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Making a Lasting Mark

My dad had some funny sayings. At least he thought they were funny. Some of them had me scratching my head. However one particular witticism went like this: “Be careful looking up your family tree, you might be hit with a coconut.” Now you can ascertain whatever you want from that remark. He just thought it was something funny with little thought to our actual heritage. He certainly didn’t agree that we all came from apes. I thought about that old saying this past week when I read in this newspaper that the Wheeling Area Genealogical Society (WAGS) had recently voted to ...

Time To Clam Up And Listen

I don’t know whether to be happy or sad after watching some of the Academy Awards show last week. I really just tuned in to see what outrageous outfits would appear on the red carpet. I find it intriguing what Hollywood’s elite considers high fashion in both women’s and men’s formal wear. That’s pretty much the extent of any pleasure in watching such “awards” shows. To be fair, I preface my thoughts on the fact that I did not see any of the movies that were up for awards. I’m not sure what kept me from the movie theater over the past year. Perhaps it was reading ...

Going, Going, Gone

Last Sunday was a beautiful day with warm temps and a mix of sunshine. It was also a perfect day for a Sunday drive. Now lately I have not enjoyed driving so much since there are road issues and, well, driver issues that can make being behind the wheel a real challenge. But on this particular day, my husband took the wheel and off we went into the hills of Brooke County. Our destination was an old country house where an online auction would be taking place the next day. The house and its aged, but interesting contents were available for previewing prior to the online auction. As a kid, ...

February, a Stepping Stone to Spring

It’s no secret that our winters in the Ohio Valley have been quite fickle the past few years. Unlike the days of our childhoods, there have been fewer snowstorms to coat our landscape. There is a mixed consensus over the desire or lack of desire for snow. I get it that skiers and snowboarders are bemoaning the barren hillsides. Others, however, are thanking their lucky stars that we missed the latest depths of snow to hit the Northeast last week. The older I get, the more I appreciate not having to deal with snowy road conditions, frozen windshields and heating up the car just to ...

Finding Our Way

It’s no secret the state of Wheeling’s downtown and what is left of its streets. I say that because at a glance it’s hard to tell where the streets start and the large holes end. Now before you tell me how great it’s going to look in another year or so, that doesn’t ease the discomfort now of trying to navigate downtown Wheeling. Social media posts tell of frayed nerves and frustration of the businesses that have managed to keep their doors open during the road work. It’s not easy to find parking near your destination yet the shows must go on. Then there is the issue of ...

What’s With The Birds?

It started with a growing flock of crows. They began amassing in the trees behind our house. Hundreds of crows flew onto the trees before briefly landing on our roof. It was only for a brief moment as my angry spouse went out and frightened them off. That only discouraged their roosting on the roof as they then gathered in the wide expanse of empty fields in front of our place. Their dark feathers against the dried out grass looked like someone dropped lumps of coal throughout the pasture. Later they moved on to a neighbor’s property and then they were gone. I’m not sure ...