I would consider myself an animal lover. I love my useful hens with their beautiful colors, pecking back and forth across my yard like goldfish in a giant bowl. I love to watch the wild birds in wintertime. I like the zoo. I like to meander through the cow and horse barns at the Fair. more

A few weeks ago, I misplaced my wireless earbuds. I was so frustrated because I really try to keep track of them. They were expensive little buggers, and I wear them daily to listen to audiobooks while I’m out walking, doing laundry, or running errands. more

Psalm 133 is short, but powerful, and begins with this verse: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” (Psalm 133.1). From that psalm came an inspirational sermon that has sparked a movement in this community. more

When President Thomas Jefferson authorized the purchase of what was called the Louisiana Territory in 1803, the United States more than doubled in size. The territory included what would become the state of Missouri, which had several permanent settlements along the Mississippi River. more

As I start this column, I can’t help thinking about two friends I worked with at Payless Cashways, who love old cars as much as I do. more

Two of our three kids have birthdays this month. When I was pregnant and people asked about the due date, they always cringed a little when I said we expected the baby to arrive in December. “Oh no,” they’d say. “It’s so close to Christmas!” more

As we all know, Christmas can be very stressful, with all the shopping, wrapping gifts and cooking. This year it was very different for us. more

Another Christmas is in the books. Though some of its images linger with us, most of us are ready to think about tucking them away to greet the arrival of 2026. The stockings come down; we unravel the garlands and lights. We eat that last peanut cluster and reduce the turkey to leftover sandwich material. And, we squeeze the stories of our favorite Christmas characters — the Grinch, jolly old St. Nick, Frosty, the infamous Herdmans, Ebenezer Scrooge — back onto the shelves they occupy most of the year. more

The Christmas season is about the Prince of Peace, but it’s anything but peaceful in many places. more

It’s been a bruising year to be a Missouri Democrat. more

Before I started writing today, I clicked on my files to read my earlier tales of Christmas that the Sedalia Democrat has given me the gift to share with anyone who will read. I found stories that still make me smile – and weep. more

December fills quickly. Concerts, travel plans, gatherings, extra expenses, and the pressure to make everything feel warm can leave us tired. For some, Christmas is joyful. For others, it is complicated. People grieve, feel lonely in a crowded room, or carry stress and regret. Many are simply trying to make it through the season with a steady heart. more

In December 2001, when I was pregnant with our first son, I carried around a tangled mess of emotions — excitement, gratitude, hope, fear, joy, anxiety, and a certainty that the smell or sight of cooked chicken would make me gag. (Thankfully, the chicken thing was a temporary aversion, which is why I now make almost daily trips to Chick-fil-A.) But what I remember most about that pregnancy and the subsequent pregnancies with his younger brother and sister is that I loved walking or waddling around, knowing I was part of a miracle. more

Between 1890 and 1910, the Sedalia Democrat reported a number of incidents of arson. more

As someone who has fought my weight most of my adult life, I have spent a lot of time trying without much success to avoid foods with too many calories. more

NEW ORLEANS, La. — If you’ve ever thought about visiting New Orleans for Christmas, you should — from the first soulful trumpet note to the “snowy” powdered beignets, you won’t be disappointed. more

Every August, my brother, sister and I couldn’t wait for the Christmas catalogs to arrive in the mail. I still remember the thrill of seeing the latest toys and using sheets of lined notebook paper to write and revise our Christmas lists. more

Not long after Max came to Sedalia to live, he called me and told me that he had found a nice little restaurant, and that he’d like to take me to dinner the next weekend. Always up for a day that I didn’t have to decide what’s for dinner, I happily looked forward to Friday night, arriving in Sedalia, and being pampered with a glass of wine and dinner that someone else cooked – and would clean up. more

No one has ever accused Jay Ashcroft of being a lefty. more

Life is time sensitive. The longer you live, the more acute you sense the shortage of time. Ready or not, soon we will start writing 2026, as the first quarter of this eventful century ends. more