Canoe trip taught 14-year-old not to gripe

By Willis Webb   There are obviously lots of ways to teach youngsters not to whine andgripe but kids usually “take care” of gripey  teens or at least that was my experience. Some re-application may be required for septuagenarians like me. There’ve been many blessings in my life.

Extra Credit

By Renae Brumbaugh   You’ve heard of a Jack-ofall- trades? Well, I’m a Jill-of-few-trades. I have a limited number of things I do really well, and a whole lot of things I really stink at. And one thing I’m not is a scientist. Yeah. Be glad I’m not your pharmacist. ‘Nuff said.

‘A Hell of a Foray’

By Rich Lowry   If an Israeli highlevel official were caught on a hot mic candidly commenting on Secretary of State John Kerry’s ill-fated act of Israel- Hamas peacemaking, he might call it “a hell of a diplomatic foray.

Actor James Garner embarrassed me

By Willis Webb   One of my favorite actorentertainers of all time, James Garner, died recently but I had already forgiven him for embarrassing me in a public setting. Alright, you guessed it, there’s a story behind this and it goes back more than a half century.

Falling through the cracks

By Lynette Sowell   It’s that time of year again—kids and parents getting their school shopping lists together, teachers diving into their classrooms and making bulletin boards, writing lesson plans. The 2014-2015 school year lies ahead, shining like a new penny.

Pickin’ Peas

By Renae Brumbaugh   I spent my weekend shelling peas, fresh from the harvest. Stop laughing. I’m telling the truth. I know I’m just a city-born, fledgling country girl wannabe, but hey. I’m living my dream. Making it a reality. Raising chickens, killing snakes, growing my own garden.

Union Drama at the Metropolitan Opera

By Rich Lowry   The fat lady will sing -- but only in strict keeping with the work rules set out by the American Guild of Musical Artists. The Metropolitan Opera has a labor problem. Personnel expenses account for $200 million of the financially struggling Met’s $327 million budget.

Drive-in movie theaters disappearing

By Willis Webb   Every time I see a news story about movie theaters in a newspaper, it resurrects memories. Small town theaters in particular evoke tales of yesteryear.

Oh, deer!

By Lynette Sowell   “Would you look at that?” my brother-in-law asked from the backseat ofthe car. We glided  to a stop and peered into the dusk as a small herd of deer grazed. One of the watchful adults snapped its head in our direction and stared. My sister held her video camera up and zoomed in.

Dinosaur Bones

By Renae Brumbaugh   This morning, a shipment of T-Rex babies arrived at my house. Fifteen of them. They are tiny and precious and . . . well, they poop a lot. Yes they do. I guess I should feed them less. Right now they live in a box in my kitchen, under a heat lamp.