knew him. His name is Raymond Lowe. He was a kind, polite and caring individual who possessed a hardworking ethic and always tried to give 100 percent. Raymond and I have been friends for five decades. We weren’t soldiers together, but longtime co-workers in the trenches of hard labor. more

What would you do with $1,000 for your favorite charity? more

Farm Bureau hosts or promotes many noteworthy events throughout the year. Watching nearly 100 tractors cruise in a single file line along county roads in northwest Missouri is always a sight to see. Teeing it up at our annual golf outing that supports the great work of the MOFB Foundation for Agriculture inevitably brings a lot of laughs. Getting 1,500 members together for three days at the Lake of the Ozarks for our annual meeting provides time for camaraderie and hard work to shape our organization’s future. more

A couple weeks ago, I sat in my “mobile office” looking out the window after completing my morning farm chores. I paused to take in the beauty of the fresh snow that blanketed the ground. The pure white snow touched everything in sight. The ice crystals sat light as a feather on every strand of barbed wire and on every tree branch. Moments like that bring a sense of appreciation to reflect on the past and look forward.  more

I never truly appreciated as a boy the gift of living in the country. more

Texting is commonplace in today’s world. I get more texts than phone calls. At least today, the texts are part of my phone plan. When this phenomenon started, my teens paid a quarter for every text. more

I took a little trip the other day. One I have taken many times in my life. The difference now, is that I can only take it in my mind of memories. I’m talking about a visit to my past and my grandparents’ farm. more

In 1988, “Lamb Chop’s Sing-Along, Play-Along” unveiled a four-line chorus, and just by those few words alone, you might already be experiencing hives, a rash or eye twitching from the memories spilling back into your head. “The Song That Never Ends” was something kids sang on repeat, because, as the title says, it’s the song that never ends.  more

When I was growing up near Elkland in the Eisenhower and Kennedy years, most fair weather days would find old men in overalls sitting on a bench in front of the Elkland MFA Exchange, some for a few minutes, some for much of the morning. more

“My man hasn’t asked me to be his Valentine. He just assumes I will be, because we live together — How rude,” was posted on Facebook. more

Dear Editor, more

Attention readers: I am an official graduate of Cardiac Rehabilitation. I have a certificate and everything! I can prove it. more

Dear Editor, more

Dear Editor, more

Well, I guess you wonder what happened to the crowd of C.B.er’s. They say the Buzzard finally talked Morning Glory in to marrying him. Rag Doll was her maid of honor and I told you Rag Doll said she was keeping her eye on the 49er. Next thing you know, Rag Doll and the 49er were getting married and they all made babies. Buzzard and Morning Glory were 49er and Rag Dolls best man and maiden of honor. Oh, did I mention that the old Bee had big fat 50’s on the back, Mickey Thompson’s that is with Crager Wheels. The young Buzzard thought it was cool. All these guys and gals hung out with him because he was like a dork fish. Somewhere between throwing cow pies and bottle rocket fights. more

In 2010, we bought a Prius. Although it was a really good car, with excellent gas milage, it was low to the ground. We didn’t dare drive it through a deep snow, because, we figured, it would bottom-out. Then in 2020, we traded for another Prius. It is a little higher off the ground, thus it would be better in the snow. It is also an all-wheel drive. more