Saving the universe, one planet at a time (04/23/06)
Hi neighbors. Quick! What's your favorite planet? Come on, you know this. Earth! There you go. Did you know this weekend is set aside to celebrate Earth? All around the globe, people took time Saturday to do their part in saving the planet. What can you do, you might ask? Since this is after all the only planet we have, we'd best figure out how to keep it healthy for a few more generations...

Changing tastes and changing cars (04/09/06)
Hi neighbors. The best thing about the end of March is the end of "March Madness" dominating the evening television viewing. Yes, I know, I'm not a sports addict and those who are think I'm a wet blanket. Well, phooey I say! I doubt many of those basketball fanatics would want to watch a week-long televised scrap-booking marathon either...

You overslept! (04/02/06)
Hi neighbors. I hope you didn't think someone was "April Fooling" you when they suggested you turn your clock forward an hour before you went to bed April first. Yes, they showed up together this year; April Fool's Day and the day we all get fooled, the first day of Daylight Saving time...

About those myths we've all heard … (03/26/06)
Hi neighbors. We've all heard about urban myths, but there are other myths that are perpetuated from generation to generation just like superstitions. Recently I found a website that dealt with some of these myths and gave the scientific rebuttal to them...

Spring blows in sooner than expected (03/19/06)
Hi neighbors. Did you remember your green on Friday? If not, I hope you didn't get pinched. Monday is the first day of spring. Funny, last week felt more like spring. It always amazes me to see the trees all bare one day and by the next day there are budding and the third day green leaves are everywhere. Spring flowers are blooming. Some of the trees and shrubs are producing white and yellow blooms. I'm ready for spring...

Toys were us (03/12/06)
Hi neighbors. Over the last week there has been a show on a station I usually never watch but couldn't resist due to this one series. The station is basically designed for young adults and teens. The show that caught my eye was "I Love Toys." Now who could resist that title? I chose not to listen to the patter as different comedians, actors, scriptwriters, etc. talked about the toys due to what I considered "tasteless" language...

Fine arts, travel and '60s protestors (03/05/06)
Hi neighbors. Do you remember the 60s? I was a teenager then and had never heard of a bistro. Fine Arts was just a needed number of credits required for high school graduation. Mostly we spent our time rebelling against one thing or another. Maybe rebellion and youth go together as readily as middle-age and an appreciation of good coffee, literature and art...

Memory and music (02/26/06)
Hi neighbors. Is February gone already? Not quite gone I guess but certainly "door talking." Mondays are spent listing on the calendar reminders of every thing you have to do, every place you have to be or take someone else, every job duty that must be completed, every household chore that needs attended to before the next weekend...

Is it winter yet? (02/19/06)
Hi neighbors. Our simulated spring was short. Did you miss it? I fear there are some really surprised robins hopping around town. Still, this whole winter thing may not last long. We did need some freezing days and nights to thin down the bug population before the real spring appears...

February tax fever (02/12/06)
Hi neighbors. Have you written your "howdies" to our favorite uncle yet? Good ole Uncle Sam of course. It's the time of year he expects those cards, letters (and checks) to start floating his way. Although you might be one of those procrastinators who wait till April 14 to get your taxes done, and then don't mail them off until almost midnight the next day, other folks can't seem to wait for any thing...

Two hot topics (02/05/06)
Hi neighbors. Did you avoid the "Black Worm" attack on Friday? The people who make and send out these virus and worm programs do a great deal of damage to computer systems around the world. And of course, we know who has to pay for it when big business or the government has extra expenses...

Digging in the neighbor's yard (01/29/06)
Hi neighbors. I had a great time Monday. My friend Joanne and I went to Bolivar, Missouri to look for some obits to add to my genealogy database. Joanne said she had no one to look up in Bolivar, but would go to keep me company and to visit with my aunt who is in the hospital in Bolivar with pneumonia...

