Periodically I reflect on items and concepts vanishing from twenty-first century life. A somewhat startling consequence for me is the revelation that my baby boomer brain has adjusted. After all, consider how quickly and efficiently tasks get accomplished these days...

It’s not technically summer, but I couldn’t wait until the solstice in June to cut my grass, much as I would like to see the other wildflowers that might spring up - for pollinating purposes you understand. They take turns appearing on the summer stage, and I’ve noticed butterflies, bees and a hummingbird or two flitting around their blossoms as well as around the potted flowers I have here and there...

Have you ever met a pack rat? I’m talking about the actual four-footed, sorta scary critters that create confusion and concern about ghosts and poltergeists in the households they adopt. Disappearing objects and unexplained noises make human imaginations work overtime...

Help me out. Critique this bit of poetry. “A light in the night, a flash of green, A silent visitor from up above, A sight to behold, a dream unseen, A mystery that’s yet to be solved.” That’s just the first verse of a final draft. Here is the second verse: “Piedmont, Mo., a town of small dreams, A place where people are kind and true, A place where anything is possible, A place where a UFO may come true.”...

C. L. Fonari created the holiday celebrated on the third day of May. In certain circles she is known as the garden lady; she is also a writer, a radio personality and a speaker. The holiday is Garden Meditation Day. At first it sounds a tad uppity. I took a master gardener’s course but I don’t remember all the fancy botanical names nor the scientific reasons gardens benefit from certain things being done a certain way. I endured simply to learn more about hollyhocks...

From the outset I’ll state that I probably don’t have a clue what I’m talking about here. I haven’t read an entire article about this topic. I’ve tried, but by the second or third paragraph, thoughts race and anxiety ensues. I’ve typed ‘writing programs operated by artificial intelligence’ only once in a search bar then scanned the list that ranked the top 8...

I’m gonna walk on the wild side, at least for one day. I might: (1) take off in my pickup truck before daylight to watch the sunrise from a brand new spot; (2) wear a tie-dyed tee I created; (3) walk a new-to-me trail; (4) dine in a Japanese restaurant; (5) stay up past my bedtime to watch an old scary movie...

I’m gonna walk on the wild side, at least for one day. I might: (1) take off in my pickup truck before daylight to watch the sunrise from a brand new spot; (2) wear a tie-dyed tee I created; (3) walk a new-to-me trail; (4) dine in a Japanese restaurant; (5) stay up past my bedtime to watch an old scary movie...

“Will it go round in circles, will it fly high like a bird up in the sky?” Do you recognize that line from a Ringo Starr melody? To be a copycat…I got a poem ain’t got no rhyme, gonna share it with my friends. We hear often about the circle of life but our time here on this planet is full of lines from the time we go online till we go offline...

Have you experienced JAR moments? I’m having some that are trying to expand into JAR days. These are times when something Just Ain’t Right. Stepping outside this morning into the spring dampness, birds were flitting about, others were chirping their ditties, squirrels were making a fuss and playing tag and the stray cat came galloping toward the porch eyeing the pocket I usually pull food from...

Aren’t we an odd lot? We are as infinitely different as snowflakes are, yet universal truths exist among humans. One of those is reaction to change. It’s mindboggling how noisy we can become when facing it. Prehistoric beings adhered to successful routine strategies for survival, yet they endured massive changes for the same reason. ...

There’s a particular sunset I still recall because of the awe I felt. That word AWE pops up frequently. This week I received a link to a NYT article by Christina Caron about British author Katherine May and the power of awe. A certain sentence stuck with me...

It’s not a true national holiday - no presidential proclamation or official seal - but perhaps it merits such attention. It’s National Proofreaders Day. From scribbled or texted grocery lists to the complex legalese of corporate and political documents, additional read-throughs are paramount...

My brain is overwhelmed with options! Tons of intriguing rabbit holes to explore and so little time today. There is this church ladies lunch…so with a deadline looming and type time shortened by the mid-day destination, focus I must chase rabbits another day...

You might think it quite a leap from church ladies to spunky old broads. In case you forgot, February is Spunky Old Broad (S.O.B.) month. In 2021 I devoted a column to specifics about its founder and ladies who have served as annual calendar girls - Dolly Parton, Katie Couric, Helen Mirren and 2023’s Kamala Harris, to name-drop a few...

Where I became acquainted with my first church lady Anna Mae Carrens - Pitman, Ark. - is close to Doniphan, so when my family moved here, I was in familiar territory. What a surprise that she was the secretary at Doniphan High School, so our paths crossed again as I enrolled for my senior year. As she was the pianist at First Baptist Church, I would once more sing in a choir she accompanied...

My mother wasn’t on my childhood list of church ladies. That seems an odd twist, since she was the one mainly responsible for my participation in all things church-related. And she is most likely the reason my church spankings stopped when we moved to the city. How did she convince me to keep my fidgets to a minimum?...

Mt. Pleasant Church in Pitman, Ark. is where my preschool concepts of church life and its people began forming. (It’s close to Supply and takes its name from the ferry that crossed Current River nearby). Some vivid memories include huge pews and swift walks with dad  on a squeaky wood floor to the perilously tall front steps out the imposing front doors. ...

Twenty years ago I was in a weird holding period. I had a large lump in my breast. I had known for about a week. I also knew I had my yearly pap smear appointment on Jan. 16, so I was talking myself down. I was telling myself, “I don’t know enough to panic.” The next month and a half were filled with that mantra. Then I knew I had  stage 1 lymphoma.  I’m not going to lie. I panicked a little...

Who among us is not aware of zones? Many (well, those older than Gen Z’ers) might have first noticed them as they studied to acquire a driver’s license after that milestone 16th birthday. Speed zones are stressed. Work zones and school zones slow us down, too, we hope...

Epiphany - it’s my word at this moment. As you read Close to Home on Jan. 11, realize I wrote it last week. Epiphany is my tomorrow as I type, but the day commemorating the arrival of the Magi to Bethlehem had already passed as this went to print. The word also has a generic definition describing a moment of insight. Thanks to my feline friend Scooter, I’ve had an epiphany today...

As I ripped a section of parchment paper to line a cookie sheet to make toast in the broiler….(I have a toaster but cinnamon-sugar toast is tastier from the oven)…I realized I had never seen my mother or my grandmothers use it. Wonder why? I do remember the first time I saw it listed in a recipe, so I added it to the ingredients to purchase. Since the solitary remaining box was tucked at the end of the grocery shelf, it took a while to find the item new to me...

It’s not mom’s fault. One could surmise that I, as the first-born of first-borns, might stubbornly balk at tasks needing to measure up to overachievers’ standards. But, no. I didn’t balk exactly. I just didn’t listen if I wasn’t particularly interested in the activity at hand. I did just enough sewing to get the desired Girl Scout badge. It did not involve a machine, an overwhelmingly complex contraption to my mind in 7th-grade home ec. ...

The date on this issue of The Prospect-News is Dec. 21 - the winter solstice. In school I learned what the earth does on this day. What stuck with me is that it marks the shortest day of the year. Seems a bummer, but maybe not. Last week we had several consecutive days with no sunshine. If that is the case today, no matter how brief the daylight, nighttime will seem forever away. A bright day vibrant with light that seems to pulsate will truly seem ultra brief...

