Once upon a time, Sophia, the wonder puppy, lived in a modest home on a quiet street in a small town. Sophia is proving to be a positive addition to this widow’s life. more

Like the familiar little song Carol Burnett sang at the end of each week’s hour-long variety show, I would like to paraphrase the message to express my feelings about being your local newspaper’s editor for the past five years — “I’m so glad we had this time together . . . and before you know it, comes the time we have to say, ‘So long’.” I’m tugging my ear now and smiling. more

In most homes, the kitchen is the family's nerve center, the party place, and the situation room. It's also where the best stories happen. Here's what has been cookin' in ours lately. more

I have been fortunate over the years to have two collections of my personal columns published in softcover books. more

We have people who boast, beat their chest, power trippers and people identifying as something other than what God made them. But, guess what, there are great people in our community. more

I’ve been a paid writer most of my life — 49 of my 76 years. more

As a preschooler, I had an imaginary friend, Michael. He was tall and muscular, with dark hair and white wings. more

Walk in the park more

If you've ever wanted to bite a baby's tiny foot or put a puppy in your pocket so you can squeeze it all day, you are not a monster. Thanks to scientific research, we now understand why you and I and many others have this strange compulsion to squeeze, bite, and otherwise gobble up adorable human and baby animals. It's called "cute aggression," and it's all about balancing out the big emotions in your brain. more

What does gardening have to do with your health? Gardening can improve our wellbeing in many ways.   more

Imagine an old-fashioned phone from the last century, or what is referred to as a landline. The spring-like plastic-covered wire connecting the handset to the base would get tangled, and someone would have to try to untangle and unravel the wire. more

Newspaper reporters don’t typically get much respect as writers. more