If you’re not feeling delightful this December -- often called “the most wonderful time of the year” – you’re not alone. It’s been a hard year for millions of people in many ways. You’re not required to fall in line with the holly jolly hustle of the season. more

I think I know every verse of every Christmas carol ever written. The day after Thanksgiving, mother started playing the Mario Lanza Christmas album over and over on our Philco cabinet stereo, and he sang all the verses of each song. more

The Christmas and New Year's festivities are approaching and we are all looking forward to it, however for some, with a bit of apprehension.  more

A treasured book I pull off my shelf every December is The Good Shepherd, by the celebrated Icelandic writer Gunnar Gunnarsson (1889-1975). more

I really do love words. For me, they've always been like magic. As a shy kid, I felt so fenced in by fear of nearly everything, but putting words on paper set me free. No pressure, no time limits, no judgment. more

I was once asked, “if I were on a spaceship to Mars, what wine would I take?" Without any hesitation I answered Chianti. more

With the latest freeze most everything is dormant in the garden with the exception of evergreens. What can gardeners do in the winter? There are plenty of gardening tasks that can be completed or continued over the winter months. more

In the whirlwind of life’s busyness — whether the hectic holiday season or the endless cycle of work, school, and responsibilities — we can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and forget to appreciate our present circumstances. more

I'm good at some things — like making a paper projectile out of a straw's wrapper, swatting a fly with one targeted strike, and quoting lines from reruns of sitcoms. Thanks to excellent teachers, I also have a few academic skills, like knowing when to use "who" or "whom" in any given sentence and where apostrophes should and shouldn't be. more

By the time you read this, Hue the Cat will have had a rude awakening. Hordes of people will have descended on the house, disrupting her calm and predictable life. She will have had to hide from tiny people, all of whom will want to touch her silky, black coat, and (horror of horrors) will want to pick her up, holding her close to their hot little bodies. more

The foods and the order of food served at a Thanksgiving dinner or a Christmas dinner has been rewritten in stone and are almost as religiously observed. more

For years, I said the thing all busy parents say when we’re wading through the drama of raising humans – the feeding and cleaning, the last-minute science projects, and the after-school activities that swallow up evenings and whole weekends. On days when I felt outnumbered by kids, errands and messes, I’d mentally reassure myself with this one hopeful phrase: “When the kids are in college, I’ll have time to take care of myself.” more

There are people in each of our lives who make an earth-shaking change in paths that we will follow. more

On our property stands a bur oak tree with a trunk measuring over sixteen feet in circumference, allowing an estimated age of more than 300 years. more

There is no peace with the wicked. more

Let's be very honest, planning to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner can be, to say the best for it, daunting. more

The cookbooks are out. The tried and true recipes are marked – and even a couple of new ones. more

Dear Editor,  more

Along with the colder weather comes a flood of red wines. more

When someone says “Missouri,” the first images that come to mind are often things like the Gateway Arch, acres and acres of farms, and the Lake of the Ozarks. However, we’re also home to President Harry Truman, Mark Twain — and the world’s only B-2 Spirit stealth bomber unit and the future home of the B-21 Raider bomber. more