Columns

Last week when I saw Larry driving the tractor and lawn sweeper toward the front yard, I hurried out to stop him.

“Not yet,” I told him. “Leave the sycamore leaves on the ground for the boys to play in. You can rake them after Thanksgiving.” [Full Story »] 

When I see Fox, the chocolate Lab, charge after a duck or dove I have felled I watch him with a grin of satisfaction, knowing that although I trained him, he already had this retrieving in his blood. It is what he was born to do. I love this dog. He stays right by my side around home and when he gives that low growl I know it’s not an armadillo but a two legged threat he smells and I have time to arm myself, if necessary. [Full Story »] 

Preparations for Thanksgiving during the 50s started long before November. The turkeys strutted about their pen, gobbling, and pecking the ground and each other for juicy tidbits. In Mama’s garden the mustard greens grew taller every day. Corn frozen from summer’s bounty waited in the freezer, clearly marked “Thanksgiving.” The sweet potatoes were waiting in a basket on the back porch right beside a huge pumpkin, but with November’s winds and rain, the pecans fell. Every Thanksgiving table in the Nichols household required both pumpkin and pecan pies. We gathered the nuts in the wind and rain if necessary, and then we shelled until our hands were sore, never questioning whether the results would be worth the effort or not. [Full Story »] 

I confided to a fellow writer that I was getting writers block. She suggested that I just pick a subject, the first one that pops in my head, and comment on that subject. OK, the Ten Commandments. Here goes.

1. Thou shall have no other Gods before me. No problem, Big Man. OK. [Full Story »] 

For almost our entire married life, Larry and I have had pets. We both grew up with pets, but not house pets. During our childhoods, animals lived in the yard. However, research says that owning pets is good for us. It lowers blood pressure and prevents depression. Animals are great companions and love us no matter what we do. We’ve certainly reaped the benefits of all the good animals we’ve owned, or maybe I should say of all the animals that have owned us. There have been a few drawbacks over the years. [Full Story »] 

I was listening to the news this morning while getting ready to visit a shut-in. The lady was talking to two politicians about the deficit and taxes; one was a democrat and one a republican. Each of them allowed that deficits and high taxes were bad for the country and this set me to thinking. I know it is dangerous to put such pressure on a small brain like mine but the more I thought about our nation’s problems, the clearer the answer became and I would like to share my conclusion with you. Here goes; if both parties think deficits and high taxes are bad, why in the Sam Hill don’t they agree not to have them? I mean, the politicians are in charge, aren’t they? If they agreed to do away with them, wouldn’t they be done away with? One would think so, but obviously my conclusion is wrong. We have deficits, high taxes, inflation, and wars going on in two countries because that is what they want us to have. Politicians created these problems and now they campaign against them. What a con game! [Full Story »] 

I received the following from a friend a few days back. This is worth sharing. [Full Story »] 

Oh, what a fine time of year. The freezer is full, the peppers and okra are still bearing, just had my first pot of ribs and turnips; now the bad news. [Full Story »]