As a child, when you woke up one morning, didn’t you suddenly know that it was the beginning of spring and the beginning of all the fun and games that come with that season? Out came the roller skates, the baseball glove and bat, the jump ropes, and all of the other paraphernalia that children associate with springtime. more

Hope you are anticipating the bursting of spring and the awakening of the plants in Warrensburg — greening grass, budding and flowering trees, blooming crocuses and daffodils. more

Wine will occur without the intervention of the hand of man. Mother Nature has endowed our world with yeast, an entity that consumes sugar and excretes alcohol. The proof is right before your eyes: the white “dust” that you see on fruit is yeast. more

Things are not the same as they were when I was growing up. I believe that every generation has said this from the beginning of time and that’s because of the one constant: change. more

A few weeks ago, my family and I made a long drive to Tennessee. For us, it was a routine trip. Our family is no stranger to long drives. Yet this time, it was different. Both my wife and I seemed unprepared for the trip. My two children, who normally do pretty well with their backseat entertainment, were tired and frustrated, and no matter how much caffeine I pumped into my body, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of exhaustion. Sadly, I don’t expect this to be a one-time thing. The older I get, the more I expect this to happen, not less. more

I have written many election-related columns as editor, but I tend to publish them just before Election Day. This year, I thought I’d offer my election reminders a little sooner. more

I recently wrote about the white wines for spring and how they reflect the coming of the warm weather seasons. While writing that, I believe that I more or less threw the red wines under the bus. In a host of accolades for the white and rosé wines and pronouncing them as the wines of summer, I totally neglected the important place the red wines play during the warmer seasons and in their most popular use as the accompaniment to outdoor grilling or as it is often called, barbecue. more

“God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” — 1 John 4:16 more

The summer after I graduated from college, I had no job and zero prospects. I opted not to return to my summer job as I had done every year since high school in case I found full-time employment. So when my boyfriend asked if I wanted to tag along to his family’s annual Fourth of July vacation, I quickly agreed. more

It’s Lent. Forty days of dedication to prayer, penance, almsgiving and fasting in the name of the Lord. Not fasting like medical fasting before a scan or surgery. Not trendy intermittent fasting for weight loss, either. This is fasting invented by those mean old religious people. They want you to eat less meat and just eat less in general, and they expect that to have some kind of an effect on your relationship with God. Ridiculous. more

For many years I have been recommending wines to readers for their enjoyment or for possible purchase as gifts. I have recommended wines for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, New Year's, and a myriad of other celebratory situations. more

Spring temperatures one day and icy rain the next are just typical for our part of the country. I don’t think we ever get used to the unpredictability of the weather here but we do learn to garden with caution. Our last frost date for the year is May 15 to be on the safe side as we have had 4-6 inch snows more than once on May 6. more

Well, Chiefs Kingdom, here we are again: somehow, heading to the Super Bowl has become familiar territory for our beloved football team. more

Just in case you hadn't noticed, the price of wine, like the price of everything else, is rising. Part of the reason is the costs added by taxation from federal, state and local governments, where alcoholic beverages have been a “cash cow” for a very long time more

The benefits of trees. I’ve talked about a few of the trees’ benefits in previous columns, such as how they can shade your house to save energy both in heating and cooling seasons and how they can provide habitat for numerous insects and bird species. However, in the last couple of months, I’ve learned new information about their value and the rules and regulations governing their planting and maintenance in Warrensburg. more

If you’ve studied Scripture, you’ve heard of King David. And, if you are like me, you probably think David is an anomaly: singer/songwriter, giant slayer, prophet, priest, king. David was a superhero. I can hear the echoes of the chants from the crowd shouting, “Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands (1 Sam 21:11).” more

Are you a wine snob? Do you extend a pinky while holding a wine glass or wiggle your nose when you sample the aroma? Do you twirl the glass before drinking, then purse your lips after sampling and make comments about the wine such as “It’s a fine wine but I believe they picked the grapes too early.” more

This is an open letter to Margie Vandeven, Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: more

Jan. 23-27 was designated as “National News Literacy Week.” It could not be more important or timely as we continue to be bombarded with misinformation, disinformation and downright lies in all corners of the public square. more

Looking out your front window at the snow, be assured, spring is coming. Looking at your heating bill you may not believe it but I can assure you, with absolute certainty and without any doubt, spring is coming and one of the first of the springtime celebrations is Saint Valentine's Day where we honor the ones we love. more