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Wetting A Line Never Gets Old

There are certain retail excursions that I usually find taxing when accompanying my spouse. You ladies know what I am talking about. A simple trip to Lowes, Harbor Freight, Menard’s or Cabela’s is never a quick outing. But I have learned to prepare for such shopping events by seeking out areas of each store that interests me. I just can’t get excited picking out two by fours, but show me to the collection of hanging rugs, and I’m in. Or while he is looking over electrical gadgets I will meander into the bird feeder aisle where I am intrigued by all the ways you can attract ...

What Went Up Is Coming Down

The fickle month of April is winding down, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s frustrating to not know when to truly unpack the shorts and sandals. One day it’s 80 degrees and next you’re scrambling to find your heavy parka again. The shoe rack inside my kitchen door contains colorful flip flops, lined snow boots, lightweight Skechers and rain boots. It pays to be prepared, but this is ridiculous. Spring is usually the time we talk about what we will plant this year for the deer and other wildlife to enjoy. I cleaned the hummingbird feeders and cooked up some nectar for the tiny ...

Through His Eyes

I had an eye-opening conversation with a young man the other day. He enjoys history and keeps up with wide-eyed curiosity about the news events of today’s world. He has a fascination with military operations and battleships in particular. He recently toured the exhibits at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii with his family and absorbed many facts about World War II. He paid attention to details about the mighty ships that were utilized in that great war. I listened intently as he showed me a tiny replica battleship that he acquired during his trip to Pearl Harbor. He explained how the United ...

Sweet Memories This Weekend

Walking through a local department store the other day, I heard the laughter of children coming from beneath a rack of clothing. As I approached, I then noticed two pairs of feet jutting out from under the clothes. Two young siblings were enjoying a bit of hide and seek from their anxious mother who was shopping nearby. The antics of these little darlings reminded me of my own younger days when our mother would take us to the Robert Hall store in Elm Grove. Mom would try her best to outfit us in some Easter finery complete with little white gloves and fancy hats for the girls and ...

The Ladies of the Building

Not so long ago, it was my daily routine to step out the side door of the newspaper office and make the walk up the alley to Wheeling’s City-County Building. As the city beat reporter in those days, I would visit the various floors of that center of city business on Chapline Street. Each floor of the building held the offices that kept the city humming. From the water department to the city manager’s office, from the city clerk’s cubicle to the courtrooms, there were stories to be had. But it took some doing to garner the trust of the folks who worked in those offices. I ...

How Sweet It Was

I found myself standing and staring in the cereal aisle at a local Walmart recently. A look at the wide expanse of cereal selections was a bit overwhelming. There before me was an entire aisle filled with colorfully-packaged breakfast cereals. I recognized many of them from my childhood, especially those packaged in the large bags rather than in boxes. The bagged cereals were often less expensive knockoffs of the Kellogg’s or General Mills brands. They were an obvious choice for my wise shopper of a mother who was always looking for a bargain at the grocery store. Childhood ...