“Tis a curiosity that so many aspects of daily life in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s have dropped off the radar. This in the midst of contemporary life with so many time-saving advances. And amidst continual whining that we don’t have time for anything these days...

Because of its neuroplasticity, my brain can benefit from my participation in its care. It’s constantly changing anyway, according to Richard Davidson, a psychologist and neuroscientist, and I can help if I “transform my mind.” First, that plastic-ky aspect of my gray matter is a relatively new discovery. It became widely acknowledged in the 1960’s. Its identification came before I did, but it took a while to catch on...

Do you rummage through time capsules this time of year? I do. One is mom’s Better Homes and Gardens cookbook with handwritten recipes on pages from a letter-writing tablet - creased and greased by multiple referrals over the years - stuck within its pages...

My introduction to Missouri deer season occurred in 1975 during my first year of teaching in Ripley County, “We have an extended school break for WHAT?” I’ve not heard a consistent answer that makes sense to ME, but I did learn that no one messes with that part of the school calendar without a lot of hassle, and maybe a bad dream or two...

I’d be the first to admit I’m not farmer material; however, my eight years owning one rank right up there as a highlight of my time on this planet, one with adventure, learning, awesome beauty in the unexpected and yes, a bit of chaos for good measure...

One might expect this St. Louis native from The Hill to proclaim “Long live toasted ravioli, cannoli, thin crust pizza and spaghetti with secret homemade sauces,” but I’m not typical. The aroma of beans, fried potatoes and cornbread coming from mom’s kitchen was the only enticing recognizable layer of kitchen scents that swirled in the neighborhood in the ‘olden’ days of open windows and humming fans...

Just call me Predicament-Prone Pearson. No one ever said that out loud to me when I was growing up, not that I was temperamental or anything silly like that. These days it IS said out loud. I could add Lucky Tee Lee to the list of nicknames since none of my predicaments have been too traumatic, just frustrating and inconvenient for me and sometimes for the ones who come to my rescue, and usually comedic in hindsight...

Autumn 2022 portrays a landscape that surprises and pleases every bit as any I have experienced. (I’m aware that each year I think THIS one is the most striking). Perhaps it seems true this fall since precipitation has been erratic and sparse, covid variants and disasters - natural and otherwise - cloud perceptions. Viewing the vivid colors is a grand relief. Something is working as anticipated...

Moments of frustration in honor of the day: 1. Not being able to delete an unidentifiable document mark (UDM) from the screen. Could indicate trouble ahead. 2. Trying to feed Mr. No-name the feral cat who zig-zags in front of my feet, seriously impeding progress to his plate...

Americans love October and celebrate it with jovial boldness. How? (1) Decorating with wreaths and centerpieces reflecting Mother Nature’s colors. (2) Hosting bug-free campfires and serving pots of chili. (3) Creating traffic on usually isolated backroads wearing hoodies and ooh-ing and aah-ing at the vivid landscape and the wildlife that call it home...

Are we over-obsessed with those who seem to overdress, overdo, overeat and…overthink? The problem might not be with the ones overobsessing, overdressing, overdoing, overeating or overthinking, but with the ones delivering the verdicts. Remember hearing, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”? There you go. ...

Six years ago I shared observations from my journey into boomer-hood. Some perspectives have not changed, like “savoring the season as lightning bugs, butterflies and hummingbirds leave us” and anticipating the awesome-ness of autumn. In the midst of the boomer-hood jungle now, this old dog has learned some new tricks...

The highest wpm I typed with accuracy in high school was 45. That was on a Royal manual. On really good days with this touchy laptop keyboard I feel like I double that easily. The proud I-still-have-it-in-me moment is fleeting, though. Proofing work after a brainstorm streak knocks me off my pedestal pronto, replacing pride with aggravation...

It’s like herding cats. That’s a phrase I’m familiar with, and I’ve joked about situations being similar. Today I actually did just that. I am wore plumb out from all the corralin’ AND all the thinkin’ trying to make it easy for all. The thinking I did was for nought. My cats didn’t fill me in on their strategies for the morning’s trip to the vet...

Back in 1969 when I perched precariously on my special rock down by the creek and lamented my lot in life, a forlorn perspective dominated my thoughts and behavior. To make it worse, my little brother and sister didn’t mirror my state; they had the audacity to adjust well to life in the boonies. They even LIKED it...

Mondays get a bad rap. Though retired, I still occasionally wallow down a blue Monday path.  One particular Monday - one of those sticky, stifling Ozark mornings - the familiar Carpenters title “Rainy Days and Mondays” popped into my moody brain. It’s hard to think of a Carpenters melody and not hum the tune or break into song as the words surface. I thought a musical session might erase the brain fog trying to settle in...

It was among the snail mail. Instantaneously I sensed (1) anxiety about the process ahead, (2) procrastination strategies and (3) insecurity. The trigger? A renewal notice for my car tags. First thing I did NOT do was file it in a ‘safe’ place for ready access on the last day business could be transacted to avoid penalty. That escalates the likelihood of driving blissfully ignorant with expired tags. At some point a neighborly officer will educate you...

Its presence makes water hot, a bulb shine and a human soul keep on truckin’. Its absence doesn’t make the appliance or the human worthless. A water heater still disperses water, a light bulb still screws into a socket and a soul still fills a void...

There’s lots of talk these days about just how hot it really is. The hottest temperature recorded in our state so far was July 14, 1954 when the thermometer reached 118° in Warsaw. That’s a ‘fer piece’ from our neck of the woods but that same day the mercury rose to 115° in my hometown of St. Louis. So it was probably hot in Doniphan...

I’m gonna blame it on the heat. A tree popped up outta nowhere in my front yard and I backed into it. Though not a bad bump, it was in a bad place so a new hatch was ordered. I was fortunate to be able to borrow a car for a week. (A ‘thank-you’ to that individual)!...

“A hundred in the shade and no shade.” Dad said that. He truly didn’t seem to mind St. Louis’s steamy, sweltering city summers. He didn’t seem to mind sweating, either. I have memories of him pushing our rotary mower - a workout even in milder temps - then trimming around the edges of sidewalks, trees, flowerbeds and garage with hand clippers while wearing his undershirt and long pants. ...

Summertime means watermelons, or it used to. Now they’re heavy and cumbersome, too big for the fridge and too much for one to eat, not to mention messy to cut and eat. You won’t hear me complaining, though, if I’m offered a freshly-sliced chunk of cold watermelon with ready access to a salt shaker. It’s the fuss I dislike, not the flavor...

A year shy of seven decades…a half-century plus a score, almost…3,600 weeks and two days…25,202 days… That’s a lot of days. I haven’t always made the most of them, but considering the big picture, I’ve had happy, busy, unique-to-me adventurous ones so far. Even stories about opportunities I didn’t grab add some flair to my life’s spin...

