Kids put a lot of effort into trick-or-treating. Jetting from door to door, trying not to trip over the too-long, hand-me-down witch dress can leave a little tyke feeling pretty tired. They deal with people opening the door and interrogating them before they finally fork over a treat (“Oh, what do we have here? A …
Lies lies lies…
I would have never made it this far without my parents. Most people would agree that good ol’ ma-n-pops did their fair share in helping their kids stand on their own two feet. They forgave you for their beautiful anniversary vase you broke and the car you demolished when you were 17 years old. They …
Bullet – the family favorite
Fifteen years ago, our family rescued a black lab pup from a humane society. Only six months old at the time, we took Bullet home and were excited to have a new addition to the family. It didn’t take longer than a day to fall in love with this dog. He was ready for anything! …
New Year's – your new deadline
If you haven’t flipped your calendar or noticed the leaves have begun falling, you should know it’s already September. Looking back, it feels like three weeks since everyone in the F-M area had the same evening plans – bagging sand. In actuality, it has been six months. It feels as if President Obama took office …
BINGO!
Many people enjoy an occasional game of Bingo. After all, Bingo does fall in the ‘game’ category and therefore should be fun – a solid source of entertainment. Maybe I’m too competitive or let my impatience get the best of me, but Bingo is no stroll in the park. I’d have to search long and …
Learning to drive a manual transmission… a rough road!
As a young girl, I spent many rides in the passenger seat of the ol’ Ford truck observing my mom or dad shift smoothly through the gears of the manual transmission. They’d occasionally offer an opportunity to shift to the next gear – warning that going over too far or waiting too long could mess …
Wrapped in Love
My grandmother is an excellent quilt maker. Throughout the years, she has earned much admiration from the entire family for her quilts. It’s impossible not to appreciate the racks which have been made heavy with her hand-made masterpieces. One Christmas, our family sat in the typical circle waiting to open gifts. One by one, Grandma’s …
I won't share the recipe!
Most people don’t mind sharing recipes. In fact, if you have a good dish, why not share it so more people can enjoy it? For the most part, recipes are clipped from magazines, printed after finding them online, or taken from a cookbook. Available to the masses, they are obviously good enough to be published …
An Honest Swing
Sometimes telling the truth is tough. Other times it’s really, really tough – particularly when you know it’ll cost you. Being honest cost Rui Li, a junior golfer at Kentwood High School in Covington, WA, a second-place medal in last year’s state tournament. Actually, unwittingly signing an incorrect scorecard is what disqualified her from the …
Camping… fun?
Some people are enthralled with camping. Die-hards have 10-room waterproof tents larger than most houses. Their sleeping bag is more extravagant than the linens on their bed at home and their pocket knives include expandable spatulas and can openers. I’ve tried “roughing it” and hope to never be forced to give it a go again. …