Home Country

The reporter from the big-city paper looked a bit uncomfortable as she sat at the philosophy counter of the Mule Barn truck stop. Doc ordered some coffee for her, and introduced her to the guys.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Two summers ago, we brought home a POA yearling named Sally. POA stands for Pony of America, a breed that was created in the 1950s. The foundation stallion of the breed was an Arabian/Appaloosa/Shetland pony cross with Appaloosa markings named Black Hand.

Home Country

Genius is occasionally driven by desperation, and that’s what happened to Annette down at the Soup ‘R Market.The phone lines were fuzzy that day, she thinks, because of an electrical storm. That’s the only reason she can think of that she was stuck with 800 pounds of squash.

Stray Thoughts: The Gardener

Until you left I never knew how cold the wind could be or how alone a child could feel, a leaf without a tree. There’s no one left to call me now, and no one I can call no parent left to share the day; no spring to warm the fall.

Home Country: The flag comes first

We all watched as the flag came by. It was the first thing in the parade, of course. Great big one, carried by two of the kids from the ROTC at the high school.

Stray Thoughts: Baggage check

A quarter century ago, Patty and I packed for a trip to China.They gave us a very tight weight limit for our packed bag. Twenty-eight pounds. No more. No problem, we thought.After packing only what Americans would see as essentials, we weighed our suitcase, and it weighed over ninety pounds.

Oral health is gateway to general wellness

By Paul Meyer DDS MSFor much of modern healthcare, dentistry has existed apart from the broader medical system.Patients commonly have separate providers for medical and dental care, and this division is reflected in insurance models, education, and even cultural perception.

GUEST COLUMN

The United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering for America Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate increases and degraded service.

Stray Thoughts: Forget me not

We remember thousands of bits of information.But remembering anything is not a human strength.In fact, we are designed specifically to forget most of it.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

It was the night before the trip. One of the dogs had already had an “accident” on the camping gear. Due to unforeseen circumstances, everything I’d packed into the larger, better-equipped camper had been unpacked then repacked into my tiny teardrop, the overflow stacked in the cab of the pickup.