“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” A familiar line from old movies…familiar to some of a certain era, I remind myself. That’s a phrase logged in my brain in the self-help file I started back in the 70’s when that was the hot trend in publishing. These names come to mind: Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar, Norman Vincent Peale, Richard Carlson, Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Leo Buscaglia, Robert Schuller and Tony Robbins. ...

If one considers a legacy of laughter in counting blessings, I am indeed rich. Dad had a distinctive laugh I heard often. Mom’s was less boisterous, but she laughed heartily when she was tickled about the goings-on. How precious are the memories of those times when joy was apparent in the smiles and laughter. ...

You can’t truly experience summertime in Missouri without iced tea. At this writing the temperature early on this June day is 56 degrees, more of a hot chocolate morning, but residents of the Show Me State know sweltering weather will materialize soon enough...

Mama cats are patient souls. Watching a vibrant calico deliver and mother her litter of three has been both eye-opening and amusing. She was a stray I named Juliette. I anticipated having to participate more in the whole process. Seemingly out of the blue this stray I’d been feeding for about three months began a do-si-do around my ankles as I poured food in the outdoor bowl. ...

School’s out, signaling summer. Gas prices are higher than they’ve ever been, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have any fun. We live in an area with ample potential for new and memorable activities. Check local resources and be willing to try something new...

Believe it or not, Ripley County has a museum worth celebrating on International Museum Day this 18th of May. (Yep, we really do have one, like there really is a VFW and we actually have designated fairgrounds). Randy Maness entered the chosen moniker in a museum-naming contest sponsored by the Doniphan Neighborhood Assistance Program...

A recent storm rattled my brain with the startled awakening. So far I have all my marbles, though a few are never still, as though they are magnets reacting to an unseen force. That’s thanks to a shoplifting incident in my early adolescence. Diane was having a birthday party, so Tina and I took the bus to downtown St. Louis. (Names changed to protect the innocent. I was innocent, too, though I’ve not felt that way since)...

Emotions can be good or bad, but one in particular has both. It’s the focus of a new science just 15 years old - the exploration into awe. Scientists define an awesome event as one that is transcendent - one that takes ‘self’ out of the center of the universe, changes perceptions and makes us feel connected to aspects of life bigger than ourselves...

Her family had a tavern at the other corner of our block. We didn’t go to the same school or church, so I don’t recall exactly how Ida and I came to be friends. She was Italian with the longest braid I had ever seen. Her corner was on a busy St. Louis thoroughfare - Arsenal Street - so she didn’t play outside her front door. ...

The Ozarks have seemed under the weather lately, especially if one has expectations based on ‘supposed to’s’ in warm and fuzzy memory banks. April temperatures should be warmer than winter tallies. Its days should be sunny and colorful, with the occasional serene spring showers gifting us with rainbows...

April is National Frog month. Who doesn’t love a frog? I don’t, however,  like to be surprised by one at dusk. That happens often here at the house. One will hop unexpectedly between me and my front door, stopping me in my tracks, revving up the ol’ heart rate as I catch my breath and plan an exit the opposite direction without ‘it’ seeing me, until I see that ‘it’ is only a frog. I’m a bit jumpy naturally. (Family and friends who know me well might call that the proverbial understatement.) ...

In a flash the coronavirus epidemic spread, shoving the word pandemic into everyday vocabularies while reality turned ordinary lives inside-out and upside-down. Life looked familiar but felt funny and cumbersome, so it was tossed into the hamper while the world dug through closets searching for something new to wear...

Happy Take a Walk in the Park Day! Celebrate March 30 by getting that derriere upright and moving in the outside air. Outside offers doors and windows to opportunity and insight - benefiting body, mind and spirit. It doesn’t cost a penny to walk in your own yard or neighborhood. Though it costs a few more cents than usual to drive to a city park, paved walkways and faces met in passing offer safety and social benefits. Fancy shoes and duds are not necessary...

I lived in Doniphan for several years but for about 30 years I worked within the city limits. Now I spend tons of time here. I acknowledge that it’s easy for folks like me - boomers with idle brains and time - to spout off ideas when they don’t have a clue what all is involved. There are rules, policies, regulations and restrictions galore for every aspect of life...

While skimming the wacky bizarre calendar to satisfy my curiosity and search for topic ideas, I sometimes stumble onto information new to me. Coming up is International Be Happy Day, an actual global holiday sanctioned by the United Nations. Each year the UN selects a theme for this special day on March 20...

We will set clocks to ‘spring’ forward at 2 a.m. on March 13 this year. That is not an accurate statement, now that I think about it. I am one of many who, in times past, managed to set only one clock correctly before going to bed the night before Daylight Saving Time kicked in. Then I would spend weeks, maybe months, playing guessing games with the other clocks in my life - on the stove, in the car, on entertainment devices, etc. That was less challenging than figuring out how to reset them...

Sometimes a gal needs nothing more than a new pair of boots. I have a plain pair of black gum boots, pretty ugly and pretty old but functional. They are what I needed to trudge through muddy barnyards and yucky feed lots during my farm days. My parents each had a pair of serviceable boots. ...

Get comfortable in a favorite chair, book in hand, cat in lap…and the phone rings from the adjoining room. Decide to use cash instead of card, come up one dollar or one dime short. Use card. Get back into car and see one dollar in cupholder or one dime on the floormat...

“You can’t judge a book by its cover.” That’s a phrase I’ve heard a time or two. My generation often assumed a variety of ‘truths’ based on appearances and language. It was drilled into me growing up that I had only one chance to make a first impression...

I love you as you are, Messy, imperfect, Mixing laughter and joy With worry and strife. You have stayed with me a while, Being awesome, teaching, Surprising, meddling In my thoughts, keeping me On my toes, with style. You march on with such patience...

Though I enjoy life as I can amidst swirling pandemic clouds and virus storms, my road down memory lane is well-traveled. I won’t argue that with anyone. Many times I’m prodded by clever marketing strategies. Especially enticing to me are triggers targeting my sense of smell...

When you know a secret, what do you do? (Not those secrets….nobody shares those secrets…right)? I’m referring to baffling situations that have solutions not everyone can find easily. Like algebra problems. I had classmates who could whiz through those assignments like eating cotton candy with no trace of sticky fingers when they finished. ...

My car starts when I press a button, lights come on when I flip switches, the oven bakes my brownies, the fridge keeps my sodas cold,  Scooter will climb in my lap wherever I sit…I count on these actions without a thought.  The dependable aspects of life that make my world go round smoothly are taken for granted. They are the things that enable my body and brain to create and cope when a new factor appears or something gets out of kilter...

During this pandemic we’re all growing so tired of, anxiety aggravates me way more than my little brother ever has. “Mom, he won’t stop   me.” Mom isn’t around to scold him and rescue me, so I learned to rescue myself and create some laughs. But this anxiety nuisance is out of hand. No one applies the brakes and rescues me and I seem powerless in coping...

Last week I heard of a new trend, a disappointing one in my opinion. The past two years have been unlike any I’ve known. How do our children feel? The older ones have memories of how life used to be structured. Younger kids have a different normal...

