Wow! It’s hard to believe how little rain we’ve received this spring. For me, it has required watering and mulching our garden plants long before I normally do those tasks, which is sometime toward the end of June or even into July. I’ve delayed some planting because I don’t want to use all the water the plants would require. more

It has rained one measly tenth of an inch this month at my house. more

Though my mother was brilliant, she often did things that defied logic – and logic wasn’t her strong suit. Her lack of linear thought often made her laugh at herself when she saw that what she had done was ridiculously funny. And she often told on herself, laughing the whole time. more

We all know stories about the Prohibition period in the United States. It was a time when any and all alcoholic beverages were prohibited by the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States from being made or transported in this country. more

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:19 more

Mia Culpa, mia culpa, I hereby confess to a sin so egregious that it may have my credentials as a reputable wine connoisseur and critic revoked: I had a red wine, a La Crema Pinot Noir, with chicken and the worst of all, I liked it. more

This time of year in Missouri, gardens are a non-stop show. The show begins with hellebores and daffodils and is joined by tulips, hyacinths, native verbena and phlox, and all the blooms of fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs. The show continues throughout April and May, with one flower quickly replaced by another. This quick succession of flowers is a feast for the eyes, but each variety only seems to last a couple of weeks at most. more

Editor's note: This week has been another busy one both at work and at home. With the spring season here, I thought this column from almost exactly one year ago would be a good substitute. While I think my green thumb saw some improvements last year, I definitely still have a long way to go before I reach grandma's gardening status. I'll be giving it another go next month, so we'll see how long my plants last this time around. more

Recently, my father’s neighbor accused him of throwing leaves into her driveway. Although he assured her that he did not, she insisted he was lying and demanded he apologize. My dad, not being a liar, told her, “I am not going to apologize for something I did not do.” more

“If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money.” – Author Unknown more

WROCLAW, Poland – It is unreal to me to be in Poland these last two weeks (April 3-15) helping at a Ukrainian refugee help point. And as Sedalia Democrat readers first saw this column on Saturday, April 15, I was flying back to America – a bittersweet thought. more

Pink is the favored color for Mother's Day, and I would like to suggest some of the pink rosé wines that I am sure will please mom. more

“Easter! Why would you use that term?! I’ve never read THAT in the Bible,” the stranger said as she felt compelled to comment on my social media advert for our upcoming Sunday service. Yes, I know the holiday has passed, but bear with me. There’s a broader point here. more

WROCLAW, Poland — On April 3, I left for Wroclaw, Poland, on a humanitarian trip with my friend Kathleen Boswell. We planned to spend time at a help point for Ukrainian Refugees in Wroclaw. But, before arriving, it took us 25 hours to get through airports and layovers and five hours traveling by train to reach our destination. more

Recently, I began a quest for affordable wines that are not only good but worth well above their selling price. more

I hope all of you gardeners have been able to get some seeds in the ground recently. I’ve planted most all the cold-weather vegetables that I will put in this year, but the weather is still too uncertain for me to plant warm-weather varieties. Our weather pattern is still bouncing up and down with not much “typical” weather, which is the 60s, for this time of year. more

I’ve mentioned it many times in my columns: people need other people, and connecting with others is so important. A few Sedalia women seem to agree with those thoughts and have created a group focused on connection, intention and mindfulness – with some fun and activities involved too. more

Dear Editor: more

Don’t you just love statistics? Today, we are bombarded with statistics of all kinds and types to prove some point or other. more

As he was dying at the young age of 45 on April 4, 1774, the sharp-witted English writer Oliver Goldsmith was asked if his mind was “at ease,” to which he replied, “No, it is not.” Unease often accompanies people when dying, but it also does while living too because of unforeseen circumstances and puzzlement about how to respond. Many might dream of a life of ease, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be! more