CANDLES AND MIRRORS: Ankle deep history

Margaret blushed crimson as she realized that her dress had lifted above her ankles for a moment. What would her mother think of such impropriety? Though the scene is from a historical fiction novel, it accurately portrayed the social norm of the late 1800s. Women were to keep their ankles covered.

Stray Thoughts: When not a veteran

I have attended many Veterans’ Day observances in my time.There are speeches read, poems recited, and applause given.There is almost always someone who issues a call to the audience, saying, “Can we have all veterans stand to recognize your service?

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I was one of many this morning that attended the Elementary School tribute to the area veterans. This was the best performance I’ve seen in many years. The children all knew their parts and spoke directly into the microphones. I could hear and understand every word.

If something isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it

A community input meeting held Oct. 31 by certified and non-certified staff at the Timber Lake School to discuss a proposed move to a 4-day school week did little to answer questions about the concept and, frankly, was ill-timed.

Listen up and keep your hearing

Hearing loss affects millions of Americans. In fact, by age 75 over half of adults will have some form of hearing loss.

Stray Thoughts: The Aftermath

Deadlines come and deadlines go and just so that you are aware I had to write this poem before results were posted anywhere about who had lost and who had won this presidential race… who spent the most and told more lies to put them in their place.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

I’m sitting at my writing desk staring at the screen. I’ve been sitting here for a while. I was sitting here yesterday, and the day before, too, wondering what to write.

Stray Thoughts: Scary

Scary has a different meaning for an adult than for a child.For a child, any random bump in the night, branches scraping on a window, and eyes glowing in the dark cause terror.It takes much more to scare an adult than when they were kids.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

I sat down to work on my column yesterday, and wrote the following sentence: “I wonder if this is the most beautiful October of my life so far, or I’m just getting better at appreciating it.

Those who have ears, let them smile!

The sun flickered between the rows as we drove slowly by. Tall, tan stalks stood in perfect formation. Each spire sported a pointy sunburst, the dry flower of the tassel. Long tapered cylinders clothed in tawny jackets hung heavily from the thick stems.