Something beautiful

My Echinacea plants (coneflowers) bloomed beautifully this year, attracting lots of butterflies.  Now they are drying up and becoming very ugly.  The flowers turn brown after losing their petals but rapidly change to an unattractive black.   I can see the...

August is just peach-y!

August is just peach-y!   There are days when I sit down at my computer to write my column, and my mind goes blank.  It is one of those days.  I looked at my list of monthly celebrations, but August doesn’t have very many.  National Water Quality Month?  Not...

What to do with all of those…

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)...

Teaching an old dog new tricks

My parents took me to church soon after I was born and I have attended worship services almost every Sunday since.  During those sixty-plus years, I have developed a deep appreciation for the hymns that have played such a vital role in church life.    Many...

How to use all that squash

This is the time of year when gardens are usually in their prime.  Often, the most prolific plants are yellow summer squash and zucchini.  I have each of them in my garden, but this year’s crop hasn’t done very well.  They have been overrun with gray bugs that are...