Can we expect a shortage of worms this spring? (01/22/06)
Hi neighbors. Wednesday morning I saw three fat robins in my yard. Now as much as I would like to think spring is just around the corner, I fear either I or the robins are due for a big surprise some day soon. It's always good for the spirit to be optimistic, but even robins need to keep an eye on reality. Of course I can always hope the robins have inside information I'm not privy to and know something I don't...

Celebrations, cold weather and high fuel prices (01/15/06)
Hi neighbors. I don't know how many of these nice days we will have, but I'll take everyone I can! Isn't it great to have 60 degree temps in January? There is more reason to celebrate of course. The new season of Monk started on Friday. I hope all fans of the show caught the first episode of 2006...

One week into the new year (01/08/06)
Hi neighbors. We have made it through our first week of 2006. How are we doing? Have you made your resolutions for the year yet? Have you already started applying them or making plans to bring those goals to reality? Or, have you already messed up and broken one of your just-made resolutions? If you are like most of us, the one you have already broken is probably the one you most needed to keep...

Another year already? (01/01/06)
Hi neighbors. Another year has ended and obviously enough another one has begun. 2005 was one second longer at the last minute than anticipated by most of us; so I hope you enjoyed the moment, er, second. It doesn't seem like a year ago that we were making all those resolutions does it? I had hardly begun on mine before it's time to stop (thank goodness!) and start something new...

Have a happy whatever (12/18/05)
Hi neighbors. If you have mail going out of the country, you're probably too late to get it there for Christmas. I'm not certain, but I think the deadline has passed on Christmas cards and letters as well. Oh well, don't despair. There is still the Internet with e-cards available cheap or free. I haven't told my family yet, but this year they may all get e-cards...

Becoming weathered (12/11/05)
Hi neighbors. If you've looked out your window lately you've noticed the snow. If you've had to actually get out into the snow I feel sorry for you. Since I've retired I've made it a point to avoid snow as much as possible. Snow, icy streets, bone-chilling gales, frosted windshields, these are all the bane of the working folk. Been there and done that -- way more than should have been enough for anyone...

New neighbors, new notions (12/04/05)
Hi neighbors. This is the first combined Herald Tribune Sunday newspaper from Nevada, Mo. and Fort Scott, Kan. Hopefully that means more readers from both communities. As an informal introduction -- I have been a Nevada resident for more than 30 years. However, I did spend 10 years in Kansas. Knowing that Missouri and Kansas are getting along so well here by the border gives me a great sense of relief. Finally, years of confused loyalties can be dissolved...

Half-past turkey day (11/27/05)
Hi neighbors. How are you doing with those left-overs? Now you remember why you only have turkey once a year, right? If you're past the turkey sandwich phase and into casseroles, enjoy! I remember when a casserole or pot of soup was the sure cure for getting rid of left-overs. How many of you still keep left-overs by the way? Many people I know don't bother. They fix small amounts and what isn't eaten the first time around gets sent to the garbage disposal...

Thanksgiving Day (11/20/05)
Hi neighbors. It's turkey time! We can enjoy several days of anticipation, one day of pigging out, and enjoy (not so much) weeks of left-overs. Yes, it is again Thanksgiving. Family time, parade time, food time and ball game time as well. How many of you attend large reunions of your extended families?...

It's a small world (11/13/05)
Hi neighbors. I had an interesting experience while in Iowa. Actually a couple of things near my heart...writing and genealogy! While at the library I met with a member of the Marion County Genealogy Society in their genealogy room. They keep their room locked and although the librarian can let you in, you have to request entrance. As it happened, one of the MCGS members was there and we had a nice chat...

Across the miles (11/06/05)
Hi neighbors. I hope everyone has had a chance to enjoy the few good days of warm weather we‚ve had. Although I've been in Iowa this entire week, I have my computer set to keep track of the weather in Nevada. Actually there isn't much difference between the temperatures in Iowa and Nevada, other than the wind...

Homeland Security? Oh, come on! (09/04/05)
Hi neighbors. Any joy we anticipated for the holiday has been overshadowed by the horrible conditions in the Gulf states and the complete devastation there. Day by day I watch the news and worry about my personal friends I have in New Orleans. The Nevada Daily Mail's former editor, Angie Cutrer, was living near Biloxi, Miss.; and I have not heard from her, either...