“Cornfwakes, Mommy! Cornfwakes!” To be fair, Anthony had probably seen more cornflakes than snowflakes during his then two and a half years, but he had the right idea. We were unloading decorations from our little trunk of goodies, and he was bouncing all over the room. He was old enough to catch the excitement about the Christmas holiday and he was chatting away. My cassette player was recording it all...

When someone holds the door open for me or speeds up a bit to make that kind gesture, I always smile (if masked, I AM smiling) and say thank you, sometimes repeating it to make sure my appreciation is heard. I’m off the hook for recalling names in such instances since the aim is not to block a doorway. Back in the car and on the go again...

Once in a while a conundrum pitches a tent and hangs out until I take action. Since today, Dec. 8, is National Brownie Day, and my most recent challenge was directly related, here goes. First of all, I don’t remember my grandmothers making brownies. ...

Fate? Coincidence? Not sure. A random stop at Vintage Village Flea Market helped me resurrect a family joke dating back to 1971. I was a freshman at Southern Baptist College roaming around in Walnut Ridge with college pals. At a sale overflowing with colorful Mexican flower pots that everyone used in macrame planters, I found a single, grand, ornate, old-world, gold-tinged maroon and white vase - about a yard tall - that I thought mom would love! I hid it in a trash bag with my dirty clothes. ...

Guidelines for healthy living I’ve learned from the cats in my life. We didn’t have a family cat until I was 14. He was a Siamese living with us on the top floor of a two-story flat in St. Louis. It’s bizarre that I can’t remember his name. He was unhappy most of the time. ...

I spent years erasing chalkboards. It was not always an easy chore to wipe away the evidence of a productive day: questions, right and wrong answers, student insights and assignments. Panic crept in at the thought of no words in colored chalk to kick-start creativity, productivity, responsibility and purpose in myself and others. That seemed my reason for being...

November can be cold, damp and dreary, but that doesn’t interfere with the influx of hunters pulling campers and ATV’s through town to settle into the deer woods of our share of Mark Twain National Forest. Once upon a time I might have been impatient with the mini-jams at convenience store gas stations as pickups with trailers maneuver to and from the pumps, with longer checkout lines of camo-clad customers, with out-of-towners sitting in ‘my’ favorite cafe spot...

It started with learning to fold my daddy’s handkerchiefs. Even though she would iron them later, momma took the time to let me ‘help’ with that household chore. When I was old enough, those handkerchiefs would help me learn to handle the iron and create sharp creases rather than ugly scorch marks. (It was a while before I graduated to ironing actual pants and shirts)...

I have been doing something healthy without having searched a kajillion self-help books to learn about it. The ‘something’ boosts my mental health, therefore positively impacting my physical health, too. What is this mysterious action I intuitively incorporated into my life? I added a ‘third place’ to my activities. The terminology threw me off at first, but everyone needs one. Home and work are places one and two. A ‘third place’ provides connections, balance and fun...

I’m enjoying a cup of coffee as I type. I should rephrase that. I am HAVING a cup of coffee. It’s a ritual I did not start early in my adult life, otherwise I might actually like it. The first few cups sampled over decades were so full of other ingredients that they probably didn’t deserve to be called coffee...

Like many others, I enjoy the entertainment and practical information provided by cooking shows. Listening to a recent NPR interview of Stanley Tucci sent my mind hopscotching around childhood memories and added a movie and a memoir to my ‘gotta check this out’ list...

Plain English please! We might think that when reading through political paraphernalia and legal documents. And assembly instructions! Just as confusing when diagrams look like a 3-year-old drew them and don’t match items in hand. Online instructions? My home Internet visits netherworlds at will despite strong WiFi, meaning screens freeze or fade in the midst of how-to’s...

For reasons over my head, rebooting WiFi routers periodically is advised. That is an action I finally learned to do BEFORE seeking assistance when I had tech issues since it was always the first suggestion. Now it’s recommended to do so now and then to avoid usual issues and more. Maintenance and prevention ease and sometimes alleviate problem-solving...

I have a message for the company that bakes our beloved Hostess snacks. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” These days I rely on the consistency of my comfort food choices. Some flavor variations mess with more than just my taste buds. A Twinkie with a berry filling is criminal. The visual assault was almost as vicious as the one my taste buds endured...

I might appear a bit ragtag today and for good reason. That’s exactly how I feel, thanks to Scooter. Perhaps I should re-phrase that. It isn’t the cat’s fault. NOTHING is ever the cat’s fault. For instance: On the desk, stretched out comfy and proud, is the cat eyeing you with the judgmental expression that says, “Thought I’d help. This is how you clean off a desk.”...

Before you stopped to read this column, maybe you flipped through the pages of The Prospect-News searching for and enjoying parade photos. Labor Day seems to kick off a parade season. Ahead we have the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York. Who says adults can’t still enjoy oohing and ahhing as the huge balloons go by on TV?...

I haven’t been to a large Walmart in a long while, since way before COVID germs were a deterrent. Visits to a mini version are sporadic. I’m sure Halloween infiltrated an aisle or two weeks ago, judging by online ads and quick sashays into area Dollar General establishments. We are not taking seriously the reminders to be mindful of our moments - our PRESENT moments!...

When I choose reading material these days, I veer from things academic, political and... stuff that creates controversy. If I happen to comprehend morsels of anything written by an expert, I am confounded by other experts who take opposing stances. When an article comes along that gives me lots of rabbit holes to explore, a sort of intellectual nod to my personal experience and expertise, I go for it...

Rituals are mixtures of necessity, awe, comfort and celebration. They affect a child’s development and provide enough routine to help us big kids stay grounded. We older big kids cherish the connections to our roots they provide. Here are some of mine...

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…” How timeless are those words that Charles Dickens used to introduce Tale of Two Cities! They peered around a corner of my brain as I stressed over ways to reduce stress. DNA impacts my high-strung tendencies, but there is hope by using new strategies to hold anxiety in check...

This last week of July as some folks squeeze more road trips or float trips into the fleeting days of summer, recollections of ones we took and lamentations for ones that never happened might pop up. Days get busier, nights slip by, calendars fill up in spite of efforts to experience a bit more summer fun...

The wacky calendar has gone totally so, since it declares that both July and August are national picnic months. Maybe someone forgot to proofread. In the meantime, let’s have one! Picnics can be...*outings planned in detail ahead of time or spur-of-the moment events to spice up dog days of summer (July 3 - Aug. ...

FYI - This is National Pandemonium Day. It’s defined as noisy confusion or disorder. That might imply that such uproars involve lots of people. Wrong.  I am the queen of solo pandemonia. (That is a word. So is pandemoniums, but that sounds funny). Pandemonium will occur when - not if - my laptop misbehaves. ...

The way I see now is pretty darn near exactly as I saw during the last eye exam. No change in prescription is necessary, though I ordered an additional pair of glasses. A recent bout of knee vs. lens, with lens losing to a pop-out, convinced me I don’t want to waste even five minutes in a search for a pair of dollar-store glasses stashed in supposedly handy corners to aid in such emergencies. The second pair will also help me drive in the dark, which I have avoided doing as much as possible...

