As Halloween approaches, the single most visible and popular symbol is the pumpkin. Or more commonly called, the jack-o-lantern. Pumpkins are plucked from the vine, then spark into flaming life with leering faces, while leaves die on their branches in bursts of red and gold...

My nephew got a new dog. Half the fun of getting a new animal is naming it. We have spent hours, even days, trying to think up the perfect name. We have asked around town for advice and have yet to find one Fido or Rover. Living in Jasonville is an Irish Setter with the name of “Major.” He was given the name when the owner noticed the dogs’ eyes resembled that of her uncle who served as a Major in the Army...

I’ve got some questions. They are questions that have been on the table for this past week. An inquiring mind wants to know. Why bend it? When my husband gets a new baseball-style hat, he must first bend it, practically breaking it in half. He even taught my nephew how to break in a new hat. Why bend a new hat to the point of almost breaking? A woman would just put the hat on her head...

My nephew got a new dog. Half the fun of getting a new animal is naming it. We have spent hours, even days, trying to think up the perfect name. We have asked around town for advice and have yet to find one Fido or Rover. Living in Jasonville is an Irish Setter with the name of “Major.” He was given the name when the owner noticed the dogs’ eyes resembled that of her uncle who served as a Major in the Army...

For more years than she cares to admit, my neighbor Jan, has slipped into a lacy blouse, ruffled skirt, and frilly petticoat to do-si-do her partner, then promenade. She rarely misses square dances. Dancing is a big part of her life. She loads up the car and travels throughout the USA with her square dance partner, her hubby. ...

Roller blades, also called in-line skates, are an increasingly popular summer activity for families. So I agreed to give them a try. “It’s a great way to get around and a fun way to exercise,” Ann said. “If I can do it, anybody can.”...

My Aunt Mayrose is proud to say she is a “Life Master”. Yes, a Life Master of the card game, ‘bridge’. Aunt Mayrose has been playing the age-old card game since she learned it while my Uncle Earl was in the military. Wanting to learn the game, I recently tagged along to one of her bridge games...

Construction of birdhouses and bird feeders can be as simple or as complex as you wish to make it. Bird feeders can look like tiny bungalows, wooden A-frames or miniature chalets. Birdhouses need no ornamentation to serve the birds using them, but an attractive design can enhance a yard. Thus, the custom-built bird feeders are for the person filling them, not for the birds...

A woman might be intimated by an automobile flat tire, but not me. I’m the blonde with dark roots, you remember. I also know my father taught me how to make simple repairs. True, that was more years ago than I care to remember, but the basic survival instincts stay with you...

My sister-in-law is a wonderful person. She is exquisite but her house is a mess. I’ve always wondered if there was any truth to the rumor that they won’t even sell her a subscription to Good Housekeeping magazine. True, clutter makes the home looked lived in. It is not necessary to be so clean that you can eat off the floor. But it would be nice to eat off your plate and see the table. I can’t recall ever once seeing the top of her kitchen table...

The schools of the city of Linton start the 2021-22 school year Aug. 10. Although my nephew could spend a few more days enjoying the summer vacation, his mother can hardly wait until the start of school. We spent last Saturday at a local shopping mall. We were shopping for his first day of school, a task we all agree can only be endured only one time a year...

My niece was planning her birthday party and wanted it just a tad different from others she had attended. I mentioned she should have a “Come As You Are” party. The confused look on her face said it all...it showed my age...

My niece was planning her birthday party and wanted it just a tad different from others she had attended. I mentioned she should have a “Come As You Are” party. The confused look on her face said it all...it showed my age...

Collections are an odd thing. Some people call it memorabilia, while others call it a hobby. A few admit openly, “I collect this stuff.” My friend Charlotte has each and every romance paperback book she ever read. More than a few paperbacks date back to the 1940’s. While her husband Bob has a room filled with Coca-Cola merchandise. He travels the state checking flea markets for that certain item he can find at the right price...

In spite of the recent rain and temperatures, yard sales flourish. “One man’s trash is another one’s treasure,” is a prime definition of the yard sales held each spring. On any given weekend from about May to August, signs will appear all over town for yard sales or garage sales...

Saran Wrap - At times when I see it. I am reminded of my Aunt Naomi. When we were kids, my sisters and I yammered and argued when we sit in the back seat on the way to visit our dear Aunty Naomi in Jasonville. “She’s family,” my father would say...

If, like me, you find you have trouble getting into the groove some days, you might just simply try to spiff up the conversation. At the office today, the topic around the water cooler was, what is the greatest invention of all time?...

It’s sad to say that my nephew’s hamster passed away. A few of his classmates came over for a small impromptu service and then spent much of the afternoon discussing what a pet he should get next. Speculation of what animal he should have now has resulted in many family discussions...

“You’re going to the prom?” I asked my nephew. “Yep, I guess I am,” he said, as coolly as possible. “Gonna take the neighbor girl. I figured I’d give her a break.” Give her a break, he says. I could break his head sometimes. When I sat down, memories of my own senior prom came back to me...

The Senior Class of Linton Stockton High School will have commencement the end of May. As seniors marching to get their diplomas, they will remember many things. I would tell the graduates that they are living in the midst of the most frenzied change in history of mankind, but caution them not to sell American systems short...