Changes are a'coming (08/28/05)
Hi neighbors. Is it too early to look for woolly worms, persimmon pits, or spider sacks in trees? Is it just my arthritis, or are the "signs" predicting an early, cold winter? Since it is still technically summer, I'm hoping my premonitions are based only on the fear of having to buy a new furnace...

I forgot something I just remembered (08/21/05)
Hi neighbors. I'm a creature of habit. I like things to stay the same and I get that way more and more as each year passes. When employed at the old State Hospital and its various evolutions from 1972 on, I remember being taught that one aspect of geriatric care was recognizing that "older folks" didn't like change...

School bells ring again (08/14/05)
Hi neighbors. It's a bit warm out isn't it? Every time I want to complain about the heat and drought I remember we are probably less than eight weeks away from cold weather, ice and snow. Then I don't have the heart to complain. Maybe just visualizing shoveling six inches of snow off of your driveway will make the heat more tolerable...

Old and new memories (08/07/05)
Hi neighbors. I am really excited this week because my cousin and her husband and sons are coming to visit from Ohio. Karen is the youngest of a family of five girls, daughters of my mother's sister. They have lived in Ohio all their lives. The last time Karen and her family came to visit was two years ago. Things have changed since then for both of us...

Is my paranoia showing? (07/31/05)
Hi neighbors. It seems we have another giant on the move. In case you haven't been watching world headlines, China is flexing its growing muscles. Perhaps even salivating as it raises it's head up to peep over the Great Wall and see what might be available beyond...

Off to college (07/24/05)
Hi neighbors. It is already near the end of July and it won't be long before school starts again. If you have a son or daughter going off to college, here are some tips for dealing with that anxiety and how to have your son or daughter remain on speaking terms with you...

Scary or silly? (07/17/05)
Hi neighbors. I'd like to make some comments on several things this week. Feel free to start talking about these things yourselves because you certainly know as much about most of them as I do. First, the movies. Is there anyone still alive who heard the original radio show "War of the Worlds?" I'd like to talk to them. My Mom said she was just a child, but remembers the adults talking about it. Apparently people even committed suicide over the fear of Martian invasion...

What to do in July (07/10/05)
Hi neighbors. I hope you are eating well this month. Eating is a big part of July apparently. On the calendar you might be surprised (or maybe not) to find out the July is National Baked Beans month. Not into beans? Well, you could stick with fruit. July is also National Blueberry Month...

A couple of things (07/03/05)
Hi neighbors. There was an article in the newspaper recently about the New Madrid Seismic Zone and what the scientists were saying about when the "big one" will hit. I haven't taken any geophysicist classes. I can't even pronounce that word well. I don't pretend to understand how pictures from satellites can tell anyone that part of Missouri is moving...

Summertime! (06/26/05)
Hi neighbors. It's officially summer and it certainly feels like it! Have you fried your morning eggs on the sidewalk yet? It probably would work! Although the actual "dog days" don't start till later, dogs are having a tough time of it even now. And people aren't faring any better...

Who's your daddy? (06/19/05)
Hi neighbors. It's Father's Day! Since all the family traveled to Nevada for Bushwhackers, they might as well stay around one more day and help Dad celebrate his special honor. If you are fortunate enough to still have your father with you, please help him enjoy the day. Of course there are lots of things to do with your father! Fishing, hiking, camping, grilling, sailing, going to a ball game -- these are all considered traditional father's day events...

Who's the 'greatest?' (06/12/05)
Hi neighbors. Have you seen the new show on television where the audience is supposed to vote for the "Greatest" American? The show started Thursday night and 100 people were on the list. Supposedly this list was made by more than 500,000 Americans choosing them in some poll. The "contest" will go on for the entire month of June. The top 25 names on the list are the only ones we can chose among to vote for the number one position...

