I’ve written infrequently about my father – our strained relationship, his excellence as a teacher and coach, his tolerance of my mother’s love of stray dogs – and I suppose that’s because during his lifetime, I couldn’t quite reconcile our lack of “closeness” when I was growing up. I’ve been more successful at that since his death, but I wonder whether my youthful impatience was an impediment to our having more collegial interactions during my childhood. more

There are a number of bad fathers in the Bible. Isaac plays favorites with his two children, Jacob and Esau. Jacob followed his father’s pattern and chose Rachel and Joseph as favorites. Eli’s sons were out of control, committing all kinds of evil. Samuel was a wonderful prophet but a poor father because Israel did not want his sons to lead them. David was a bad father and it led to his own son overthrowing his kingdom. Solomon had so many children that he could not have been a good father to all of them. more

Recently as I was walking through Skyline Elementary, I noticed an unusual sight: a group of safari explorers wearing hats and creatively colored vests. They were exploring the jungle of the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri’s Summer Program, on the lookout for tigers. more

Nineteenth century Sedalians exhibited a morbid interest in crime. The Sedalia Bazoo’s editor frequently commented on the number of people who congregated at City Hall’s Justice of the Peace Court and at the County Courthouse’s courtroom to see and hear the testimony from witnesses to crimes, especially violent crimes. more

Americans are becoming a people without hope. Our once-robust trust in our fellow man has faded until it’s barely a glimmer — we fear our government, our economy, our religious and secular institutions, even our neighbors. We also fear the future. Two-thirds of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. Less than half of us believe the next generation will have a better standard of living than we had. Many of us are so hopeless we won’t even beget a next generation. U.S. birth rates have tumbled below replacement levels. Potential parents often cite economic, political or environmental concerns as the reason for not having children. more

The America I have always known – until recently, that is – was a bulwark of Christianity, with figures in the 75% range. more

Here’s a word of warning regarding the not-so-shocking news this week: Former President Donald Trump has been indicted for allegedly committing a crime (or more than one). more

It is important that a home has a solid foundation. The soil in certain areas of Missouri can lead to cracks in the foundation. After moving into our house three years ago, we needed to have some work done to resolve a settling foundation. more

Ahhh, sweet summertime! We kicked off our Summer Reading Program on Monday night, June 5 and it was a blast! more

The definition of the word “tribe” is as follows: a social group made up of many families or generations that share the same language, customs, and beliefs. more

The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo, which had followed the proceedings of the murder case against Thomas Williamson, who was accused of killing his wife and two other people, reported on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 1891, about the conclusion of the trial. more

What’s worse than Charter problems? Computer problems. For over a month, my computer has betrayed me. First, it was slow. Although the likely culprit was my nemesis Charter (they think that changing the name from “Charter” to “Spectrum” will lull me into relaxing about my Wi-Fi and internet capabilities), I had the feeling that my lovely purple HP’s innards were clogged with lots of junk. more

I come from a baseball and softball family. more

Begin by preparing the bed. Dig an area big enough to handle the planting. The crowns should be set 18 to 24 inches apart in all directions. Make the depth to 8 inches and work in plenty of compost or composted manure. If you use chicken manure, then use half of what you would for cow or sheep. Make sure the bed will be well drained. Rhubarb cannot stand wet feet. more

The bodies of Jeff and Charlie Moore and Mrs. Williamson were discovered in June 1890. Thomas Williamson was arrested and held to await trial. The courtroom was packed with spectators who came to hear the trial. more

Losing a member of your family is always very difficult. The closer you are, the more painful it becomes. more

Dear Editor: more

The growing season is here again, and we see the fields and garden plots beginning to show lines of green as the seeds begin to grow. It is a natural and magical process at the same time, and it renews a sense of awe in me for the wonder that is nature.  more

“... Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel suggested Wednesday that while a default would likely be bad for the country, it would be good for her party politically ...” (https://bit.ly/3oxmUUG). more

“There’s a hundred and four days of summer vacation, then school comes along just to end it, but the annual problem of our generation is finding a good way to spend it …” more