August 17, 2022
The sounds of the season are what makes Christmas come alive for me. There are the smells of the season – with a live tree in the living room and a wreath in the hallway, the house smells of a pine forest. Along with the smell of fresh-baked Christmas cookies this past weekend, the household
The Columbia Missourian newspaper announced who the recipients of their 2017 Progress Awards were last week, and when the Sherman Brown, Jr. Award (recognizing a community member who always serves others with the highest esteem and treats everyone like gold) was given to Southern Boone resident Tom Oleski, I was elated, but not at all
My grandson is no longer a baby. This Christmas Luke Vinson will be a fully-grown 18-month old toddler, capable of out-running his mother and screaming louder than either of his Labrador retrievers he lives with can bark. So, naturally, it is time to buy this big boy some big boy Christmas gifts. Except the combination
“What should I write about this week, Truman?” Having written well over three hundred columns for the Journal in the last few years, I occasionally struggle to come up with fresh ideas. When I find myself particularly stumped, I sometimes ask my family for help. “I don’t know,” my eleven-year-old son replied. “Life?” Now why
There are but a few different ways to get the leaves off of your lawn: Pay someone to remove your leaves. This method is utilized by the elderly, the lazy or those who don’t appreciate the intrinsic value of taking care of a challenge left by Monther Nature. Get your John Deere tractor out and
It just occurred to me, as I sat down to write, that I haven’t left my house in five days. A by-product of having a decent Internet connection and of not having a permanent, full-time job since 2008, this has actually happened to me quite a few times over the years. And I’m okay with
If you have not already had a flu shot this fall, don’t dispair – there’s still plenty of time to get jabbed and possibly save your life. That’s right – save your life. What you might know about the common flu – also most commonly known as Influenza A – is that the influenza pandemic
On a sweltering Missouri day in the summer of 1989, a month or so before the start of our senior year of high school, my friend Bill and I decided to cool off with a dip in Mark Twain Lake, a popular destination for teens at the time. We threw a cooler full of refreshments,
I saw Santa Claus on Saturday while I was wondering through Bass Pro Shop. Mr. Claus was already sitting on his appropriate big chair taking a break between kids. “Hey, Santa!” I hollered out, “Merry Christmas!” “And a Merry Christmas to you, young man!” Santa offered back, giving me a good effort, but not yet
When Dolly Parton asked me if I would like to buy Dollywood, the theme park she owns in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, I was flattered and a bit surprised. I could tell during the few minutes we had been conversing that it was important to her to find someone she could trust with her pride and