Survival after 50 (06/05/05)
Hi neighbors. Another year is rolling around. I had always heard that as you get old time passes faster. I don't think time actually moves at a faster pace. I think we just notice it less and it sneaks up on us. As you get older you tend to ignore things you can do nothing about. Instead you have to concentrate on finding ways to do the important things -- like finding your glasses, remembering which day of the week it is, and opening food containers...

Tending graves and memories (05/29/05)
Hi neighbors. Today is the big holiday! I hope you are all surrounded by friends and family sharing old memories and making new ones. Bill and I made a trip to Stockton Thursday to place flowers and flags on the graves there. The old church and cemetery of Alder was the stomping grounds of my father's family for three generations...

Fallen heroes remembered (05/22/05)
Hi neighbors. Next weekend (Sunday-week as Granny would say) is Memorial Day. Although Memorial Day (previously known as Decoration Day) was designated to honor fallen military men and women, many people use the day to decorate all of their family graves...

Yesterday and tomorrow (05/15/05)
Hi neighbors. Does everyone have umbrellas? It is the time for our May showers. It's been a busy week for most people in Nevada, the same as most weeks for many of them. The school year is winding to a close and some people are planning their vacations. Older students are looking for summer jobs and younger ones are looking for summer activities and sports to get involved with...

Remember all the moms on Mother's Day (05/08/05)
Hi neighbors. Did you bring your wife some coffee in bed this morning? How about breakfast in bed? Complete with a bouquet of flowers and a bed full of your children! When the talk turns to mothers, we all are eager to tell about things our mothers did with us and for us...

It's May Day! (05/01/05)
Hi neighbors. I hope you all found a May basket on your doorstep this morning. It's always nice to have the smell of fresh flowers to mix with the aroma of coffee and toast at breakfast. I don't know if children still make May baskets at school or not. ...

Looking to April 2006 (04/24/05)
Hi neighbors. How many cups of coffee did it take you to get your tax forms filled out? It didn't take me many because I have my taxes done by a professional accountant. Unless we count the number of cups it took to get all the information ready for her. That was more than three! Thank goodness that's all over and done for another year...

Hindsight (04/17/05)
Hi neighbors. Another day in the neighborhood, and the world. Some days take stronger coffee than others. I see where the oil-for-food scandal now involves a Texas businessman. When this whole investigation started it was United Nations officers that were the main targets. It always comes back to a United States citizen being the bad guy doesn't it? A Korean man was involved as well according to the New York Times article...

Changes in world order (04/10/05)
Hi neighbors. This week has seen the passing of the pope. Pope John Paul served as head of the Catholic Church for more than 30 years. The Vatican and Italy had more people show up than they had room for. Airlines were flying in packed full from all around the world. Other people arrived by trains and busses, car or by foot. Many camped out and stood in lines that seemed miles long for a glimpse of the pope's body...

Genealogy Gabbing (04/03/05)
Hi neighbors. Once a very wise bear commented that you could always tell when it's Wednesday, because that's the day the winds begin to blow. And blow they did! I hope no one lost their trash cans, patio furniture, or small dogs! Although I didn't find my little dogs high in the air at the end of their lines, I did find my attic fan nestled safely in the seat of my granddaughter's patio chair. ...

Big events in April (03/27/05)
Hi neighbors. If you have been sitting out the egg hunts, the parties, the family get-togethers and any other social activities, prepare to blow off the cobwebs and get out and about in April. One of the two up-coming events that I know of and am involved with is the sale and distribution of the two volume set "Nevada & Vernon County's Heritage --1855-2005 Pass It On." When I volunteered to work on the book committee two years ago, I had no idea of the amount of time, expense and effort everyone would donate. ...

Fire! Fire! (03/20/05)
Hi neighbors. If you can't decide this morning whether that chair on the front porch is the right place for that first cup of coffee, just plop down anywhere and read the paper. Spring is always the time for fires to break out, but I think we started way too early this year. Fort Scott's downtown was hit hard, then the Vernon County Meat Packing plant went up in flames. There were two fires in Joplin last week as well...

