Columns

Case Closed?

As I write this column, the jury is still out in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial. By now, anyone who reads the newspaper or listens to the news knows what this case has been about. Rittenhouse shot and killed two people and wounded another during civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August of last year. Rittenhouse has maintained that he shot the men in self-defense. I will spare you any further details. You and I will know the outcome of the trial by the time this column is published. What I will tell you is that while watching and listening to these proceedings, I have ...

What’s The Rush?

Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is about three weeks away. No, I do not skip over Thanksgiving and head straight into Christmas. No sir, I like Thanksgiving too much to jump right into Advent. In my opinion Thanksgiving is one of the least stressful of the seasonal holidays. That is unless you are the one doing the cooking because mostly the day is all about food, family gatherings, watching football on TV and more food. The holiday can be as laid back or as formal as your family desires. The meal can be traditional turkey and all the fixings or a barrel of Kentucky Fried ...

A History Lesson Up Close

People my age and older often talk about their “bucket lists.” You know, that list of things they wish to accomplish or obtain before life’s last call. Recently my husband and I accomplished a common wish list item when we drove to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to take in the historic sites and learn more about the Battle of Gettysburg. It’s one thing to read about the Civil War and that famed battle in Gettysburg. It’s a whole lot more meaningful and memorable to stand on the same grounds where so many human lives were lost. The Battle of Gettysburg occurred over ...

Vampires Continue to Take a Bite Out of Collectors

Vampires remain a popular topic at Halloween. In fact, my 4-year-old grandson Angelo is looking forward to scaring his brothers and friends decked out as Dracula today rather than a current pop culture character. But the legend of Dracula has been around for a long time and of course, much of its on-going popularity began with Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic novel “Dracula.” It continues today with books and films that glamorize the spooky theme. Even Charles Schulz’ famous comic strip dog Snoopy has been pictured vampire style. But what if instead of fantasizing about ...

Baking Family Ties

After organizing my kitchen cabinets, I realized I have five pie pans. So when my sister Marilyn asked me the other day if I needed another pie plate, I just laughed. Ever since I was old enough to sift flour, I came to the conclusion that you have to have more pans than you need for a good reason. Our mom taught us that you never go to a picnic, visit a friend, or greet the new neighbor without taking a gift of food. Funeral home visits also meant taking along a plate of muffins or cookies for the bereaved family. Mom was big on breakfast breads or muffins that traveled well. At ...

Preserving People, Places And Pigs

The pigs are gone; the goats and chickens are no more as well. We had gotten accustomed to seeing the farm animals in their enclosure just off the road on short GC&P. We would pass their homestead many times a week on our way to and from our own country home. We would often marvel at the size of the pigs, noting how they had grown since last year. They had increased in size to the point of their bellies nearly dragging the ground. They enjoyed a good mud puddle and a rare, cool summer day in the grass. The goats provided some entertainment as they climbed atop boxes or milled ...