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

The winter skies are dominated by bright, well-recognized constellations. Orion, Cassiopeia, and Canis Major dominate. Yet one dim constellation sets next to Orion, winds its way down to the southern hemisphere, and contains the ninth brightest star. It is also the sixth-largest constellation but is overlooked by most night observers. It also has an interesting history in astronomy. more

We are in the middle of the first bad storm of the year. I hope it doesn't last many days. Sunshine always makes me feel better than cloudy days. We got a few heavy rain showers on Sunday. Now, to remember to dump the rain gauge before it freezes. more

On a January day several years ago, my wife and I were at the weekend cabin we once owned in the wooded hills south of Ozark. It was our special place to escape to. Winter was our quiet time there. Not as many visitors came like other seasons. more

This morning, I stirred the white powder into a steaming mug of Earl Gray tea, watching it scatter and swirl like a freshly shaken snow globe until it melted from view. The powder is unflavored, but I added a generous dollop of honey so the tea would feel more like a treat and less like a treatment. more

I thought it peculiar when I first read a recent auto crash report in the local paper that the names of the people involved were omitted. more

I like January. I think most mothers do. Sure, it’s the dead of winter and it gets dark ridiculously early, but January has one big thing going for it. It’s the “cool down” period following the high-intensity workout of Christmas. more

As in seasons past, our home was a family gathering place for kids and kin this holiday season. Putting on the mantle of Grandpa, I again cooked the turkey, dressing, and sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, while our daughters provided desserts, salads, and other fare. more

Welcome to the first day of 2025. I hope this year will truly be a New Year, in many ways for all of us. I hope it is a year politicians realize that they work for us taxpayers and not for their benefit. If they want a raise, we taxpayers should vote on it, not them. more

Like many critics, I despised the 2019 CGI version of “The Lion King.” The new animation was ugly and the rehashing of the story from the 1994 classic without many changes made the whole thing seem unnecessary. But unlike many critics, I’m not ready to throw prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King” away just because of the sins of its predecessor. I’m not saying that it’s not still inextricably tied to the 2019 film, especially with its still-terrible CGI animation, but the story and characters can do some roaming on their own that makes for a breath of fresh air. more

Well, we won't be using that 2024 much longer. This entire year has gone super quick. That is what happens when one stays so busy. Busy people are not bored people. more

It was Christmas morning. The kids were still in bed. They had all been to their church Christmas Eve service the night before. Mom and Dan were drinking their coffee and admiring the decorated real Christmas tree they and the kids had picked out and cut down at a local tree farm. There were a few lights on it, ornaments, things the kids had made, and family pictures. They both agreed they liked it much better than their old artificial tree. more

'Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house more

I like old things. more

Dear Grandkids, more

Now, I am really counting the days to Christmas and wishing for great weather to have the family in to celebrate. Hopefully, they can all make it safely and we won't have some of the emergencies like we had last year. ( the propane had leaked out and I wasn't aware of it until there was no heat and no cooking. MFA was so good to send someone out and he got everything going by noon. I am going to check everything next week. And, I don't need high water!!!! more

‘Twas the day before Christmas when I got a splinter in my eye that nearly ruined everything. I was 7 years old and all set to be Wise Man No. 1 in the annual church Christmas play the next day. more

“For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) more

Hello Darlene and I hope you are liking your helper replacement. Good help is hard to come by these days. more

“Gladiator II” has some awfully big sandals to fill, both commercially and creatively. Its predecessor, 2000’s “Gladiator,” made $187 million at the domestic box office. The new film has thus far made an estimated $132 million after three weekends of release. With a lot of money up for grabs in the upcoming holiday season, another $55 million isn’t out of the question. Maybe I could even stretch to see it making the $68 million it needs to hit the $200 million mark. Yes, inflation means that it’s less impressive to make these numbers now than it did nearly a quarter-century ago, but these are attainable goals. What I do not see as attainable is the sequel ever becoming as well-regarded as the original. That film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, so already the new one has to live up to an impossibly high (dare I say “gold”?) standard. But even with realistic standards, this movie is still a disappointment. more

I have come again into the woods on a December evening. more

If you’re not feeling delightful this December -- often called “the most wonderful time of the year” – you’re not alone. It’s been a hard year for millions of people in many ways. You’re not required to fall in line with the holly jolly hustle of the season. more

“Wicked” more

Thank you for being a part of our 2024 Christmas Parade! Your participation helped make this year’s parade one of the largest in history, both in attendance and the number of entries. more

One of the familiar constellations of winter is Cassiopeia. It is easy to spot in the northern sky because of its distinctive ‘W’ pattern. Within its borders lie two bright Messier objects, and several other objects worth viewing. Yet within this constellation, an event occurred that changed the view of the universe. more