Three sheets to the wind

January 22, 2026

I’ve missed that wonderful aroma of sheets and towels coming in from the fresh air. Sadly, my house deed states, “no clotheslines,” meaning no tee shirts flapping in the wind on a sunny day. Generations X and Y have probably never inhaled that glorious smell. Now all our sheets come out of the dryer. The manufacturers have tried, but there is still money to be made by the person who gets that little delight just right. Yesterday, I had reason to mourn the loss of that washday joy – the only good part of the laundry process I remember from being a kid. I was sorting sheets – ...

There’s absurdity in energy policies

January 17, 2026

Twenty years after “An Inconvenient Truth,” none of Al Gore’s wild speculations about climate catastrophe have emerged, yet people still cling to the climate nonsense, and New York state energy policy remains absurdly captive to that narrative. By way of example, climate fraud led New York to require houses built after Jan. 1 to use electric heat, and required the state to have 70% “renewable” energy by 2030. The simple fact that these impossible regulations were devised by Albany politicians demonstrates the absolute incompetence of those who run New York. Reality ...

Nation needs to work to find common ground

January 10, 2026

As we mark the fifth anniversary of the insurrection that took place on January 6, 2021, let us pause and reflect, not just on the unnecessary events which unfolded and included the worst kind of political violence, but also ask ourselves how we’ve grown from it. Our civil discourse has become more challenging in the last several years with too many instances of incivility, division and hostility. You don’t need to look any further than our own backyard in Pennsylvania where we had an assassination attempt in Butler County two years ago along with a brazen attack on the ...

Having a small frame for life’s big picture

January 8, 2026

Our family has cut way back on Christmas presents in recent years. We all still enjoy filling some desires from the grandchildrens’ wishlists. Honestly, they are the only ones who really need anything. But I have a problem, and it is probably a hangup going back to my childhood. I want everyone to have a package or two under the tree. A few years ago, we set a modest limit, so the gift shouldn’t be big, fancy, or expensive. It just has to be wrapped and tagged “to and from” so everyone gets to feel special. We are such a small family that giving each other a small gift is ...

Rounding Third: Challenges with 24 legs in house at holidays

January 2, 2026

Today, the second of January, a working day, really begins the New Year. Fuggedaboudit. I’m hoping people have today off to go along with the holiday. Two long weekends in a row? Now THAT would make for a happy Christmas. Despite housing six additional 2-legged residents and two 4-legged critters for the fun of Christmas week, our house is now back to its boring everyday quiet. Every bed was full including a new twin inflatable. Each seat at the dining room table was occupied. And the matriarch’s heart was full of comfort and joy I noticed the noise level that normally arrives ...

Recognizing our heroes during the giving season

December 27, 2025

The month of December throughout our nation’s history has been a very active time for our military. We all know about the Day That Lives in Infamy, when the Japanese, unprovoked, attacked the islands of Hawaii decimating the Pacific Fleet of our Navy. We know about the siege of Bastogne in the European theater of WWII that lasted many days and showed the true tenacity of the American soldier, holding off overwhelming German forces in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. During the Korean War, Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Davis against a superior Force led his Marine Battalion in ...