'Tis time o' the greening (03/13/05)
Hi neighbors. If you haven't been out on your porch for coffee yet, don't despair. Spring is just around the corner. For those impatient for spring's arrival, there will be lots of green on display this Thursday, March 17. That is St. Patrick's Day and you have to wear green or get pinched...

Monster movies and bugs (03/06/05)
Hi neighbors. It won't be long before we can take our coffee out on the porch in the morning -- well, at least in the middle of the afternoon. Have you seen the robins hopping around? Crocus are popping up, and it soon will be the delightful month of April. April is a good month because spring is well established and the tornado season has not quite started...

A peek from the shoulders of a giant (02/27/05)
Hi neighbors. I was disappointed to see so few people at the Nevada Public Library meeting room Tuesday night. Jill Warford, the executive director of the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity in Fort Scott presented a moving and informative program about Gordon Parks...

Presidents I have (so far) survived (02/20/05)
Hi neighbors. Monday is President's Day. Remembering past presidents is a good way to enjoy a hot cup of coffee. It is also a good test of your memory to spend a little time comparing presidents and how we remember them. The first president I remember was Dwight Eisenhower who served from 1953 through 1961. These were the years I was a child and we were living in Kansas. I guess if I had to sum up my impression of the "Ike" years, I'd use one word -- safe...

Will you be my Valentine? (02/13/05)
Hi neighbors. Do you think you'll enjoy Valentine's Day? I hope everyone gets a Valentine with some flowers, candy, or a special gift. The jewelry stores sell a lot of expensive things this time of year, as do the florists. We women love receiving roses or diamonds or candy from a sweetheart...

Can you repeat that? (02/06/05)
Hi neighbors. I'm sounding off today to see if what I heard from President Bush's State of the Union speech, was what he actually said. You can compare what I heard to what you heard. I was glad to hear what a good "state" our nation is in, considering all the problems that seemed obvious to me before the speech...

Odds n' ends (01/23/05)
Hi neighbors. Coffee never tastes as good as it does when used to regain strength (and as an excuse to stop working) after physical labor. Thursday I joined my fellow Tri-County Genealogy group in Sheldon to help move a large amount of historical data from a private home there to the storage area of the Nevada Public Library...

Difficulties with walking (01/16/05)
Hi neighbors. How many of you have already given up on your New Year's resolutions? It's very difficult to think of resolutions to make that you know you'll stick with. I've found I'm always more able to determine what I should and will do tomorrow than I am at actually carrying through with that when tomorrow arrives...

The '60s teen (01/09/05)
Hi neighbors. I did my annual stint as judge for the speech tournament again this year. That's always interesting. I admire the students who participate -- both our students who act as hosts and the students who are here to compete. They all seem so much more competent and well, "cool" about the whole thing than I remember my high school peers being. Of course my high school days were pretty long ago so my memory might not represent a true picture...

Happy 2005 (01/02/05)
Hi neighbors. Another year has passed and a new year is here at last. Are you ready for it? Have you gotten into the 2005 mind set yet so you won't still be writing 2004 for a month or two? It's always strange that it takes us so long to change over. I guess that proves the tenacity of doing things by habit...

If you could be Santa … (12/26/04)
Hi neighbors. MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you are all reading this over a cup of hot coffee and watching the children play with their new toys. I also hope they have toys you can actually watch them play with, or play with them. Many of today's toys seem to exclude the parents while isolating the young players in their room connected by wires to their television set or computer screen...

Alice's Journal (12/19/04)
Hi neighbors. Nothing goes better with a good cup of coffee than a good read. This week I got a terrific present from a newly discovered cousin. It was a journal from my great-grandfather's sister, Sophia Alice Nickels. It didn't take long to read the journal. It was written in simple prose but was colorful and included a lot of names of neighbors, family and schoolmates...

They won't be home for Christmas (12/12/04)
Hi neighbors. Another Christmas is almost here. Another Christmas that many families will be spending together. Unfortunately, there will be many families in America separated by an ocean and a desert. I get lots of e-mail jokes, poems and essays of all types from family members and friends...

