It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man who had lived next door when he was a kid. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country… Read more

There is a right way and a wrong way to display the flag.  The American flag should be held in the highest of regards. It represents our nation and the many people who gave their lives for our… Read more

The idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the flag is believed to have first originated in 1885 when a schoolteacher in Wisconsin named B.J. Cigrand arranged for the pupils observe June 14… Read more

Always choose life. Forgive everyone everything. What other people think of you is none of your business. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. However good or bad a situation is, it… Read more

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the… Read more

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. ~ Jimmy Dean New Year’s what?  Oh right! I forgot about that.  Most people are gung ho about… Read more

The local newspaper listed the number of countries that have women presidents.  What attributes got them the job?  There was a time when a woman needed courage, determination, and perseverance to… Read more

Every year, the famous ball drops the same way, with the same colors, in the same place, with the same people counting down until the calendar switches over, … or so it seems. But with the start of… Read more

My name is Gary Johnson, and I would like to share my story. 40 years ago, I served in Vietnam as an infantry pointman with the famous First Infantry Division. On December 20, 1969, I was wounded… Read more

Marcy peered through the truck’s wipers at the steady snowfall. Nice touch for Christmas Eve, she thought. Might not make the family gathering if the storm worsened. A mixed blessing. “I… Read more

Christmas is the year’s most beautiful holiday. It allows us to fill or homes with lovely decorations and our hearts with love for all humanity. It has often been written it would be a true… Read more

I’m all grown up now, but still need help somehow. I’m not a child, but my heart still can dream. So here’s my lifelong wish, my grown up Christmas list… When I was small, my “Santa”… Read more

I was in the Holyoke Mall in early November, making a long overdue item return, when I almost ran smack into a display of Christmas Tree Ornaments. My mind skipped right over the usual “ oh,… Read more

Recently, I read someplace that our planet Earth travels a thousand miles every hour. WOW! And we aren’t even aware that we are moving. This morning, I woke up early, sometime before five, as… Read more

I do not even know you …know anything about you at all.  I do not know your name; where you live; what activities keep you busy; what language you speak.  Nonetheless, I am thankful for your… Read more

Outside, the landscape, with its dark green pine trees, piles of windblown pine needles, and trees with only a few brown leaves remaining, has the look and feel of the late Fall. Thoughts of… Read more

There is instant soup, pudding, and coffee, just to name a few ‘instant’ consumables. They require considerably less effort than their non-instant counterparts. They seemed magical when they… Read more

For some, the phrase “nursing home” brings up negative responses. When my mother needed a nursing home, I opted for the positive. She did too. Mom was born in Connecticut, raised in Italy,… Read more

Many people don’t know when to quit. Look at the many sports figures who, because of the money and notoriety, have stayed beyond their primes. With no term limits for politicians, many old… Read more

I stood atop the grassy hill and glimpsed a stooped figure camouflaged by the bursts of color dancing around her.  Shading my eyes, I squinted against the glare of the mid-morning sun.  Her… Read more