Dear Fellow Voter, more

“The Monkey” is a movie on the sillier end of the horror spectrum. It’s so silly that the catalyst for the many, many deaths that occur throughout its runtime is a literal toy. Granted, it’s a toy that I’ve never known anyone to actually like, and come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one referenced in popular culture without accompanying commentary about its creepiness. I’m speaking, of course, about the eponymous monkey: a wind-up primate that plays a drum. The monkey in this movie is indeed creepy, but it’s far from the scariest I’ve ever seen. In fact, I’d say this hard-R horror movie has a less freaky monkey than the one in the G-rated “Toy Story 3.” But the scares here don’t come from the monkey itself so much as the horrific (but again, very silly) violence that accompanies the monkey everywhere. more

When our youngest son and his wife found out they could not have kids, they adopted our grandson Ty from Guatemala. The following year, they adopted his brother Sam and brought him home to be with his brother. more

Your attempts at self-salvation guarantee you nothing but exhaustion! We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges and brownie points, and scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments. Call us the church of hound-dog faces and slumped shoulders. more

My apologies to my unknown relatives in Canada for the unpleasant political winds emanating from below our border. more

Hello to all my friends out there and enjoy these nice days. more

This week, I’m going to do what I usually do and review the biggest as-yet-unreviewed movie at the weekend box office with “Last Breath.” However, I’m also going to take a detour and review the film that just won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in “Anora.” My rationale is that the Oscar win may lead to renewed interest, and thus a spike in ticket sales, on a national level. Also, I’ve wanted an excuse to talk about this movie for months. But first, the “hot” new release… more

The Marvel Cinematic Universe at large got to take a break in 2024. Sure, “Deadpool & Wolverine” was one of the biggest hits of the year, but that was more about Disney showing off its newly-acquired 20th Century Fox toys rather than advancing the lore of its bread-and-butter franchise. more

It didn’t take long for me to get enough winter after the ice and cold weather that enveloped the Ozarks in early January. more

It is here! The final days of the shortest month of the year. It sometimes feels like the longest month of the year. We are ready for winter to be over and to start seeing the subtle signs of our beloved Spring season. more

The snow and cold days are behind us (for a while). There have been reports of frozen pipes and other farm problems with folks needing to check cows often since it is calving season. That part of winter is always a dread. more

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE more

I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if I had not grown up in the Missouri Ozarks, surrounded by nature. It was here in this land that I learned to be curious and explore the world of animals, insects, wildflowers, plants, and trees. I learned what lived in woods and waters. I gained confidence, learned to be alone, enjoyed myself, and felt at home. more

September 21, 2024 –– much like George Strait sang it in 1985, that was when the cowboys rode away. more

Betty Foraker more

All January long, I’ve been mentioning (okay, “whining”) that the month is a dead zone for new movie releases. So it makes sense that the biggest release of the month would be one that opened on the very last day (Friday the 31st) before making most of its money in February. With an estimated $36 million in its first three days, “Dog Man” is already the biggest new movie of 2025. And its success isn’t just commercial, the joyful film also gets my first recommendation of the year. It’s a chilly recommendation, appropriate for January I suppose, but a recommendation nonetheless. more

Before the 1900s, house finches couldn’t be found in this area. Now, the problem isn’t seeing them here – it’s identifying them. more

The closest I've ever come to getting into a physical fight happened when I was five. I sat at a round table coloring pictures alongside a few other Kindergartners. We were told to share the small pile of colors our teacher placed at the table's center. But then one kid — there's always that one kid — decided she wanted the red crayon all to herself. more

I notice that I’ve given a “C” rating to every movie I’ve reviewed in 2025. That’s four straight times I’ve basically said that the movie, while not worth writing off entirely, isn’t worth recommending. I even split the review last weekend and gave out two “C” ratings. Director Mel Gibson’s “Flight Risk” ends the “C” streak. It doesn’t end the streak by earning my recommendation, but by being a movie that I feel is indeed worth writing off. more

My husband Tom once accused me of being unromantic. As much as I hate to admit it, I think he might be right. more

Remember when a nickel would buy a bottle of Coca-Cola? more

Charlie and Pete, the sequel more

I remember Vicki and Penny from back in the 1950s. Friends of my parents brought them home one day. They were young kids when I first met them. I grew up with them in Nixa, not realizing until later that I had never seen them as babies. more

SOMEONE IS WATCHING YOU more

Words are hard – much harder than they used to be. It's a symptom of middle age I hadn't heard about until it started happening to me. A few aches and pains? Sure. Crow's-feet and laugh lines? Okay, fine. more