Columns

After Mother Nature briefly flirted with Spring temperatures last weekend, with temperatures in the 50s for a couple of days and in the 40s at the start of the week, the snow is now all gone and the thermometer is…

By Scott SullivanEditorMaking WayFor Christmas my head exploded. An abscess between my left eye and brain threatened both and hurt like hell till they gave me morphine. Then I could even endure Ohio State winning in football as much as…

Maybe DOGE has a good thing going. DOGE, the acronym for Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has been charged with eliminating waste and inefficiency at the federal government level.I have been a…

‘Twas a week before Christmas and all the preparations were done. Well, almost.The Nativity creche Pat received as a child is in place on the fireplace mantle. It is always the first decoration to go up and the last to…

by Jim Whitehouse “Everyone is good at something,” says Lyle Pratt as we finish lunch at the cafe. “Except me—I’m good at everything.” “Right,” I say. “Except for all the stuff you mess up.” “Mm-hmm,” says Lyle. “Name one.” “Wallpapering,”…

This is week three of miscellaneous stuff from my files of “stuff”. There should be only one more week of this drivel. Hopefully, I will be back on my feet by the first of the year. I thank you for…

It’s time for my annual list of resolutions for the coming year.I am really good at making lists and resolutions.I make lists for just about everything. It used to be because I like doing it. These days it’s because I…

I’m frustrated! Many times, I have heard pastors talking about how great the Christian life is, the importance of living a moral life, the importance of giving and committing one’s life to Jesus and the Church. They and others share…

By Scott SullivanEditorBurnt by Unlearnt“We learn from history that we don’t learn from history,” German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel wrote in 1837. Less than a century later Adolf Hitler was führer there.We learned the same nothing here last year…

Don’t tell me people are inherently stingy and rude. Because what I witnessed this holiday season was just the opposite. As many of you know we had our Christmas Wish Fund in December, like we have done for many years…

‘Twas a week before Christmas and all the preparations were done. Well, almost.The Nativity creche Pat received as a child is in place on the fireplace mantle. It is always the first decoration to go up and the last to…

by Jim Whitehouse Usually, my beloved wife Marsha and I go to a tree farm and cut a fresh Christmas tree in the hopes that the inside of our car and house will remain needle free. This year, we had…

If you haven’t already heard, as of this date, I still have not had my by-pass surgery. It seems that the people at Priority Health have not communicated with each other and as a result, have not approved my surgery.…

There is a story about St. Francis of Assisi that after his conversion God asked him to build his church. Of course, he said yes, and he gathered stones and began to build the walls. It was hard work! Then…

Christmas has to be the most hectic, wonderful time of the whole year.With the big day only five days away now, I’m finally, nearly, or almost ready…or something.Gifts have been wrapped, packed and mailed to the California and North Carolina…

By Scott SullivanEditorChristmas BirdsCivilized wildlife abounds in these parts, especially with Christmas coming. Hence a Tri-Community Wildlife Committee was born to save us from their/our excesses.The Australian outback saw a similar fate after World War I “soldier settlers” were incentivized…

People say times are tough, and if you sat down next to me while we were reading about all the horrible situations families had endured this past year, you could do nothing but agree.Our annual Christmas Wish Program was conducted…

I thought my father was a bubble or two off center because he was obsessed about never being late. He believed the only way to be on time was to arrive somewhere 10 minutes early. The bank opens at 9 a.m.,…

I was supposed to have Heart By-Pass surgery on December 4, but due to insurance complications, my surgery has been postponed until the issue can be resolved. Please enjoy the prepared columns for the rest of the year. I want…

It has been said that Catholics learn wrote prayers while non-Catholics learn the Bible. Let’s take a look at that and see if we don’t do both. The Rosary is a wonderful meditative prayer that is based on the Bible.…