Columns

Green Is The Grass In Warwood

The sky has been gray an awful lot of the time in recent weeks. Rain has inserted itself into many of our afternoon and evening plans. Some of the national news reports have been just as dark with a few political thunderstorms thrown in for good measure. So one day this week I made an effort to find something positive, something to smile about during my mundane trip to the grocery store. And just like that, it happened. I was shopping at the Kroger store in Warwood on one of those hot, muggy, threatening-to-storm days. Grocery shopping isn’t on the top of my list of favorite things ...

Bees, Hot Weather What’s Next?

I’m beginning to feel defeated. My poor hummingbird friends have been forced from their feeders by a bunch of bully bees. In large numbers, there are varieties of these nectar predators that have invaded the hummingbird food sources. I understand bees are very important to the natural ...

A ‘Well-Heeled’ Downtown

It’s no secret that one of the biggest complaints about driving in downtown Wheeling is the deplorable condition of the streets. Main and Market streets have resembled a war zone for more years than I care to count. Good news came recently when bids went out for the downtown Streetscape ...

Kewpie Dolls: Collectors Still Love These Little Imps

Kewpie dolls are an adorable little addition to any antique collector’s menagerie. These little imps also have an interesting background. The charming dolls were born in the early part of the 20th century after illustrator Rose O’Neill decided to satisfy her public’s request for a doll that complimented her stories and illustrations. O’Neill was born in Pennsylvania in 1874, but by the age of 14, showed a talent for drawing after she won a contest sponsored by the Omaha World Herald. She went to New York City and studied with the Sisters of St. Regis, developing a portfolio ...

Have No Regrets

The doorknobs throughout our house are sticky, and I am not in a hurry to clean them. Each time I grab one, it reminds me of the little hands of two grandkids under the age of 8 who created this mess. And I’m grateful. After two long years of separation, hunkering down at home to avoid the dreaded COVID virus, the grandkids have been visiting with renewed excitement. The last visit included some swim time at the neighbor’s pool, rides on the tractor and side by side, operating the toy trains with PopPop, playing a variety of make-believe games and baking muffins with Grandma. ...

Makes Cents to Me

For as long as I can remember, I have carried some type of coin purse along with my wallet and handbag. The first official coin purse was something I made at a summer day camp craft day. It was one of those little leather half-moon shaped coin purses that you put together with a length of leather string that resembled a shoelace. It snapped closed and probably had room for about 50 cents in coinage. But I was proud of my creation and carried it for quite some time. As the years passed I acquired numerous coin purses of various materials. I have found some of my favorite ones at ...