Nineteen more days (12/05/04)
Hi neighbors. Nineteen, count'em, 19 more days till you can no longer shop. For 19 more days you can put off the trips to the malls, shops, stores and Internet shopping sites. You can probably wait 19 more days to wrap gifts. If you don't exchange gifts until the afternoon, you can even stretch the window for the wrapping routine until Christmas Day. I wouldn't recommend that though...

The Third Cup (11/28/04)
Goodbye turkey, hello reindeer Hi neighbors. Another Thanksgiving is behind us and hopefully won't end up ON the behinds of some of us! The dinner was good and the leftovers are still around. I, for one, am very thankful for leftovers. As long as there are leftovers and microwaves, I don't have to actually cook anything. I even enjoy cold turkey sandwiches. I look forward to a few days of living out of the fridge...

The Third Cup (11/21/04)
Thanksgiving is for the family Hi neighbors. Have you bought your turkey yet? Not too early to do that. It is too early to start cooking pies of course, but not to start the debate about which pies to cook. Ah Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Not because of the great food, but because of the great feeling of having family and friends over to eat together. I can hardly wait...

The Third Cup (11/14/04)
Writing our life story Hi neighbors. For those of you who are not writers, there is a tool in plotting called foreshadowing. Foreshadowing means inserting markers in a story that form the groundwork for some event that will happen later on in the plot. If you do this right, the reader will recognize the trail when he reaches the destination...

The Third Cup (11/07/04)
We must remain diligent Hi neighbors. Halloween and the elections are both over. Now we just have to live with the results -- as scary as they may be! How many of you stayed up most of Tuesday night watching the little red and blue states on the television? I watched till almost 3 a.m. By then the news reporters were starting to talk with a mumble and I had acquired blurry vision...

The Third Cup (10/17/04)
A Clovis Halloween Hi neighbors. A cup of hot coffee has felt pretty good in the hands as well as in the tummy this week. I hope you have all had your furnaces checked by a professional and got your roof gutters cleaned (by your son if possible.) I told Bill he had to clean the gutters and he reminded me we had no ladder...

The Third Cup (10/10/04)
Seasonal changes Hi neighbors. Fall is in the air and so is Halloween. Have you seen all the decorating possibilities for this holiday? There are lights, interactive electronic play things, stringers, gift wrap, cards, gift bags (which can double as trick or treating bags) and even trash/leaf bags that look like jack-o-lanterns...

The third cup (05/30/04)
Hi neighbors. It's Memorial Day weekend and everyone is busy enjoying the first long holiday weekend of the summer. Families gather, grills get lugged out of storage and fired up, lawn chairs and loungers get hauled from the garage onto the patio or under the favorite big tree. Dad gets to practice his grilling skills...

The third cup (05/23/04)
Hi neighbors. Sometimes I think we spend a lot of our time getting ready to do something else. Although I've heard anticipation is as much fun as reaching the goal, the journey is as important as reaching the destination, and baking is as delightful (and needless to say more healthful) than eating the cookies, I have doubts. I suppose one could conclude then that anxiety is as "exciting" as the anticipated panic attack...

The third cup (05/16/04)
Hi neighbors. Grab some coffee and sit a spell. I hope all the businesses in Vernon County have submitted their written history and photos to be included in the 2005 Vernon County history book. I'm not certain if a final name has been selected for the book or not, but several have been discussed...

The third cup (05/02/04)
Hi neighbors. I hope you kept the coffee hot last week. Maybe it was just the power of suggestion, or maybe it was the coldest week of the season. I turned off my heater, you see, and that's why it turned so cold. I thought I would freeze to death when the temps dropped below 50...

The third cup (04/18/04)
Hi, neighbors. Take time to enjoy a good cup of hot coffee and celebrate the passing of April 15 for another year. I hope everyone who owes money gets it paid in as our mutual uncle tends to get a bit testy when he doesn't get his greens on a regular basis...

