We started giving food for Christmas gifts the first year we were married. I read Gourmet Magazine every month, and because my mother always gave our friends stöllen and spiced tea at Christmas, and because I had learned that I love cooking, I thought I’d give it a try. Additionally, a lot of people were on our Christmas list, and I thought that cooking would fit our newlywed budget better than buying a “thing” for everyone on the list. more

The light is coming more

Our church normally participates in the Sedalia Christmas parade and we like to be creative and work with the theme each year. But when I heard that this year’s theme was the Nutcracker, I drew a blank. more

If you are a little older, you might remember when there were more dirt country roads around Sedalia than there were paved ones. It was that way all over Missouri and most of the country when I was young. more

What some people call "the most wonderful time of the year" can also be the most exhausting. With all the extra events, shopping, cleaning, cooking, traveling, hosting and more, it can make us want to crawl into the nearest stocking and take a long winter's nap. more

On Dec. 11, 1896, the Sedalia Weekly Democrat reported that Samuel Redcay was arrested at Marshal for forgery. more

We lost a true American legal legend when Sandra Day O’Connor died Dec. 1. Many headlines announcing her death focused on her status as a “first” – specifically, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. While this fact is significant, it fails to encapsulate the true legacy Justice O’Connor leaves behind. more

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging period for Missouri and the entire nation, with few positive outcomes to highlight. However, one notable exception has been the advancement of telehealth services, especially audio-only telehealth, which emerged as a critical healthcare solution during this crisis. more

As the year draws to a close and a new legislative session dawns, what presents do you hope Santa will leave under the Christmas tree at the Missouri Capitol? more

It is Christmas, the season of light shining in the darkness. In our house, we celebrate the light with lights on the Christmas tree, and twinkle lights in the greenery draping the windows. We placed a little Christmas tree on the kitchen island, laden with lights and snowman chef ornaments, and we put a tree and a lantern in the hallway leading to our front door. The lights on the wreath are kind enough to turn themselves off after so many hours. I’ve also placed candles on the table, on the kitchen peninsula, on the bathroom counter – little lights everywhere. more

Every year, Christmas is greatly anticipated in my house. Having three small children, Christmas truly is magical. more

As we quickly approach the end of 2023, I hope your reading material this year has been full of some memorable books! I didn’t quite meet my reading goal of 50 books this year, but I got really close…I’ll try again in 2024. more

Missourians, consider yourselves fortunate that you didn’t re-elect Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2018. I say that because of some incredible statements she made recently on MSNBC. more

It started with a limp. What we’d hoped was just a muscle sprain in the dog’s hind leg lingered for two months, landing us in the office of a veterinary orthopedic surgeon for x-rays. more

In 1896, the Sedalia Democrat reported on an act of forgery, describing how Samuel Redcay, formerly of the village of Longwood in northeastern Pettis County, had been arrested on two charges of forgery in a plot that involved three banks in Sedalia, at least three banks in Marshall, as well as banks in Cole Camp and Houstonia. more

While I had no clue who said it, I had heard the famous phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words” about a thousand times during my lifetime. So, I went online to find out who it was. more

I’ve heard that growing old is not for sissies. A doctor told me that – one of the doctors I have seen in the past 60 days. And darn if she isn’t right. more

“In those days Roger Goodell issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire football world. (This was the first census that took place while Parson was governor of Missouri.) And everyone went to his own home turf to register …” more

Many of you know me from our former wine shop, Wine and More, which we had at two locations, downtown and South Limit Avenue in Sedalia. I began my second career in wine in 1994 when I accepted a job based in Austria and traveled routinely around the world. You might say from the ground up. more

Writer’s note: Warning, parents – this article is about Santa. more