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Harrisburg needs to end reliance on school taxes

Breaking News … the way Pennsylvania funds its public school system is wildly unfair. It should not have taken a public interest lawsuit to confirm to the General Assembly what I and many others have been saying for a few decades now… homeowners, school districts, teachers and most important students do not win with the way Pennsylvania pays for its public schools. This has been apparent for several decades. In fact, in July of 2002, I was the first legislator ever to use a provision in the state Constitution to demand a special session to attack the problem of property taxes. ...

Frozen meals can offer convenience

Much to my surprise I found that the pioneer of frozen food lived in the 1600s. Francis Bacon actually experimented with the freezing process. It is said that he caught a cold during the process of stuffing a chicken with snow to see what the process would do to preserve the chicken. Although it was years before the concept caught on, experimentation began there. Birdseye, a biologist and fur trapper, traveled with a team to watch the Inuit in Canada catch fish out of frozen water. Although they were “frozen” when they were caught, when they thawed, they were alive. Birdseye ...

A new formula for frustrating forms

The receptionist at the desk handed me the usual clipboard and said, “Fill out everything on the form to the best of your ability. Make sure you fill out both sides and then bring it back to the desk.” Sure. Absolutely. I can do this in my sleep at this point. Every time I see a new doctor, this is the procedure. And because seniorhood is the “Patch this, patch that” stage of life, there is often another new doc on the horizon to fix your broken whatsit or your strained thingamabob. The first thing that annoyed me was the receptionist’s admonishment to “fill out the form ...

A new formula for frustrating forms

The receptionist at the desk handed me the usual clipboard and said, “Fill out everything on the form to the best of your ability. Make sure you fill out both sides and then bring it back to the desk.” Sure. Absolutely. I can do this in my sleep at this point. Every time I see a new doctor, this is the procedure. And because seniorhood is the “Patch this, patch that” stage of life, there is often another new doc on the horizon to fix your broken whatsit or your strained thingamabob. The first thing that annoyed me was the receptionist’s admonishment to “fill out the form ...

Looking ahead

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head? I have had this song stuck in my head for a long time. Recently a friend posted a portion of the song on her Facebook page and that got me going. Just what does the future hold? The Bible tells us that God has plans for us. Plans that will not harm us, but will be good for us. I truly believe that. The Lord has been very good to me. For years my favorite Bible verse was Psalm 27: 14. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” I waited patiently. He saw me through the death of my first husband. He saw me ...

Follow the noise and snap to it

Follow the noise and snap to it Saturday afternoon was softening toward dusk, ending a quiet week. I was getting a bit better each day from my latest fight with Covid. Then, Dear Richard’s cranky hip decided not to cooperate, pushing him to use a cane. We were slowed down, but not out, and glad of no commitments for the weekend. I was washing my hands in our master bathroom when I heard an unlikely loud “SNAP.” I couldn’t place its origin. It was outside the bathroom, and sounded like something between a mechanical failure and breaking glass. Maybe like a window pane ...