The third cup (04/11/04)
Hi neighbors. Today is Easter Sunday! Don't worry though, there is still time for coffee between sunrise and the egg hunts. Does your family color the eggs before Easter morning or do that as part of the day's activities? There are some neat egg coloring kits out these days that top our old food coloring, wire-dipper days...

The third cup (04/04/04)
Hi neighbors. We've been (April) fooled again, and had time changed on us when we were sleeping. I hope the dairy cows get the time change figured out early on. If not, setting the clocks ahead will at least give the farmers time for a second cup of coffee before starting the milking machines in the mornings...

The third cup (03/28/04)
Hi neighbors. Most of us can't remember when we drank our first cup of coffee, but we can all remember the day we got our first car. No matter the age or condition of the first car, the first drive was always a great occasion. There is no greater sense of freedom than getting to sit behind your own steering wheel...

The third cup (03/14/04)
Hi neighbors. Pour some coffee, use cream and sugar if you want. Sit back and perk up your ears because I want to get some things off my chest. As someone once said, "just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean some one isn't out to get you." Taking that another step, just because I sometimes forget some things, doesn't mean I can't remember any things. And, just because I need glasses to read, doesn't mean I can't see the writing on the wall...

The third cup (02/29/04)
Hi neighbors. If you can stop leaping about for a second, we can have some coffee and figure out how we earn an extra day every four years. We've heard it all our lives. The dudes who came up with our calendar had to do some juggling to get the hours to work out right. To keep a 24 hour day and seven day week, they had to nip and tuck and few minutes here and there...

The third cup (02/22/04)
Hi neighbors. My friends in England and Ireland say they have crocus popping through the ground already. I thought I saw a hint of spring this week here. The robins finally left last month but should be back any time. I've noticed several blue birds and cardinals this year, more than I've seen in several years...

The third cup (02/15/04)
Hi neighbors. With spring just around the corner, and winter still nipping at our heels, it's difficult to think of life ending instead of the new beginnings spring suggests. It was my sad duty this weekend to attend my uncle's funeral in Stockton, Missouri. This uncle, Tom Haines, had always been one of the prominent characters in my extended family. He was married to my father's sister and I spent more time with them than any other of my father's family except my grandmother...

The third cup (02/08/04)
Hi neighbors. While looking in the coffee grinds for inspiration for a topic for this week's column, I realized I was supposed to use tea leaves for such endeavors. Since I had no tea, I decided to seek insights elsewhere. My friends were busy avoiding me which is their typical behavior on Thursdays. They learned long ago which day is my agonizing day to pick a topic and they stay unavailable for comment...

The third cup (02/01/04)
Hi neighbors. Time for some serious coffee drinking and deep pondering. Tuesday is primary election day and although my name isn't on any of the ballots (thank goodness!) I plan on making my mark. Have you made up your mind yet? How do you make your choice? Not much time left to decide...

The third cup (01/25/04)
Hi neighbors. I enjoy being a freelance writer; but I sometimes think of giving it up and getting a "regular" job. Every time I think about going back to work at a full time job, I see frost on my car's windshield. To me there is nothing more intimidating than the first five minutes sitting in a frozen car waiting for it to heat up enough to get to or from work...

The third cup (01/18/04)
Hi neighbors. Aren't you glad you don't live in Iowa this week? If I lived in Iowa I'd be upset because I have no idea what this caucus thing is all about. From what I saw on television, not too many people in Iowa know what it's all about either. It's a good thing the forefathers knew what all this government-speak was about when they started all this stuff. ...

The third cup (01/11/04)
Hi neighbors. We've started the new year out by sending another rover to Mars. Scientists keep hoping there will be life discovered there; or water or at least some indication water was once there. I think if they want to prove there is water or life on Mars, they should just put out a coffee pot with coffee in it and wait for a Martian to show up with the water. Any intelligent Martian would appreciate a good cup of coffee...

The third cup (01/04/04)
Hi neighbors. I trust that by now, all the revelers are up to a cup of strong coffee and a "to do" list. 2004 is here and all those things we put off doing till "next year" are now at our door. Last year my only resolution was to make no resolutions. Since the year went by pretty fast, I thought I'd stick my neck out this year and set one or two goals that involve some changes in my life...

