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6 Tips for Good Grades in College
August 28, 2012 in: Reflections on the River
Dear College Students, It’s the start of a new school year and gazing at the long semester stretching ahead – clear til Christmas! – it may look like a marathon. It’s not. It’s a sprint. Get out of the academic gate early and fast. Set the pace so the teacher and the rest of the class [...]
continue readingBlack and White and Green
July 25, 2012 in: Reflections on the River
My heart grows heavy this summer. The drought grinds on and on, sapping life. Evil prowls about, looking for those to devour. Yet, there is a simple beauty. And hope. This scene of contrasts – black and white on green – was just a mile from my Dad’s farm. I stopped in the middle of [...]
continue readingWelcome to Ol’ St. Joe
July 11, 2012 in: Reflections on the Riverseparator=, &Writing
St. Joseph, Mo., is my new hometown. I grew up in Maryville, Mo., about 50 miles north, but for the past dozen years, I’ve made myself at home in St. Joe. (It’s an informal place, feel free to use its nickname.) If you’re looking for a fun and cheap and educational trip this summer, put [...]
continue readingRaspberry Patch
May 30, 2012 in: Reflections on the River
This is my raspberry patch and the berries look wonderful. I picked them just after I took the photo. This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: The truth is like picking blackberries: You miss a lot if you only approach it from one angle. Good advice for journalism and for berry picking. Have [...]
continue readingChuckwagon Meal
April 25, 2012 in: Reflections on the River
Last year, I hosted my ladies Bible study group for our Christmas party. With a cowboy theme, I dubbed it “Home on the Range for Christmas” and served cornbread beef casserole. My friend Becky, a Texas transplant, loved this dish and mentioned it the other day, so I made it again recently. Cornbread Beef Casserole [...]
continue readingThe Garbage Experiment
March 23, 2012 in: Reflections on the River
This looks like a pile of garbage. Because it is. However, I have high hopes for this assortment of orange rinds, coffee grounds and potato peelings. I decided to try an experiment composting late last summer with some watermelon rinds because they are so heavy and so messy to carry out with the garbage. Having [...]
continue reading7 Facts About Me
March 20, 2012 in: Reflections on the River
1. When I was a kid, my mom forced me to work in the garden and I loathed every minute. Now, the garden is one of my favorite spots on earth. This time of year, when I go home for lunch I usually slip out to my little plot to pull a few weeds and map my [...]
continue readingSigns of the Old Times
February 2, 2012 in: Reflections on the River
I learned about some “signs” of times gone by during the Tuesday Night Talk at the Pony Express National Museum this week. Some were more obvious than others. Ruth Rother, a retired school teacher, gave a presentation about the Underground Railroad. [...]
continue readingReflections on Mark Twain’s river
November 28, 2011 in: Reflections on the Riverseparator=, &Writing
The first time I read Huckleberry Finn was in third grade. If memory serves correctly, I had to get special permission from Mrs. Gates the librarian to check it out for an extra week so I could finish. She was good at encouraging kids to read that way. Much of the symbolism was lost on [...]
continue readingNight at the Museum
November 18, 2011 in: Reflections on the Riverseparator=, &Writing
The St. Joseph Women’s Press Club met at the St. Joseph Museum this week and hostess Jackie Lewin helped us experience the Civil War. We started with an authentic Civil War era meal made by club members. Jackie made “interpretive” tags for each [...]
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