Columns – Page 45

Columns

Basura: Gyotaku Japanese artistry after catching fish

February 3, 2022

"So soon we get old. So late we get smart." — Anonymous The word gyotaku is Japanese, and means, literally, fish print. In the mid-1800s, Japanese fishermen came up with the process to document prize catches. A brag-worthy fish would be laid on one side, the top was inked, and...

Columns

Army Bob: What we’ve had here is failure of leadership

February 3, 2022

by Robert M. Traxler It is time for leadership on the public health front; it is always better to lead people than to dictate to or order folks. An old saying in our military is, “I would follow them to the gates of hell.” Most veterans have served with a...

We partied at home during infamous Polar Vortex of ’19

February 1, 2022

by Denise Dykstra With a winter storm forecast to arrive this week, I did some serious meal prep work to hopefully not have to go out before the storm when everyone buys milk and bread or during the storm when I would prefer to be snowed in, thank you very...

Yes It’s True: Stafford ends my boycott of Super Bowl

January 31, 2022

Like many other football fans in Michigan, I was thrilled and pleased with the news that Matthew Stafford’s quest to play in the Super Bowl is finally being met two Sundays hence. I suppose it felt a lot like, “If the Lions can’t go to the big dance, it’s good...

Ramblin’ Road: Our lifestyle seems cheap, but contented

January 31, 2022

by Phyllis McCrossin It’s going to be another quiet week. Phyllis McCrossin The boys are with their father and King is laid up with a mild case of shingles. I had my two-dose singles vaccine before we left Michigan this past fall. While King is not opposed to vaccines, a...

Pumpkin pie provides a blast from days gone by

January 30, 2022

Pumpkin Pie by Kathy Hamman Miller This pie crust recipe was shared with me more than 40 years ago and right away I found it to be very easy to make, along with being very forgiving to work with, so it quickly became a favorite. Another idea to try with...

Yes It’s True: A cautionary tale offered to school board

January 28, 2022

“I lit my purest candle close to myWindow, hoping it would catch the eyeOf any vagabond who passed it by,And I waited in my fleeting house… "Tell me stories," I called to the Hobo;"Stories of cold," I smiled at the Hobo;"Stories of old," I knelt to the Hobo;And he stood...

My adventures in and falling in love with knitting

January 25, 2022

"You could knit a sweater by the fireside... Sunday mornings go for a ride." — The Beatles, "When I'm Sixty-Four." by Denise Dykstra I began knitting by accident. My friend Naomi knitted. She can uncannily be having a conversation with you, looking you fully in your eyes, and her fingers...

Columns

Army Bob: Russia will indeed invade Ukraine

January 24, 2022

by Robert M. Traxler Will the Russians invade Ukraine? In my opinion, yes. Perhaps not a full-frontal assault unless necessary, but using the 160,000 troops (ground, sea and air) that they have on the border to intimidate Ukraine and the western nations, the Russians will “support” paramilitary units in Ukraine. The...

Ramblin’ Road: Coyote and Camp Jennings memorable

January 24, 2022

It’s Sunday afternoon and King and I are alone in the trailer after a weekend of camping with our grandsons. They’ve been gone about 15 minutes. The silence is deafening. Petra seems to be looking for them, but I’m not certain if it’s a “where are those little boys” look,...

Category: Columns