“Another Day in Paradise” hit radio stations in 1989. Those of a certain age can hum the tune immediately at the mention of the title as the lyrics surface. I heard the Phil Collins masterpiece on 99.1 KQJN-LP last week. As I sang along, the words startled me as though I were hearing them for the first time...

Reading news of the upcoming auction of West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau, Mo., which opened in 1981, triggered some memories. I got a kick out of emphasizing the isolation of Doniphan by lamenting that it was a couple of hours from the nearest mall. At least that was the case when I moved here in 1969...

I wasn’t a shoe-in for a daddy’s girl. I was early, tiny with a powerful set of vocal chords and cute enough, but as I grew toward toddlerhood, mom often dressed me in ruffles so all would know I was a daughter. There were no auditions for daddy’s princess with a bald head, buggy eyes and prominent ears. By the time I had a bouncy ponytail, expressive eyes and almost normal ears, my attitude, supported by those strong vocal chords, put me in the running instead for daddy’s little terror...

“I will let it warm up a bit before I start mowing.” Wait...WHAT? Yep, I said that. Oddity for sure, feeling comfortable in a long-sleeved shirt or hoodie at the end of May. I could add, contrary to the norm, ”I will mow first in the sunny patches.”...

Summer 2021 isn’t officially here but I am already longing for those “Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer” described by Nat King Cole in his 1963 hit. Perhaps I adjusted to the slower pandemic pace of 2020 more than I realize. Of course I’m rejoicing at the welcome roll-back of eased restrictions but the options for summer outings seem overwhelming!...

$34.2 million. That amount was spent four weeks this spring (last two weeks of March through the first two weeks of April), JUST ON LIPSTICK! That figure represents an 80 percent + increase in sales over the same period in 2020. As we adjusted last year to drastic lifestyle modifications at home, work and school, the cosmetic industry perhaps accurately measured prevailing moods. ...

Boy oh boy, a few minutes of listening to news or skimming through it online can drive us to frenzy! Remember, in times like these: Sorry, frenzy. I am trying to reduce my trips...

I try to make choices sublime. I research and fuss all the time. The lines get so blurred From ‘fact’ to ‘I heard’ That surely I could lose my mind. Eat catfish deep-fried or not so. I search for the experts, you know, But chef or a doc, My tastebuds or clock?...

In  the far corner of an upstairs closet buried under a mound of shoes, I found a treasure. Dollarwise it wasn’t worth much - just a plastic sewing box with a broken lid. The usual notions camouflaged contents mom deemed priceless -  bits of paper preserving precious gems of her memory. ...

I admit to struggling mightily not to cry as I returned the cart to Harps at Hillcrest Plaza on its last day. Shopping wasn’t the intention; meandering down memory lane was. Figured I would stroll through, buy a Twinkie and a Coke and be on my way. But shop I did, grabbing items not normally in my field of vision - like colored toothpicks, Brillo pads and large boxes of matches - and picking up the usual cheeses, chips and crackers, forgetting the Coke and Twinkie...

This week I made a quick trip - about 26 hours from departure to return - to celebrate a special day at a favorite location with my fella. It was a step back onto the stage of life after an extended intermission. It was plan-pack-drive instead of lights-camera-action as play resumed...

Impulsive and spontaneous. Know anyone like that? Those traits are subject to bad raps by those with structured, organized lives. Impulsivity describes more emotional responses whereas spontaneity describes creative approaches. I’m not saying creatives can’t be organized. ...

The covers felt sooo good this morning! Technically it was one cover. I have already put away the warm fuzzy blankets. Knowing how fickle Mother Nature can be, and because I hate lighting it, the ventless heater is still on, so one cover was sufficient with Scooter the cat curled at my feet...

Why is it we cave and do things we’ve told ourselves we won’t? Reasoning is a trait that distinguishes us from animals, or is it ignoring reasoning that is the determining factor? Wait...now I have to know. What is the difference between instinct and reasoning?...

If I went to a local hardware/paint store and asked for a can of Forsythia Yellow, I bet I would get a raised-eyebrow grin as the clerk and I headed toward the paint section. (That’s a look I see often,  mostly in hardware stores since there are pots of gold overflowing with tons of stuff I don’t know the names or uses of. What I think I need is usually there after a treasure hunt)...

March 20 is the UN International Day of Happiness, a ‘holiday’ since 2013, with a theme even! The year 2020’s theme “Happy Together” was an unfortunate twisted premonition chosen BEFORE the pandemic was a global reality. Staying safe meant isolating from anyone not under the same roof. ...

Remember the first time driving on Missouri highways 160 or 19? Experiencing the month of March is like that. Psyches get a workout. Anticipation reigns. Driving curvy hilly roads one can’t help but wonder what the view will be at the top of a hill or around an S-curve. ...

During the recent horrific cold spell, Lots in my life helped me manage well. Stuff starting with ‘C’ played an important role In dipping temps not taking a toll. Careening across the porch on all fours, Early day one, going out the front door, Made me later take much greater Care...

It’s February so you can call me an SOB. Had I known a special day was allocated for SOB’s - the first day of February - I would have been more prepared and kicked off SOB month in grand SOB style. I might lack one qualification to be a Spunky Old Broad of the caliber of 99-year-old Iris Apfel since I am only…well, I’m not THAT old...but one can have aspirations. ...

Trees intrigue me. To see and ponder seasonal changes, I drive around regularly to check on favorites and find new ones.  When one disappears, it’s sad. I wonder what was wrong. Did weather create conditions that overpowered it? Did it acquire a disease? Was it in someone’s way? ...

I’ve noticed a pattern in the memories that pop up daily on my Facebook timeline. It is troubling. Anyone looking over my shoulder might deduce traits of my personality that contradict reality. My frequent viewing of these posts has led to a nose-dive in my self-esteem, mainly because I am well aware of the situation...

Are you noticing the January effect as I am? No, I am not scurrying to invest more in the stock market - the usual meaning of that term. I’m referring to the effect January has on moods and outlooks, at least on mine. Dictionary compilers should concoct a definition that addresses it...

What if one tiny little prerequisite was added to the list of qualifications for being a presidential candidate - one that would be anti-discriminatory regarding race, ethnicity, gender? What if a wanna-be leader had to have coaching experience in any competitive sport?...

It’s not an archaic idiom; it’s first recorded use was in the 1970’s. My way or the highway doesn’t usually evoke a positive reaction because it is not usually spouted in a positive way.  Early in my existence I was introduced to the concept, though those exact words weren’t used since I pre-date the 70’s,  just a little bit.  Not always a cooperative child, I often heard Dad’s no back-talking, no but’s rule. I had to do things his way - period. ...

Remember the hoopla associated with roaring into 2020? In my mind the anticipation was dimmed slightly by a calendar conundrum: Were we ending or beginning a decade? The tendency to slightly overthink the trivial as well as the profound didn’t overshadow the fun of finding a flapper dress and accessories to dance what I tentatively decided  was ‘into’ a new decade...

The year 2020 is finally at end With none of us feeling sorrow. We’ve many fears to settle, lives and hearts to mend, Hope for a brighter tomorrow. We welcomed the decade with pomp and circumstance, Expecting fun and health and wealth, Hailing a past century with costumes and dance,...

