Whistling a new tune

I’m walking through the store the other day with Charlie and all the sudden I hear a whistling sound.I look to my right, nothing. I look to my left, still nothing.I shrug it off thinking I am getting a little over-stressed heading into the holiday season. I continue with my shopping.

Smells like Thanksgiving

Smells have a way of bringing back different memories and emotions. They can unlock something in your brain — things long lost and forgotten.Thanksgiving brings many of those smells back for me.Growing up, my family would pile into the family van as soon as we got out of school on Wednesday.

Don’t wait for Thanksgiving to be thankful

What are you thankful for?Next week we will gather around the table and enjoy a feast. It is the one day of the year that it is easy to express thankfulness.But why wait? Thanksgiving comes and goes, but we have plenty to be thankful for every day. Why only give thanks on a holiday?

Don’t forget to Shop Local this holiday season

Shopping for the perfect gift is hard work. Technology has made it easier, but before you go and do all your Christmas shopping with a few clicks of a mouse, don’t forget to visit your local stores.I know what you are thinking:“But Rick.

Can we move on from our political battles?

Well, we made it.Election Day has come and gone. Maybe we can all move on now.Probably not. As we wake up today, all the votes that are going to be cast have been cast. The polls are closed, and the counting has begun.And now we wait. Don’t get me wrong.

Timmy is stuck with a life without superpowers

I was not ready for this conversation with my son.I was getting Timmy out of his car seat last week when he stopped me in my tracks. He grabbed my face with his two little hands and said something I was not expecting.“Dad, I don’t have any super powers.”He was dead serious.

Can we still find common ground?

Lately, I have been watching videos online where the producers bring two groups with opposing views together and they discuss various topics to see where the two sides can find common ground.Sometimes the two sides are Republicans and Democrats. Other times it is Christians and Atheists.

Social media jail . . . Verizon outage . . . a new month

I woke up Monday in social media jail.Apparently, I did something to warrant my X (formerly Twitter) account being suspended. The email I received in the wee hours of the morning told me that I violated the X Rules, specifically violated the rules against evading suspension.

A soft sound broke the silence at the softball field

It was the thing you read about, but don’t expect to see live.Saturday morning, I hopped in the car and headed over to Columbus to watch a little high school softball. Twin River was starting their day early, facing off with Boone Central in the morning matchup.

A messy desk must mean something

It’s a weekly battle that I keep losing.My desk is a mess.I try to clean it up every Wednesday after we get the newspaper out, but I swear by Thursday morning my notes and papers and pens are all scattered about again.