The third cup (12/28/03)
Hi neighbors. One big holiday left before we all turn over a new leaf (of our calendars at least) and start a new year. I guess we should use this week to think about 2003 before we start getting too excited about 2004. News reports and magazines will be telling us what the big news stories were in 2003 around the world...

The third cup (12/21/03)
Hi neighbors. I hope you plan on leaving some coffee out for Santa. I know, I know -- the traditional drinks are hot chocolate, milk or eggnog. But consider this: Santa is a working man, out in the cold all night long, traveling, trying to stay awake for more than 24 hours, going into heated homes then back out into an open sleigh. ...

The third cup (12/14/03)
Hi neighbors. I can only think of one other time of year -- tax time -- when people are so busy spending money. Everywhere I look there are crowds of people moving headlong into stores, then down aisles, tossing things frantically aside in deep storage bins, looking for that mythical perfect gift...

The third cup (11/30/03)
Hi neighbors. I hope some all of you got your tummies full and got to watch all the televised sports you could handle. Of course how much of each varies from individual to individual. There was a big surprise on television Thanksgiving day. President Bush appeared with all the stealth of Santa Claus at a mess tent in Baghdad. I thought since he was going to Baghdad, a place where there was food was a good choice...

The third cup (11/23/03)
Hi neighbors. It may not feel like it today, but it is almost turkey day! Time to break over to eggnog for the first of three holidays when it's OK to save coffee for desert instead of with the meal. How many of you have turkey more than once a year? Not very many I'll bet. Except for those like me who have it for Christmas too...

The third cup (11/16/03)
Hi neighbors. If you want a breather, drink your coffee slowly and get to bed early. Better do it this week because it might be your last chance to relax this year. This is an odd week. It's just stuck in there between two holidays. Of course, it has it's own claim to fame. Since 1940 this week has been National Newspaper Week...

The third cup (11/09/03)
Hi neighbors. For those who waited for the cold weather to settle in before they would begin drinking coffee -- start perking! It has gotten below freezing and I'm officially ready for spring. Last week I got an email from a scientist friend of mine including an article about the Saturday night lunar eclipse. The article went into great detail describing the events and telling in what order they could be observed...

The third cup 10/19 (10/19/03)
Hi neighbors. Pour your coffee and let's sit and "ponder" a bit today. Anyone who has lived in Vernon County, or anywhere else in the USA for long, has to know how many on-going discussions there are about the Civil War. I think one reason the Civil War is such an interesting topic is no one now living was there to fight in it. ...

The third cup 10/12 (10/12/03)
Hi neighbors. We now have another actor in public office. At least this one has had some experience as an actor, which may put him ahead of those with no experience in either acting or governing. Have you ever wondered why we don't have any poor people running for office? I've pondered mightily over many cups of coffee about how to reform our government. ...

The third cup 9/28 (09/28/03)
Hi neighbors. Have some coffee and try to balance an egg on its end. The weatherman on some TV station said it could be done any time of the year with enough care and a steady hand. There was a short series on public television this month about recognizing the sacred balance needed between humans and the natural earth. ...

The way it was 9/14 (09/14/03)
Hi neighbors. Another September 11 has come and gone. I personally could only watch a little of the television news coverage. The images of the people and the Towers are all still too painful. The attack on the World Trade Center two years ago forced Americans to turn to each other as they had not done before. ...

The third cup 9/7 (09/07/03)
Hi neighbors. While you sip your coffee today, think about things we take for granted in our lives, and how easy it is for us to slip into a series of habits. Many people say we are creatures of habit. Some researchers say it takes repeating something seven times for it to become a habit. ...

The third cup 8/31 (08/31/03)
Hi neighbors. Take time to enjoy your coffee this morning. There will be plenty of reasons to hurry up tomorrow. While you can, just look around and take note of what's going on. This is Labor Day weekend. Meaning, of course, no one labors who can get out of it. ...