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Rounding Third: The annual Christmas tree challenge

Our Christmas tree finally went up last Sunday. This year, a large flock of early-bird decorators decided to trot out Christmas w-a-a-a-y before Advent. During an evening drive a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I saw lit trees in many living rooms, bright windows, and outdoor lights on the bushes and trees. I suspect many of these lights were put up as their orange Halloween bulbs came down. I don’t really mind people rushing the season so much. It’s just the guilt I feel when our house is bare and the world around me is already festive. One of these years, I would like my ...

Trump’s win is already making the U.S. safer

Certain network shows, including “The View” passionately supported Kamala Harris. After Donald Trump’s decisive victory, their hosts experienced “meltdowns.” “What’s wrong with Americans?” was a general, whining question. A majority of Americans simply disapproved of the following: the crippling of American energy independence; excess federal spending; steep inflation; an invasion by millions through an intentionally weakened border;’sanctuary cities’ failing to protect citizens from migrant crimes; “unfreezing” Iranian assets which enabled Iran to ...

View from Hickory Heights: Nativity sets

First, let me say we did not have a nativity scene in our home when I was growing up. The only thing I had was a small plastic version to hang on the tree. When I was teaching Sunday school, I bought those ornaments for my students. I still have the one that was left over. I always purchased more than I needed because there could be a visitor on that Sunday before Christmas. My mother found the figures for the Nativity in a small gift shop inside of the bakery on Central Avenue in Dunkirk. It was a beautifully carved wooden set. She purchased it for her new home. She remarried the year ...

Shedding through the holidays

Walter, my son’s wonderful white Labrador retriever, always accompanies Bart when he comes for the holidays. We traveled to my daughter’s house in Lexington, Mass. for Thanksgiving, arriving one day after Bart and Walter. By then, Walter had molted his first layer of fur throughout the house – his annual autumn shed. Walking over the hardwood floors, just the movement of foot traffic caused his coarse white hairs to gather into furry whorls that ran along the baseboards. The first time I used the powder room, I noticed a clump of white dog hair attached to my shoe. Labradors have ...

County school futures dictated by affluence

Over the last several months the Warren County School District Administration has been trying to sell the residents of the Western and Eastern attendance areas on the necessity to close Youngsville and Sheffield High Schools pinpointing a Qualified Zone Academy Bonds loan taken out on the ...

Innocence found in area’s youth

Recently, as a guest performer at the Sportsmen’s Tavern in Buffalo, I was introduced to the audience as a songwriter and a middle school English teacher. The welcoming response was mostly about the teaching part, as one patron shouted “Oh no!” and another, “God Bless you!” Middle school teaching is not my first rodeo. I spent many years as a nearly-broke musician on the margins of educational institutions in order to make ends meet. From subbing in high schools to adjunct teaching in numerous colleges here and in Colorado, I racked up a pretty unimpressive resume of low ...