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Columns

  • Just about reached the end of my pencil

    In March of 1984 Iran accused Iraq of using chemical weapons. I remember thinking, "Who cares?" The only reason I’d ever heard of either place was because back in junior high Miss Velna Gray Paschall made us learn the major food crops of every nation in the world (rye, barley, oats, wheat and corn for both, in case you are interested). That same year, “Terms of Endearment” won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Again, I didn’t care. I was pulling for, “The Return of Billy Jack.” The Macintosh computer was introduced in 1984.

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  • There's nothing wrong with it; we're just making it better

    As I was leaving the paper one evening recently, I met up with a delightful older woman who, after retrieving a paper from our box out front, asked, “What’s wrong with this paper?”

    She was referring to the size of the paper. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably noticed the size of the paper has narrowed a bit. I have written about that before. It’s because, as I explained to my new friend that evening, we’ve changed printers. The move has helped us keep costs low for us and for our readership.

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  • We beat 'em and got bottled water in return

    The North Koreans have fired (OK, semi-fired) off a ballistic missile. Iran is bragging loudly to anyone who will listen of their growing nuclear program. Every day it seems some wannabe world power is on the brink of attacking or at least posturing to do harm to anyone it feels led to point a finger at. It can be a little unnerving.

    Someone commented around the water cooler this week that it would be nice to live in the “idyllic 1950s where no such threats and innuendos existed and everyone lived in peace and harmo—”

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  • Come out and support the rally; you just might learn something

    When you have the facts on any subject, you are better armed on how to handle any situation.

    On Saturday, from noon to 5 p.m. the Refuge House will host an event to bring attention to sexual assault in the community. While the event will be sprinkled with entertainment, refreshments, games and giveaways, the message is a serious one. Information will be available to victims of sexual assault. It could also be useful to families, friends, spouses or partners of a victim of sexual assault in helping with the recovery process.

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  • There's always the 'armpit of doom'

    How quickly children learn.

    I recently received an e-mail from my brother telling me something my niece had done, a la “Gigi” – Gigi is what she calls me.

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  • Maturity is where it's at

    I know by the calendar and the number of birthdays I have celebrated that I'm becoming a mature woman. It's no surprise and I'm not complaining. I love where I am right now.

    I can travel and enjoy the scenery, the sights and the food to my heart’s content. By the end of the day, I'm not so tired that all I can do is collapse and fall in bed. I know what I like and don't like because I've already tried it.

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  • Making a statement with a puff of smoke

    I don’t smoke because of baseball.

    I sure wanted to smoke. I thought those guys in the movies were cool the way they thumped that cigarette away as they made a definite statement about life, love or horses, or all three! If an actor was really peeved, he’d grind that butt into the ground as he exited, stage right. And who could forget Jeff Chandler’s command as he gave his men a brief respite in their trek across the Philippines in “Merrill’s Marauders”: “OK, men, take five. Smoke 'em if you got 'em!”

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  • Get to know the place you call home

    You can live in a place all your life and never really know all there is to know about it. I found that out when I lived in Oregon. I told a friend of mine that I’d traveled all over the Northwest, visiting everything from coast to wetland to mountains, but I’d not done nearly as much traveling in my home state of Georgia.

    I was thinking of this recently, and decided to track down some little known facts about my current home state of Florida. Enjoy!

    • No part of Florida should take more than an hour and a half drive to reach the ocean.

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  • Stirring the pot won't solve anything

    In 1996, Quincy was named an All-American City by the Allstate Foundation. The competition singles out cities that have been successful in identifying at least three problems facing the communities, which residents are working together to solve.

    It seems as if no one wants to work together anymore to solve anything. The attitude seems to be that if things don't go my way I will do everything and anything in my power to be as destructive as possible. That is a shame.

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  • When it comes to hair, a little dab'll do ya

    The beautiful young lady that cuts my hair doesn’t listen to me. If I tell her not to take too much off the top, she clips and snips until it suits her. If I say leave my sideburns, I’m not into the quasi-modern shave ’em up past the top of your ears thing, she trims to her heart’s delight. When I remind her to thin out that thick, curly part that runs down the back of my neck, she just barely glazes it.

    It’s deja vu all over again.

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