Despite my rantings about corruption in government, I still believe the United States is the best country in the world. Yes we have our failings, but overall our republic should be at the top of any list.Not so says U.S. News and World Report. They rate the U.S. fifth best in the world. They say Read More…
Columns
Maggie’s Pantry
By Maggie ConklinMonte CristoMonte Cristo is the name for a grown-up grilled ham and cheese sandwich on steroids. It is an Americanized term for what started in France (of course) as the Croque monsieur, loosely translated as “crunchy gentleman.”The classic Monte Cristo sandwich is stacked high with slices of ham, melty cheese and condiments, then Read More…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditor When I need advice, I know where to look: the newspaper. No, not this one. Sure, we have columnists who tell us what to do, where to go and so on. I mean papers that carry syndicated columnists, like Ann Landers and Abby were. One I know today carries three.“Dear Abby” (aka Read More…
Life as Performance Art
If you are a Republican, the Democrat next door is not your enemy, nor vice versa. If you are pro-life and your neighbor down the street supports Planned Parenthood, he or she is not your enemy. If you believe in enforcing gun laws, National Rifle Association members are not your enemy, nor are you theirs. And so on.As Read More…
Mike’s Musings: Sport allows me to leave my troubles behind
Today’s a great day. I have a cold now running on 8 days, my bank account is in the negative, and my ex-wife has called for the umpteenth time- and it hasn’t even reached noon on my wall clock.But hey I still have pickleball, a sport I began playing a year ago, and now play Read More…
“Out and About” Cheaper prices, gas and saving money on fuel
There are at least five things that are or will be getting cheaper in 2024. They include:
The Cycles of Earth
by Larry-Michael and Becky Lynn Hackenberg A Weekly Almanac GuidePlan, Do, Finish, Rest.Living in Harmony With EarthWeekend of February 24-25, 2024 Earth-Sun-Moon NotesIn A Nutshell…The Full/Doing Moon occurs Friday, February 24 at 7:30 a.m. EST. The Potawatomi named it Mnokesis, Moon of the Rabbit.The Algonquin name for February Moon Cycle is Wapicuummilcum, “Ice in River Read More…
Postcard from the Pines: Yikes!! Ice!!
On Wednesday, February 22, 1922, Marion, the rest of the state, and a large swath of the Midwest, awoke to a glittering, ice laden, and broken world. Just outside the door the icing event of the 20th century had coated everything with nearly an inch of ice. This storm is remembered numerically as the Great Read More…
May I Walk with You? ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION
Can I love someone and accept them, even if I don’t like how they believe and act? Good question for today. Once, when I was preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) the priest made this comment, “God loves the sinner and hates the sin.” I take that to mean the God accepts me as Read More…
Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Valentines and Birthdays
Valentine’s Day is over.I miss my old buddy Al. He used to proofread the paper every Thursday. And every time I wrote a column about family, love or anything like that, he would be sitting at his desk behind me muttering comments to me the whole time he was reading it.He sure hated mushy stuff, Read More…