I can do it. I can be like Elf on the Shelf. I can be Self on the Shelf. I can BE STILL. (I first typed ‘Sit Still’ but, boy-o-boy! Did that conjure up some memories! Somehow dad trying to ensure I did meant we created a much bigger ruckus than had I been allowed to wiggle, but I digress)...

My brain is bamboozled. The end of 2020 looms, and aren’t we ready for that! The holidays are upon us, and even the scroogiest among us finds SOMETHING to smile about, even if only in reminiscing. So why, oh why, is it so challenging for me to come up with a column topic? Maybe it’s because there are tons of (1) causes to support, (2) stories to share, (3) opinions to flaunt, (4) emotions to sort, and (5) recipes to dig out and enjoy during the season...

It’s probably a circumstance that a practitioner of Freudian psychology would quickly identify as a trait of a super-healthy ego, but I would argue - a trait of my hard-headedness - that ANYONE’s ears would perk up hearing their name. The radio was tuned in, but my attention wasn’t UNTIL I heard Teresa, or so I thought I heard. ...

I’m eager to rip the December 2020 page off the calendar. I could simply toss what’s left of it, but no way. I’m going to make a big deal of seeing the old year out as the new one enters. It needs a big yank with a stern grip, then a tight wadding into a ball to toss 20 times into the trash can, with some dunks and slams thrown in for effect. ...

My role in the fifth-grade French skit was to pull the tablecloth out from under the dishes, leaving the table settings intact. To incorporate unpredictable outcomes into the action and dialogue, we had to learn ALL the vocabulary and prepare for improvisation, since I couldn’t guarantee the same results yank after yank in rehearsals. Winging it produced lots of laughs along with the messes...

Our November election is next week. Into the future I cannot peek But if I could, what would I seek? Answers for all, peace for the meek. It isn’t yet Halloween As I ponder what will be seen. News coverage has been keen, American trust unusually lean...

My attention focused on “Love Helps Those” (written and recorded by Paul Overstreet) when I began typing this column. Google says it hit the airwaves in 1988. My mind meandered down memory lane for a few moments. In ‘88 my son and I lived in Doniphan across from the elementary school. He was 9. I was a high school teacher. What was I driving? A robin’s egg blue Plymouth Fury Station Wagon. It was rather conspicuous in the teachers’ parking lot. Pouf! My topic switched to that blue tank...

When the weather cooperates, this season beckons. Throw on some jeans and hiking shoes, grab a snack, jump in the car, crank the windows down, tune in to some music, and hit the back roads. Colors in the trees and brush are vibrant and constantly changing. An autumn drive is definitely a mood-lifter in pandemic times...

Chances are you will be reading this column before Saturday. That means you have time to get ready for the celebration! Dig through some dresser drawers or look in the far back corner of your closet. I grab most anything from front and center, or at the very least, do some laundry. I am always ready!...

For a previous column I wrote a lighthearted poem about my Siamese DaVinci. He had disappeared for a couple of days. I wrote the poem to celebrate his return and my silliness at such distress over ‘just’ a cat. Here are three of the verses. A handsome male with no reason to roam.....

I was never a cowboy boots kinda gal. I didn’t grow up with a horse pal I took to trail rides and 4-H rodeos. From time to time I did get to sit on the gentle mare Dolly at the Harris farm in Arkansas, but someone always led her. The merry-go-round horse rides in city grocery lots were more to my liking, even preferred to the live pony rides that materialized once in a while. ...

I’ve a new love in my life, another presence that adds a joyful dimension to ordinary tasks like sitting on the couch, putting on shoes and making the bed. A dimension I didn’t realize I was missing, by the way. Curious about all I do, that additional set of eyes watches me intently and tries to anticipate my next moves in case I need help. ...

You know how argumentative we humans can be when helpful suggestions are tossed at us? Some of us were practicing mindfulness years and years before we knew what it was. Good thing. We might have quite a memory deficit had we avoided this simple activity just because it is good for us. And we don’t have to give this one up just because we grow up!...

I had a spare grandma. She was a friend of my maternal grandmother because their families crisscrossed somehow. (I once knew the specifics but I forgot long ago). It so happened that Lola Gaines and her husband Henry lived in Liberty, Mo. the same time I attended college at William Jewell there. ...

Curiosity won. I found an out-of-the way place to park to view the action. Heights frighten me. My imagination soars to scary scenarios when I let it meander through a maze of what-ifs about stuff or people falling, so I blocked that thought path to take in the scene with awe rather than anxiety...

What will today’s children recall with smiles and fondness when they look back on these times? It’s the norm to insert “Remember when’s” and “Wasn’t that a hoot’s” when gathering with friends and family. Lots of warm fuzzy feelings surface when sharing adventures of youth...

Mowing was postponed. The grass was too wet and the sky hinted it might get wetter momentarily. Time for a fire. Watching fire either empties my brain or evokes what only I consider profound thoughts. Sitting in a comfy chair far enough away to escape the heat, with a cat making my lap his comfy seat, it didn’t take long for my brain to drain. The year 2020 has created quite a quagmire. Any time I can escape its conundrums and negativity, that’s a plus...

Last week was a gem of a week! “Optimism doesn’t wait on facts. It deals with prospects.” Norman Cousins...

My folks had a fan and they knew how to use it. Many times dad put the box fan in a window, lowered the sill to brace it, raised or lowered other windows to fist width, and instantly cooled the atmosphere within our hot, sticky walls. It was magic that I didn’t totally figure out till I had my own hot, sticky rooms to cool, realizing there was science behind his magic. ...

It was horrific -  the aftermath of my grandfather hitting Logan Creek bridge just seconds after leaving the driveway. My grandmother was with him. To most of the world they were Robert and Cecilia Pearson, but to me and the rest of the grandchildren - Momo and Popo...

Each day I anticipate sunsets, the reasons surprising and varied. How will the clouds mix with the colors? What is the color that is not orange or yellow or pink but glows with traces of each? How do I miss the transformation from one to the other? Some evenings the subtle change from sunset to twilight to dusk calms and comforts, erasing worries and fears, assuring me God hears my heart’s prayers when my mind can’t find words. ...

Thanks to Ozark Gardens here at home, I have enjoyed eating strawberries from my six ever-bearing plants. (Don’t snicker please. With my weird summer schedule I wasn’t sure I could keep them alive, but I did, so now I see a strawberry patch of my own for spring/summer 2021). Right now it is a consumption competition between me and the turtles...I am guessing and hoping it’s the turtle I see now and then elsewhere in the yard...

It’s a remnant of bygone time though it’s enjoying its fourteenth year at a downtown intersection in Cape Girardeau - The Corner Store - a mini grocery/deli/chocolate shop. The portable sign at the street indicated chicken and dumplings or all-beef hot dogs were the to-go lunch offerings of the day. ...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —...

Nyctinasty. It isn’t fiction. It isn’t a figment of artificial intelligence. It’s creation... and news to me. I must have slept through that lesson in science because I think I would have remembered writing that word on a vocabulary list and learning to pronounce it. (nik-TIN-eh-stee in Lee phonetics - initial pronunciation attempts were heavy on the ‘nasty’ part)...

