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Reflections on the ice storm
December 15, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
This is a portion of the business column I wrote during the ice storm that struck St. Joseph and the region three years ago this week. I pulled it out for some reflections. Boy, am I thankful for my warm furnace tonight. Never had Christmas lights looked prettier. Two and a half miles driving down [...]
continue readingReflections at Thanksgiving
November 24, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
It’s Thanksgiving. I’m making pie, stuffing, baked squash and salads with jello and Cool Whip starring as main ingredients. Alan Jackson is cued on the stereo and soon he’ll sing, “Let It Be Christmas.” But for now, it’s Thanksgiving and that gives rise to a reflective mood. I’ve had some quiet time to let my [...]
continue readingReflections: Car shopping in the singles market
November 16, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
My old Oldsmobile had served faithfully, but a cracked block made it clear that our time together must end very soon. Talking with some friends, they commiserated as I dreaded not so much taking on a car payment as the ordeal of car shopping. We took turns sharing tales of defeat and triumph on the [...]
continue readingReflections: The allure of the farmer’s daughter
October 24, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
In a popular country song, a guy describes how he took a summer job working for a farmer. He didn’t realize he was in for such hard labor and was ready to quit. And then, just when he didn’t think things could get much hotter, he met the farmer’s daughter. Ah yes, the farmer’s daughter. [...]
continue readingConquering the frontier via the Internet
September 27, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
The frontier is what shaped the American mettle, according to Frederick Jackson Turner’s famous thesis. The challenge of taming the wilderness, outsmarting the elements and staking a claim forged the spirit that can triumph in the face of adversity and take a moral stand in the process. Jackson was pretty concerned that in 1890 the [...]
continue readingMy smart phone could be making me dumb
September 12, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
They are called smart phones, the devices that don’t just make telephone calls, but also take pictures, send mail, play music and figure your taxes. A better name, however, may be stupid phones. I’m afraid that as technology gets smarter, we get duller. This disturbing trend became obvious with the popularity of GPS mapping devices. [...]
continue readingEveryone's a winner at a county fair
July 27, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
Among my proudest accomplishments rank a two-year reign as a Nodaway County Fair Champion. From 1981-82, I was the winner of the freckle contest. For clarification, I do believe the fair was known as the Nodaway County Expo in those early days. Hanging out at the fair last weekend, it was easy to forget that [...]
continue readingReflections: When you’re a redhead, you’re gonna get burned
July 9, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
Ignore my advice about everything else, but there are two things you really should take my word on: hemming pants and treating a sunburn. Looking at this little black-and-white picture of me, that might not make sense. But if you saw me in person, the wisdom of experience would be evident. I am five feet [...]
continue readingA Flood of Reflections from 1993
June 29, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
As we watch the rain fall and rivers rise this summer, most of us have one thought: Hope this year doesn’t turn into 1993. As I recall, the rains started falling around July 4 that year and just didn’t quit. It’s hard to believe it was 17 years ago, as fresh as many of those [...]
continue readingReflections: Farmers could fix that broken pipe
June 10, 2010 in: Reflections on the River
I can’t wait to hear the next bright idea from the folks at BP on how to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. That one was a real prize winner – throw mud at it. Seriously? The brightest minds in the business and that’s the best they can come up with. Meanwhile, [...]
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