I heavily debated telling this story, but after some consideration, I thought, why not? This is a true story about a most unfortunate series of events that occurred in my life last week. more

I heard from a couple of my Afghan colleagues on my birthday. It’s hard to think that I worked with them 11 years ago, but 11 years it has been. I know this because the memory that popped up on my Facebook page on September 12 was a picture of me standing in full gear in the hall of a governmental building in Herat, where I was waiting to go into a room where all the prosecutors in Afghanistan were congregating. I had written some comment about celebrating my 59th birthday in a bullet-proof vest. I had been invited to this meeting because the featured speaker was to be the Attorney General of Afghanistan, the first woman ever appointed to that position, who was declaring that she would stamp out governmental corruption. more

You know those beautiful, orderly outdoor spreads in Better Homes and Gardens? Perfectly cut paths lined with fine gravel, flower beds six feet deep, pristine outdoor furniture? more

As the editor of two community newspapers, I spend a lot of my time sitting behind a desk sifting through hundreds of emails, editing reporters’ articles, working with our design team on the paper each night, and talking with other departments to make sure we’re all on the same page. But now and then, I find opportunities to make a community appearance. more

Matthew 25:35-40 is that familiar passage in which Jesus tells his followers that when he was hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, a stranger, or imprisoned, they provided for him. Puzzled by this statement, they asked him when it was that they did all this. The answer was then and remains now that just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. (Matt. 25:40) more

September is National Library Card Sign Up Month. All month long, we are celebrating all the different resources we have access to with our library card. more

I miss the writers. The Writers Guild of America went on strike in early May, and it has been a creative wasteland on television ever since. Most of the shows Tom and I used to watch won't be back with new episodes this fall. Lately, we've been flipping through over 100 channels, amazed that there are so many options yet so little we want to see. more

Nineteenth-century folks displayed an incredible interest in the unusual, the old, and the rare. Whether it was something real, like the mastodon bones found near Warsaw or Native American arrowheads found in the fields after plowing, or fake, like the mummified mermaids displayed by traveling shows, people would pay to see it. Someone was even more interested in taking their money. more

Where does your joy come from and who provides it? more

The truckload of criminal charges Donald Trump faces tends to confirm the often-heard remark that he’s his own worst enemy. That’s saying a lot, considering all the other enemies he has. more

At long last, we are at home. Two weeks and 4,556 miles later, we walked through the front door of the condo, put down our bags (not too many, because the little car has a little trunk!), and plopped down in our chairs. Hue seemed happy to see us – by that, I mean she wound herself around each of our legs a few times and then scampered over to the scratching post to relieve her anxiety. more

We just pulled out of the hotel parking lot. Approximately 12 hours until we get home from a wonderful, relaxing week at the beach. more

All mums are hardy, but, to make it through the first winter in this area, they should be spring-planted. Most of our mums are sold in the fall. more

A friend and I were talking over the holiday weekend. She and I like to hold one another accountable for staying positive, focusing on joy and enjoying every small thing around us. It works out well because we both have a tendency to dwell on the small stuff. This exercise keeps us upbeat and less dramatic. We both enjoy it. more

Most people in the 19th century believed that helping one’s neighbors was divinely ordered and must be done. They also followed the Biblical injunction stating that everyone was everyone’s neighbor. more

I had a dream the other night that made me think hard about the hereafter and how I should maybe change my way of doing things. more

We had hoped to take a road trip this fall, but that isn’t going to pan out, so on a whim, Max and I said, “Let’s go to Niagara Falls, Maine and PEI!” Sometimes, serendipity is best, and so with little fanfare – or planning – we just got in the car and went. more

As summer comes to a close and we move into the fall season, many of us are looking forward to cooler weather, spending more time outside, and yes, the beginning of football. Labor Day marks the ending of summer and the beginning of fall. However, the weather does not always cooperate and thus, sometimes it is hard to tell if the summer is really over. more

My 5-year-old granddaughter experienced her first day of kindergarten on Monday. In the weeks leading up to that day, I watched my daughter patiently prepare her by walking her through the process step-by-step. more

In 1873, the Democrat printed a number of articles about the infestation of grasshoppers that had been predicted in 1873 by an Austin, Texas, reporter and had been denied by the Missouri State Etymologist, Professor C.V. Riley, who believed they would not come east of the counties along the Kansas-Missouri border. more