Game scores tell only part of story

January 5, 2023

This is not a story about football, baseball, or any normally entertaining game. It was however, for me, a game of survival. I felt like a gladiator at the Coliseum, when COVID nailed me two years ago. Very sick, I was yet determined not to let it get me. I finally said to Dear Richard, “We have to go to the hospital. I’m getting much worse and I’m not going to get better lying in this recliner.” In minutes, he had warmed the car, notified the E.R., and we were enroute. The score when I walked into the hospital late that night was COVID 98, Marcy 2. I barely had a leg under ...

Before looking ahead, take time to reflect

December 31, 2022

Often the focus of New Year’s resolutions emphasizes what is ahead such as setting goals and challenges to be achieved in the future. This focus on resolutions is often connected with an unintentional decrease in reflecting on what we are grateful for in the past year. I once heard Dave Ramsey on a financial podcast share that our mindset in life should be like looking from the perspective of the driver’s seat in a car. The large windshield is what we can see before us, and the smaller rear-view mirror is what we can see that is behind us. The greater focus is on the larger ...

Some events young people will never know

December 30, 2022

I recently read an article that sent me back in time. It mentioned some of the things that I remember, but young people today will not know about. Let me say here that I have watched numerous changes take place – so many that I cannot touch on all of them. I remember young people coming into the fair office to use the phone to call home for a ride. That in itself is something that never happens any more. Now all of the young people have cell phones. At that time no one or very few had cell phones so it was necessary to use a land line to call. They would look at the phone, then ...

Money is dirty, especially in politics

December 24, 2022

Money, Money, Money was the first line of a fun song awhile back. We all want and need money, but what is money and why does it command so much attention? The best definition that I have found is from an article by John Gordon, a well known author and economic expert. He says that money is considered a commodity like oil, eggs, or beef which means that it can rise and fall in price depending on the supply and demand. When the price of money falls, the price of every other commodity must go up. That is called “Inflation”. What causes the price of money to go down? When the ...

Changing customs

December 23, 2022

Through the years Christmas customs change. Some changes are caused by marriages. Some are changed by relocation. We have been through it all. When I lived at home Christmas Day was spent visiting the Great-grandparents. In the morning we went to Grandmother’s mother’s house and in the afternoon, we went to great-grandpa’s. We had dinner at great-grandpa’s house. When they both passed, we began having Christmas dinner at my grandma and grandpa’s house. That was where I lived so it was at home. I helped grandma get her house ready for company. One thing I remember is ...

This Christmas we need a Wise Man

December 22, 2022

It’s supposed to get easier every year. After all, Dear Richard and I have each been putting up Christmas trees for over 50 years. You would think we’d have mastered decking the halls by now. Turns out wassailing might be our best seasonal skill. We have arrived at the ancient stage of being older and wiser. Older is knowing how to put up the decorations. And wiser is … actually, forget wiser. Our only acquired wisdom? Older equals slower. Decorating the house for Christmas is now a long, slow slog. That’s the rub … because I want it all to be like every other year. The ...