The Doniphan High School graduation ceremony will have happened by the time you read this column. I hope you are looking at lots of graduation photos in these pages. If it didn’t happen because of rain, it will have been rescheduled, again and again...till our seniors have their moments in time. The district has a ‘we’re gonna do this in a safe way no matter WHEN it has to happen’ attitude...

As a gifted songwriter who pens words with universal appeal, Dolly Parton does more than compose lines that rhyme, manipulate syllables and create the perfect rhythm in her songs. And that is all before she writes notes that emit tunes that tug at our hearts. ...

Puddles indeed reign, Much to our disdain. Can we remain sane Enduring this rain? Woods and yards flourish As clouds pass with swish, Giving us the wish Not to be like fish. We may need an oar Or search ways to soar, For ‘neath muck galore Roads appear no more...

It’s a hoot for me to run across phrases with universality - ones written for now, for me, for my life. Like this one.  “...we are all drawn to the familiar in moments of disruption and situations of uncertainty.” Though from a book printed in 2019, it fits these days we are trudging through. Often I sense time sailing by. Not lately. Time is a square clock being kicked through a soggy feed lot...

One chilly damp May afternoon I was amused to find myself reading about coffee from a cool book by Tim Schenck titled Holy Grounds. For me, drinking coffee is hardly habitual. Almost to the end of my sixty-sixth year, I have infinitesimal coffee consumption compared to that of most adults. ...

When I hear the name Shel Silverstein, I think of Where the Sidewalk Ends or A Light in the Attic, and I visualize the poignant cover of The Giving Tree. What I DON’T think of is Playboy contributor and songwriter. A Grammy-award-winning tune recorded by Johnny Cash - “A Boy Named Sue” - is Silverstein’s!...

I  have flipped every switch and turned on every lighted appliance in every room. For some reason Mother Nature has taken a hankerin’ to a dark shade on her beloved sun lamp. Time to redecorate, ma’am!  And time for ME to signal the troops. When we have too many cloudy, dreary days in a row, covid-19 or no covid-19, this scout declares war on gray-sky blues. ...

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” This quote by Dr. Seuss inspired the following. Up at 6, going through the motions...

To you this might seem a collection of spontaneous thoughts scribbled on various post-it notes, napkin corners, envelope flaps and receipts, but nope. There ARE those, but I am not bored enough yet to resort to that scavenger hunt. The jottings of song titles and/or artists, rhymes, cool phrases, names of NPR interviewees, gotta-read-that-one-book titles and possible column topics are sensible only to  me, maybe, on a clear day when I can see the reasons for their existence...

My thoughts about physical distancing are not earth shattering or original. We are all in this pandemic together learning as we go, scrolliing through the same Facebook memes, facing the same fears and shortages, laughing at the same jokes that make cyclical rounds on social media and offering optimistic encouragement when we see the need. ...

SUNSHINE! Here you are! I have been missing you just as I missed seeing during holidays and vacations that high school boy (or maybe two) who gave me his ring. Sure, I remember their names, but they don’t come around any more, and when they did, it wasn’t nearly as regularly as you have been known to pop in. ...

That is debatable in light of covid-19. Time flew through its adolescence. Time will slow down now it will seem. Will we manage a world hopefully enduring The world has become a bit bizzare, With love, peace and effervescence? Think with caution wherever you are...

“It was the best of times...” said Dickens, - When corn cobs weren’t slim pickens? “..It was the worst of times,” he continued. Was it due to some shortages that ensued? Were corn cobs ever on the lam, As panic spread throughout the land, Clearing each cornfield, lifting each barn board...

My brain is full of years of friendships, experiences, knowledge and curiosities, and I hope I have a lot more time to cram new stuff in there. Old bits of stored info must not vanish, though, to make more room in my mind, because forgotten memories seem to pop up randomly. Surely there is some abstract connection that escapes my conscious at the moment they appear...

Once in a while a smug smile surfaces along with the thought - See! I DO have some common sense! - though it is often a fleeting smugness.  I  grew up hearing I did not have ANY common sense. The declarations of my deficiency, particularly from my father, escalated as I neared and endured adolescence in the ‘60’s. ...

Rude awakenings - those comedic twists that catch us off guard,  sometimes funny only AFTER the fact. Few are resistant to life’s sporadic uh-oh’s. We get busy. Minds get crammed with details. These little detours provide comic relief and gentle reminders to take a break, recover and/or regroup, and carry on...

Blame this column on a Facebook post - the one that showed a row of dead feral hogs and advertising the meat for free distribution to anyone needing it. Based on MDC regulations discontinuing the hunting of this pest and the mounting controversy over such a declaration, compounded by the bowing of USDA Forest Service to MDC policy prohibiting the hunting in Mark Twain National Forest, I was curious how 123 hogs met this fate. ...

He gave me a scare, this cat o’ mine. Did he get a dare, from feline to feline, To vanish for days, have a trip so fine, To teach me ways to give him more time? A handsome male with no reason to roam... I’d go off the rails if he ever left home,  With no care for the calendar or clock,...

Sometimes I’m caught off guard when my Siamese hops up as I rock in my favorite chair. Once he lands lightly, he seems to ponder the timing. Will he stay briefly as though posed for a few photos, then leave me to my book or music? Or will he discern I am going to stay put for a while, and softly circle to sit just so on my lap? Is he there to find comfort or to offer it to me?...

Let’s decide. In the first month of 2020 I heard two words I didn’t realize were ‘real’ words. From time to time we all add prefixes or suffixes to familiar words to make the meanings fit our purposes exactly with a bit of humor or sarcasm. That’s what I thought was happening when I heard ‘otherizing’ on a radio program and read ‘awfulizing’ in a magazine article. ...

Who comes up with the wacky holidays? Even the publishers of the calendars of such can’t find who to credit in many instances. Take this one: Jump in a Puddle and Splash your Friend Day. Lately every day could be a good one for doing that, and creating lots of laundry, too. ...

The phrase ‘know your onions’ was first used in print in the US early in the year of 1922 in a Harper’s Bazaar issue. Whether or not it originated here is debatable. No one really knows who to credit, but it is an interesting phrase that needs some renewed attention in the 21st century, in my opinion...

The twenty-first century is maturing. Time flew through its adolescence. Will we manage a world hopefully enduring With love, peace and effervescence? At its birth we used the word ‘millenial’ And we all survived the Y2 Scare. But the growing pains seem perennial...

This Christmas season, as I read and reread the account of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, I am in awe of the faith exhibited by all the individuals involved. One - Zachariah - did question the how of it all given the age of his wife Elizabeth, who would later give birth to John. ...

The ringtone on my smartphone duplicates the  sound of my landline. I started to type ...landline phone...but that would be a redundancy. (I have friends who keep track of each and every one by anyone. I am on enough lists; this is one I can control)...

TAG! You’re IT! Column-worthy inspiration doesn’t always whoosh in on time so occasionally I refer to the wacky holiday calendar to thwart deadline panic. That explains why I am sharing that today, Dec. 11 is National Noodle Ring Day. What the heck is a noodle ring? (My first thought - a metal gizmo that lets the cook know when noodles are done?) One might think I would know, having grown up on The Hill in St. ...

