Here we are in February, which happens to be National Canned Food Month. Lots of different edible items are available in cans, and those of us who have gardens often save our produce by canning it in jars. In this case, “can” refers to a container. The word “can” also has another definition. When used as a verb, it means “to be able to.” An example, “I can do this!” Last week, I wrote about a dilemma I was facing. …..
Someone forgot to tell the weatherman that November is an autumn month. The forecast for the next several days sounds more like winter. By the time this column comes out in the newspaper, we will know if we have descended to the predicted lows, which could be record-breaking. All I have to say is “Brrrrrrr!” Since last week’s weather forecast kept mentioning the cold front headed our direction, I decided that this would be an excellent time to get out…..
When I read a recent newspaper information story, it triggered a whole flood of memories. It seems that beginning in June, our publication will be delivered by mail instead of carrier. Times have sure changed. A whole lot of years ago when a friend and I shared a newspaper route, we were not allowed to place the papers in a mailbox. Delivering daily newspapers was a way to earn money for my friend Connie and me. We actually “inherited” our…..
Thanksgiving is the holiday occurring between Halloween and Christmas. Although there is much more emphasis on the latter-mentioned celebrations, it is important to remember to be thankful for what we have. Gratitude is often forgotten in today’s “it’s all about me” and “I deserve …” society. The Sunday School class I teach recently started a journey through the book Lord, Change My Attitude Before It’s Too Late, by author James MacDonald. The chapters are in pairs, with one discussing a…..
Here are some things you probably already know: There are twelve eggs in a dozen. There are twelve months in a year. There are twelve inches in a foot. Now for something you may not realize: Once these words are in print and I cut them out of the newspaper and place them with the rest of my collection, I will have completed my twelfth notebook of “Cooks’ Corner” columns. Twelve years seems like a long time, and it seems…..
As I thought about what to write this week, I kept remembering words I penned some years ago. They started out as a devotional and later ended up in “Cooks’ Corner” in July of 2009. I don’t make it a practice to repeat the story part of this column; however, I am going to make an exception this week because I felt that what I said then bears repeating today. “July Fourth is known as Independence Day in the United…..
Cinco de Mayo is on Saturday of this week. I searched for some Mexican-style recipes that I had not tried before, and my kitchen has seen quite a bit of activity the past few days. While I prepared the different dishes, I couldn’t help but remember something that happened in my college Spanish class. I took two years of Spanish in high school, doing fairly well in them, so I enrolled in a class for students who had some knowledge…..
I am continually fascinated by the things my Heavenly Father uses to gain my attention, causing me to focus on Him. Now that the daylight hours are getting shorter, I greet each new morning while it is still dark outside. That means I can enjoy the sunrise on days I pay attention to what is happening in the sky. Sometimes it appears with little fanfare; other days yield a glorious display of color. Then there are days I refer to…..
I realized last year that all three of my children had a child in the same grade of school. This year, Vivian, Lincoln, and Liam will be in first grade. Liam loves to learn and is very curious about how things work. Recently, he was riding with his dad (my son Adam) when they spotted a little bitty car on the road. “When I get big enough to drive I can’t have one of those,” Liam declared. “It’s not big…..
Thinking of the upcoming Independence Day holiday has me feeling rather nostalgic. For many years, the fourth day of July meant attending my Dad’s family reunion. It was held around noon, so it never interfered with fireworks displays later in the evening. Our gathering was usually held at a park, but occasionally one of our family members would host it at their home. It was my grandmother’s family and was known as the Coleman/Weisgarber Reunion. It is funny what one…..