My favorite character of all time isn’t in a literary novel, a blockbuster movie or a TV show. He is, in fact, a cartoon beagle named Snoopy. I assume you know him, too, right? more

When evaluating a source of information, a reader must always what the source’s purpose was. more

There is something that happens to a woman after she becomes a wife that signals to them that they are the family dresser. more

Farmers market season officially came to an end in October for the Sedalia Area Farmers Market. You might picture your dedicated farmer, the one you know well from the farmers market, at home, tending to their farm during these cold winter months, meticulously watching over their fields. more

When I was a working stiff, I was assured that the golden years would be my eventual reward, all I needed to do was be patient. more

My dog is so smart. He can open doors and give high fives. He even knows how to spell T-R-E-A-T. My cat is pretty smart too, in a diabolical kind of way. He once manipulated my neighbor into believing he was a poor homeless pregnant kitty in order to get extra food, because he’d been put on a diet. more

Something good happened last month amid all the usual Congressional wrangling over funding the federal government. more

Welcome to these grey and dreary days of January. Cloudy, no sun, very cold, lots of respiratory disorders going around – yuck! Time to put away all those trappings of the holiday seasons, return gifts and clean up the leftovers. But rejoice and be glad. It is time to snuggle up to your loved one(s) and share some warm spirits or hot chocolate for the younger crowd. more

Well, the snow has finally arrived and most of us are already tired of it. For me it’s not so much the snow, but the cold weather I could do without. I actually enjoy the snow. Not only does it have its own beauty, but you can make things with it. Yes, I’m one of those dads that never stopped being a kid. If the snow is just wet enough, perfect for packing; I want to build a snowman or igloo even if the kids don’t. more

Most Tuesday mornings the sound that wakes me from my slumber is the rumble of a garbage truck noisily emptying the garbage cans in the neighborhood. more

Author’s note: In last week’s column, I made a major error. I mistakenly reported that the ADCO Building in the 900 block of W. Main Street had been destroyed in a recent fire. The actual buildings destroyed were at 419-421 W. Main Street. They housed a car collection, a tattoo parlor and was a residence. The loss of the cars and the business makes the loss more costly. This week’s column details the business in 419-421 W. Main Street. more

I first met Marley, a small white and tan doggie that resembles a retriever, a few years ago when her owner helped with our lawn. I thought she was sweet and well-mannered, a faithful and loyal dog. more

It’s just winter, people more

The house is a mess. We arrived home from visiting Emily over Christmas and her birthday, and of course, we brought back a ton of “stuff,” stuff that is now lying around. more

What I enjoy most about writing for the Sedalia Democrat over the years is telling the stories of the people in the area. That never gets old to me. more

Dear Editor,  more

Two pieces of Sedalia history were destroyed in the past few weeks. The response to these has to be different. more

Which musical composition has continued to be performed every year since its premier 283 years ago? My headline tells you the answer. It’s the “Messiah,” by George Frederic Handel. more

I write this in the quiet, on a dank, gray Christmas morning, made bright by the lights on a Christmas tree and by the thoughts of what is to come. Soon, everyone in the house will be awake, and we will begin cooking for the feast this afternoon. We began preparations last night, after the Christmas Eve church service and after a lovely get-together at the home of some of the church members who thoughtfully invited us to the festivities, but around midnight, we gave up the ghost. more

I get it. You’ve been force-fed Christmas songs for three months now. If you’re like me, you heard your first one of the season while scanning Halloween candy in the self-check aisle. I like Christmas music--but come on. Let me enjoy the fall holidays before I think about bells on bobtails or anywhere else. more