I’m back and have a new family member

For many, many weeks I’ve been absent from my own blog, mostly due to family issues and school. But now I’m ready to blog again. I will begin with a story. A few weeks ago, in October, our cat, Ralph, passed away. His demise was planned, as he had a serious case of heartworm and [...]

Weaving Webs of Wonder

This morning I noticed the yard was full of spider webs, literally. I’ve never seen anything like it. Spider webs all over the grass and many of them in the trees. It looked like a bunch of witches and goblins live here!
A little research provided some help on why these appeared. First of all, they [...]

Fanny Flagg’s Caramel Cake Recipe – Elixir for Life?

Last week while Larry was recovering in the hospital from a heart attack (he had angioplasty and is, thankfully, fine) I went to Sam’s and bought him a book and me a book. His book is one of those men’s books that I find rather boring. My book was Fannie Flagg’s Can’t Wait to Get [...]

What a lovely, pink sunset!

Today at dusk, nature gave me a wonderful gift – this beautiful pink sunset – my favorite color of pink , too. It rained a lot today – more than an inch here, and we needed it very badly. But tonight our ponds are full, the frogs are singing harmony with the cicadas, and all [...]

How did I ever live without my iPod Touch®?

OK, this is not a commercial, but I feel it necessary to say this: I honestly do not know how I ever managed my life before the iPod Touch®. Probably others with iPhones®, Blackberrys®, Palm Pilots® and similar PDAs can relate, but having that much technology in your hand is amazing. One thing I wish [...]

Raccoons in the garden

For several days we have been dealing with an infestation of raccoons. The pests have torn down a great deal of our corn, grabbing the unripe ears and eating them partially, throwing the rest to the ground. We have one very useless dog who has mostly stood by and watched. Last night we finally caught [...]

How the garden is growing

Today I went out to the garden to see how it is going. First, let me explain that growing the garden is Larry’s job. I am only a spectator at this point, even though I did help with the planting. My part won’t kick in until it comes time to harvest the produce and can [...]

Missouri’s Third Rail: Why The Hancock Amendment Should Be Repealed

By Brenda J. Kilby
May, 2009
How the Hancock Amendment Became Law
The 1970s was a period of massive inflation in the United States, when the price of groceries, durable goods and gasoline skyrocketed. Wages went up too, but not as fast as property values and the tax bill. Property values in Missouri and other states that were [...]

Missouri waits for stimulus funds and they’re already fighting over it.

When I say “they’re,” I’m referring to the bunch in Jefferson City who are supposed to look out for the people’s interests. Instead, what I’m seeing is that they are looking out for two things:
1. Their re-election efforts
2. Big business’ interests
Where did the people go? Don’t ask me. Ask Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, Mo. Sen. Gary [...]

Death Penalty, Drug Offenders, Three-Strikers: Sour Economy Causing Policy Change

Prison is expensive to taxpayers. Facing budget shortfalls, several states are considering changing policies to abolish the death penalty, release non-violent inmates, and change laws that require jail time for certain offenders. 
California didn’t have to wait for lawmakers to act. A federal court ordered the state to release fifty-eight non-violent inmates in February, due to [...]