Columns

Falling For The Season

The signs were all around this week. Then the weather forecast confirmed what we had suspected — that the fickle season of autumn is upon us. One day it is blustery and downright cold. The next day the stink bugs reappear during warmer afternoons. I saw the signs two weeks ago when Roseann and Skip’s tree at the bottom of their driveway turned a gorgeous shade of orange. Its huge branches reach over the lane we drive and serve as a welcome mat for anyone traveling under it. The mums have bloomed and nearly hit their peak this past week as overnight temperatures dipped into the ...

Apples, Cows And Kids

Anyone who has followed my columns over the years knows that Oglebayfest has always held a special place in our hearts. Our son Jamie was born on a Saturday during the annual fall festival, which is held at Oglebay Park. While everyone was enjoying the festival in 1985, we were welcoming our son at Wheeling Hospital. So each year we would return to Oglebay and celebrate the season and a birthday. This tradition has continued with Jamie’s children now enjoying the events of this past weekend. While crafts and such are of little interest to 6- and 7-year-olds, we headed straight to ...

Dividing Screens Add Mystery to Any Room

I’ve never written a word about screens, old room screens used in decorating for dividing a room. I’ve always admired them and found them interesting in a decorating scheme but never knew anyone who owned a good antique example. Sometimes these decorative screens are just used for adding a bit of mystery and elegance to a large room. Other times they help in dividing a large space and creating a faux wall. In my case, I was seeking a room screen for my daughter who lives in an historic home in North Wheeling, and I was fortunate to find a room screen at a local estate sale, out ...

The Power Of $1

Not until I fully semi-retired did I realize the term of being “on a fixed income.” Of course, it is my personal choice to no longer put in 40-hours or more per week. So when I consider my retirement income, I have to make wiser choices in the spending category. That doesn’t mean I don’t indulge in an occasional lunch or dinner out. But just because I am limited in my spending doesn’t mean I have changed how I treat others who serve the public. Even before the COVID pandemic caused us to retreat to the supposed safety of our homes and curb our eating-out spending, I ...

Airing Out Our Gripes

Once a year, I collect readers’ gripes about a host of issues and formulate them into a column. That way we can share our collective complaints and feel somewhat validated. I’ve heard from a host of readers about the condition of roads in West Virginia, and I can commiserate. There is an online method at the state’s highways division for making road issue complaints known to those who can help. How excited one reader was to receive a message saying the potholes on his road had been filled that day. However, a ride down his road proved otherwise. Perhaps road crews ran out ...

Did you see all the press coverage of the jewelry and sentimental meanings behind the strings of pearls, pins and jewels worn to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral last week? I did and enjoyed it. It even inspired me to take out a few baubles and brooches to pin on my lapel. My favorite jewelry moment during the coverage was the mention of the first brooch worn by Princess Charlotte to her great-grandmother’s funeral last Monday. It seems that this small diamond horseshoe pin placed on the youngster’s black coat was a gift from the late monarch and previously belonged to Queen ...