Columns

Gone And Forgotten

It was another sad reminder of where we are today. I counted only three U.S. flags proudly waving on home fronts on a particular street in the heart of Wheeling. It was on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, and there were few signs that it meant anything other than another start to the work week. And that’s sad. I am not one to celebrate or observe every anniversary in our history books. However, the memories of Sept. 11, 2001, are still freshly etched in my mind. On that day when terrorists rained death and destruction down on our country, everything changed — for a while. We got mad. ...

If Only We Could Know

There has been some frenetic activity taking place in the yard this past week. The hummingbirds are racing around the feeders, sipping the nectar as if it were their last supper before weighing into Weight Watchers. They have had to fight a horde of bees that are bullying the birds for a taste of the sugar sweetened water that I make every few days. People in the know about such things as hummingbird migrations inform me that the hummers are drinking up in preparation for leaving us. Soon they will be flying off to warm, southern destinations to make it through the cold weather ahead. ...

Tips For Keeping Trees Alive

WHEELING — The final Public Garden Lecture, “Keeping Trees Alive,” will be held on Monday, Aug. 28, at the Schrader Environmental Center within Oglebay Park. This lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m. Last Spring I purchased a redbud tree. I planted it following all of the advice that the grower could give. I watered it deeply every week for two months and then settled into watching this tree mature. Never did I give any thought to the fact that the newest crop of baby deer might want to nibble on the leaves, nor the possibility that we would go 22 days without any appreciable ...

The Water Is Calling

There is a saying that if you want to see your neighbors during the summer, just head to the beach. At least that is the thinking of a lot of West Virginia folks. It’s true. Just visit Myrtle Beach, Ocean City, Hilton Head or any other seaside town on the Atlantic Ocean in July, and you will see plenty of West Virginia license plates in parking lots along the beachfront hotels and motels. There is something about living in a landlocked state that sends Mountaineers to the ocean in large numbers. I know friends and family members who make it a yearly pilgrimage each summer to an ...

Book Bags Are Getting Heavier

Fourteen items, that’s how many are listed on the average back-to-school supply list to send a public grade schooler back to class for the 2023-24 school year. I was just curious as to what my kids would need to start the new year, and I was a bit surprised at that list. Items on the list included the usual pencils, paper, scissors, crayons and glue. However, students are also asked to bring tissues, paper plates, Play Dough and disinfecting wipes to class in some schools. I guess times have changed a great deal since this baby boomer went to first grade at St. Michael’s ...

What Really Matters

If there is anything that the COVID-19 pandemic taught us is that there is nothing more important than the people you love and who love you. Like many families, we were separated from loved ones for weeks and months that rolled onto years. Birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, births, graduations and other celebrations were canceled. Time stood still as days dragged into endless worry and fear. There were frantic phone calls announcing the latest family member and friends to pray for as the virus took hold. Through it all, we learned the deep importance of the human touch especially ...