“She has a mind of her own.” That was what I heard my mom say about me as a child. And what does that mean? At the best, determined,...

“Words, words, words,” Hamlet says in the library scene of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Often played with humor, Shakespeare’s scene helps...

I found a cute pair of salt and pepper shakers at our new antiques store in Loyalton–Lombardi Mercantile. I might have overlooked them...

A little reflection on the 50th anniversary this week of my faith commitment. I was raised going to church in Hudson in upstate New...

“Words. Words. Words.” A famous line spoken by Hamlet–one of my favorite lines from Shakespeare. Words fascinate me. How can something...

In our son’s sophomore year of high school, he had knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus and torn cartilage. The timing worked out,...

Does your life look like a shipwreck right now? Maybe you’re sick or your loved ones are. Maybe you’ve lost someone dear to you. Maybe...

When I taught high school English, Romeo and Juliet provided many an example of the oxymoron–a short figure of speech that has...

I am betting more people than normal will be using the word “grace” this week. “Will you say the grace?” After all, some kind of giving...

Yesterday I was in such a funk. Because of winds up to 70 mph, the power went off around 10:30 in the morning and remained off all day...

Do you feel you need a time out? As though you’re in a fast-paced game and there’s no break in sight for a rest? For direction? For...

Do you have a comfy chair for relaxing and reading or even writing? Years ago several writer friends and I drove to Reno for the day to...

Christmas is coming, and as I find myself making a Christmas list for my immediate family of 20, plus other family and friends, I...

was thinking about the typical kid sayings the other day when I took four of the grandkiddos to the dentist. It was a day of . . . Five...

I live in the largest alpine valley in North America: the Sierra Valley. At about 5,000 feet in elevation, the Sierra Valley is...

Hope: n. desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment I can have hope for a good future because I trust God. I do not...

Ever had someone cuss you out in a nonstop blue streak of the worst possible names? I have. I tell you, teachers put up with a lot. When...

I grew up in a church-going family, but Sunday meant one thing for me: doughnuts. Sunday was a big production. My sister and I got...

I was having such a great time with friends at a book convention. Each day was spent strolling the miles of aisles looking at new book...

My dad was brilliant and kind. He once said, “There should just be one law: Be nice.” Doesn’t that make sense? If we made all our...