That is the gist of a message I saw recently on a church sign. Definitely food for thought.  We grow into adulthood with mindsets that we want good jobs in order to have more rather than do more. That creates issues when we get older. We have stuff we no longer want and a longer list of stuff we want to do. Retirement incomes may be fixed and/or limited, and our bodies may begin to retaliate so regret starts lurking, if we’re not careful, as we dream about places and activities that beckon. ...

It can’t all be due to my boomer status. That’s a bit over-rated anyway. I simply have 20-plus...well, LOTS of years experience as a 40-something. I like the sound of that. It also aptly describes how behind I usually am in trying out for the first time many conveniences others adapted to smoothly and quickly...

I have a love/hate relationship with deer season.  During my senior year and my only year as a Doniphan R-I student, it was a fun if odd school break. No deer meat had ever been on my plate and I could not fathom ever shooting one. And why did so many walk around in army clothes? ...

“If I don’t make time, I lose time.” I heard that yesterday. It hits home, hard. I am not an organized, structured gal though there is a bit of an ironic twist to appearing to have a ‘go-with-the-flow’ kind of life. If plans HAVE been made, I don’t like them to change. ...

The task rolls around again; Like laundry, I see no end To disposing of leaves. What action will I take? This year how many rakes will I break? It seems there are as many leaves in the trees As there are on the ground swirling around my knees.  It’s clearly too early to start this task,...

Blood pressure up, senses heightened, nerves on edge... not in response to potential danger, or to a deer sighting within shooting range or to too much coffee, but to NOISE, lots of it, ALL THE TIME. Motivation, learning, memory, productivity and problem-solving can also be affected, and not in positive ways, by constant attacks on our brains via our ears...

Pardon me while I search the paths in my gray matter to find the reason my initial answer to a for-fun Facebook question “If you could talk to anyone right now, who would it be?” was Mrs. Shaw. I assumed the question referred to one no longer living and I also assumed it was a given we all would love to speak to parents and best friends. I decided to open a door beyond those parameters...

October 9th’s the day to take your teddy bear to work and a sure way to draw smirks from colleagues. No one wonders at all about a child’s toys and blankets that soothe and calm. We adults, though, need such items perhaps more than the kiddos do in this curious, chaotic, confounding world flashing by at the click of an icon! With maturity comes wisdom; we know how to camouflage our ‘security blankies’ to ward off comrades’ jeers. ...

This morning’s sky is gray and the temp is low with a slight intermittent breeze. I doubt anyone complains after the overdose of summer heat and humidity we have endured. Living in Southeast Missouri, we are accustomed to Mother Nature’s fickle moods so it’s no surprise the weekend forecast proclaims more sultry weather ahead. It’s a coin toss what we might be experiencing by the time this hits newsprint...

It has taken a bit of soul-searching, attitude adjusting and jumping out of my comfort zone, but boomer-hood and I have finally established a working relationship. I was delighted to run across one of my ramblings about this stage of growth and realize I have made giant strides forward. ...

It needs to be somebody’s job to welcome newcomers to the area and fill them in on the identifications we ‘old-timers’ use for the locations of landmarks. The offspring of the ‘old-timers’ use the same seemingly nonsensical names, too, because they grew up hearing them. What are newbies to do when directions like the following are the references they hear? ...

On this day take great care, Do very little unless you dare To beat the odds, to push your luck. Today better to your couch stay stuck. You know not to open indoors an umbrella Otherwise the 13th will be far from stellar! Should you forget and walk under a ladder,...

‘Jack-of-all-trades, master of none’ Didn’t fit this particular one.  When and where did he learn all he knew? Anything you needed it seemed he could do. The tasks he tackled at times were grand But were perfected with his talented hand. Determined and hard-working, high he set the bar...

Wedenesday, Aug. 21 is a national holiday, one with a presidential proclamation issued in 1988 and all that. I am not thrilled about celebrating it myself, because I don’t think I fit the target group. Baby boomers out there...what about you? It is National Senior Citizens Day. For several reasons based solely on my view of the elderly when I was a youngster, I am not a senior yet because:...

“There ain’t no cure for the summertime blues,” according to a 90’s Alan Jackson hit. Remedies are out there. Keep the blues away with a dose of your brand of joy and keep the music revved up. Here is a sampling of my fading summer blues cures. 1. Find a comfortable seat, yank out the junk drawer and rummage through it. ...

‘Twixt two worlds. That’s how I feel. Want to contact me? Dial my landline number - I realize we SAY ‘dial’ even though we don’t  - and I might talk to you using a harvest gold rotary desk phone. Missing is the sense of immediacy to answer but the connection is good enough to take care of business if I do...

Tomatoes speak summer. We enjoy the ‘love apple’ in a variety of ways... fresh off the vine with juice dripping off elbows, quartered on a plate with salt and pepper handy, sliced on a sandwich chowed down quickly before the bread gets soggy, or in salsas and hors d’oeuvres...

Media sources are full of back-to-school info. That always makes me reminisce about my own schooling. Choosing and ordering a class ring was a big deal to us boomers. Top Ten Reasons to Slip on your Class Ring....50 years later #10. I am proud of my connection to the high school I attended my junior year, though it isn’t my alma mater...

Recently I glimpsed a headline indicating our state legislature is considering mandating a later school start date to aid tourism. I didn’t read the article, so I don’t know the arguments used as ammunition to fuel the passage of such a bill, but I would think that boosting tourism should not be at the top of the list as indicated by that headline. ...

I did not grow up on a Current bank,  ‘Twas due to a simple switch of fate. For that I have dear Dad to thank. An ultimatum - city or country - from Mom, his mate. At age of five I started to school. Sidewalks and stop signs led the way. Wasn’t in Pratt I learned the golden rule...

To set things straight at the outset, I am not suggesting throwing rocks at nature’s songbirds. Keep in mind, though, those songbirds CAN and DO create problems with bounty in vegetable gardens this time of year. What’s a nature-loving conscientious backyard gardener to do?...

Not time to celebrate a new decade, And not much in my past I’d trade. But a birthday it is, Which one is my biz,  I’d give my life till now a good grade. Lately it’s been even better,  Unless one considers the weather, I’m often on the run, Sun-up till day’s done...

What do these actions have in common? I have to use my tippy-toes, not in the way ballerinas do with grace and talent, but to  stretch my 5-foot, 4-and-a-half-inch frame to the max with the greater potential of triggering charlie horses than accomplishing the intended tasks...

I wish I could convince you I had been a daddy’s girl. At birth I was early and tiny but with a powerful set of vocal chords, so my trip home was not postponed by a stint in an incubator. As a newborn I guess I was cute enough, but as I grew toward toddlerhood mom dressed me in ruffles often so passersby would know she had a daughter. ...

Tied - in thought and deed, Energized - to succeed for the greater good, Activated - by need, not greed, Motivated - by service, not mood. Winning - for all, not one, Optimizing - the contribution of each, Relaxing - with pals after a task well-done,...