Dear Editor, more

I like January. I think most mothers do. Sure, it’s the dead of winter and it gets dark ridiculously early, but January has one big thing going for it. It’s the “cool down” period following the high-intensity workout of Christmas. more

As in seasons past, our home was a family gathering place for kids and kin this holiday season. Putting on the mantle of grandpa, I again cooked the turkey, dressing and sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, while our daughters provided desserts, salads and other fare. more

Not everyone makes New Year's Resolutions. According to Statista Consumer Insights, 43% of those polled said they were not making a New Year's Resolution. But for us die-hards we make the same resolutions or a variation of them every year. I found a New Year's Resolution list my husband and I made together from 3 years ago. I could actually use the same one every year. Eat healthy, drink more water, have a weekly date night, spend money wisely, spend more time camping, hiking, biking and kayaking, Get rid of "stuff" we do not use or need and don't bring more "stuff" in. more

Earlier this week my kids beat me at poker. No money changed hands, other than colored plastic chips. But the bragging rights will last a while, at least until next December. Our college-aged kids taught us how to play Texas Hold ‘em this year. We ordered cheap pizza and listened to Kenny Rogers sing “The Gambler” while we played. more

I like old things. more

Last week, I walked my dog and took trash to the bin. Suddenly, the neighbor’s German Shepherd bolted towards us and grabbed little Sophia by the back haunches. Quickly, the neighbor popped out of her house and called the big dog off. I’ve never seen this behavior out of the German Shepherd before. It was an unfortunate incident. No injury occurred, except she now has PTSD. more

There was a time in America when most people were healthy. Up until the late 1800s, families generally raised their own gardens. The word "cancer" and some of the modern health problems were seldom heard. Toward the end of the 1800s, however, the growth of population and rise of large cities changed things. More and more processed foods were put on the market. Chicago became the center of the meat-packing industry, and that is when people noticed that food safety was going down. The Chicago Stockyards and Chicago meat industry headed up much of the country's meat production. It was soon learned that the meat-packing facilities were places of filth, putrefaction, disease, dampness, poor-ventilation, and lack of oversight. People were sickened when they read of the problems. Newspapers noted that sometimes poisoned rats, splinters, rope ends, and other things were scooped up and canned as potted ham. Upton Sinclair's novel on the subject and a 1906 jingle that ran in the newspaper made people take notice. more

‘Twas the day before Christmas when I got a splinter in my eye that nearly ruined everything. I was 7 years old and all set to be Wise Man No. 1 in the annual church Christmas play the next day. more

She’s coming like clockwork. more

“For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) more

What does complaining do to your brain? more