“… and another one gone! Another one bites the dust!” The music blared through the speakers at the funeral home, as I walked back inside the crowded room. Dawn’s memorial service was standing-room only, and I ended up listening to the tributes from outside the building. She was just 40 years old, the mother of
There is no flower that says Christmas more than the poinsettia – with its vivid, red leaves that have been said to symbolize the Star of David. Just how did it become known as the Christmas flower? There is a legend about the poinsettia and according to WhyChristmas.com, the tale is about a poor Mexican
The first snowflakes have fallen and the temps have dropped drastically; it’s safe to say winter is upon us! In our state, where winds can be blistering and it’s possible to be knee-deep in snow, bundling up is imperative for the whole family. Most days during the winter, warmth is our only concern; but how
Recently, I took a trip with my husband out to west Texas. He is from San Angelo, which is a “big city” in that part of the state, but we found ourselves farther west than even that. Seven hours west of Houston, three hours west of Austin, is the tiny, one-horse town of Rowena. A
According to the Gallup organization, the average American planned to spend $830 on Christmas gifts last year, meaning that total nationwide spending on Christmas gifts was just over $200 billion. Economist Joel Waldfogel of the University of Minnesota has estimated that 10-30 percent of this was wasted as “deadweight loss.” Deadweight loss is an economic
Someone who lives elsewhere asked me this the other day. It gave me pause for a split second. The easy answer would be, “No.” Flint, after all, has absorbed sucker punch after sucker punch for the past three decades now – layoffs, decline, crime, blight, flight, City Hall shenanigans. And now, of course, there’s
I remember the very first year I was old enough to vote. My father asked me who I was going to vote for the presidential election. When I told him who I was voting for, he literally cringed. He didn’t try to discourage me from voting for my choice – what he did do was
For those of us who follow movies, and not just those of the popcorn variety, November is the month when things start to get interesting. Yes, there are the obviously intended boffo box office draws – such as Benedict Cumberbatch starring in (and as) Doctor Strange, the requisite holiday Disney animated feature Moana and
I can’t lie … I’ve never been much of a “mustache girl.” When I was a kid, I had a Ken doll. “Mod-haired Ken” they called him. He came with removable, reconfigurable facial hair. He became an increasingly bad character, the more facial hair I applied to him. Sporting a full beard and ‘stache, he
It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us – seems like just yesterday we were gearing up for the beach! Now that you’ve pulled out all your cozy cashmere sweaters, it’s time to get ready for the holiday parties! If you don’t have many reasons to get dressed up throughout the
When you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner this month, one thing to give thanks for is how unbelievably inexpensive everyday goods are today. A 20lb turkey today costs about $20, according to the USDA, and a gallon of milk costs $3.14. People paid $0.49/lb for turkey and $1.00/gallon for milk in 1950. Adjusted for inflation,
What comes to mind when one hears the words, “Scottish Highlands?” Probably a romanticized version of brave men in tartans and green hills and craggy rocks, perhaps one hears bagpipes playing. It’s a pretty picture. But though the Highlands are romantic and green and craggy … they are also cold, wet, and terribly out of
