The world through the eyes of a child
The joy and wonderment of youth is a gift like no other. Just when the burdens of the world begin to feel unbearably heavy, I am blessed by the children's' voices that help light up my life, as well as the lives of those around me.
A country of contradictions
I watched the huge muskrat swim toward the bank of the Jordan River below me. Zooming in with my long camera lens, I snapped a shot to give to Mahoning County native Karl Gebhardt who was about to be baptized (we're talking "dunking" here) in the shallow river.
What it was like in the ancient old days
On this, the occasion of my 10,000th birthday, I would like to say ... oh, OK, I'm not really 10,000 years old.
Conduct a successful family meeting
I'm too busy. We'll start after the corn is planted and the hay is made. We tried them before and they didn't work.
More food labeling, not less, is needed
Given the sad state of affairs in today's affairs of state - record federal budget deficits, record trade deficits, illegal domestic eavesdropping, the sale of key U.
Broken hearts and fond memories
The deeper the joy, the more devastating the heartbreak. The journey across this life brings a mixture of both and somehow we must be strong enough to hold it all.
Smart cookies
A rap on my kitchen door told me that our neighbor Zoe was outside. She's developed a bold, persistent knock, probably because there is such a delay before one of us answers.
Use foresight when fertilizing fields
Applying fertilizers to hay and pasture fields to stimulate plant growth will generally increase yields substantially.
Numbers predict an up-and-down year
When March arrives like a lamb, the old saying goes, it roars out like a lion. How then will the 2006 growing season finish if current numbers, courtesy of the USDA, show it hobbling out of the gate on weak knees and a bent back? Six months, of course, will tell the tale, but February USDA figures begin it with some opening lines that are grim - Brothers Grimm grim.
Greatest joys are found in simple things
Joy is found in simple moments if our eyes and our hearts are open. Today, from the back porch of what will soon be our new home, I watched nine deer amble across the hay field, just about 75 yards from where I stood, only the white board fence separating us.
