It was complicated. Three hundred pieces cut in the oddest shapes I’d ever seen for a puzzle. Some I swore were edge pieces and for a while was frustrated that they weren’t fitting into the frame with the other edge…
We the people of the United States of America celebrate our independence this month. As we pull out the red, white and blue, make much noise and overindulge in festive delectables, let us not waste the day waiting for the…
Mom drifted off to sleep long before bedtime most weeknights. As a child I remember how she got up early every day, dressed up real nice and went to work. My brother and I got home before she did, and…
I was looking through some of my past articles for Easter and thought I’d share it with you again. It’s a good reminder during the time of year when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:…
I guess there was a time when I would have wanted to celebrate my birthday for 31 days or longer, but now, I’ll just take the 30th thank you very much. It’s strange how the years have changed my feelings toward…
Most of us only understand love at a surface level—a warm feeling, a bouquet of flowers, a compliment, a listening ear. Elusive and mysterious, love is so much more. Sadly, it often goes unnoticed when it shows up. One story,…
Enemy forces occupied their country. Without notice, raids infiltrated their towns and their children’s blood ran in the streets. Spies mingled among them as they shopped. Life was not safe when they made their way home. The road was rocky,…
It rained all afternoon. It was Saturday, September 28, 2013, and I was dining with friends at Sazani’s in Peoria, a river-side Italian restaurant on Route 29. A few miles down that same road, another friend of mine, Julie Peters,…
When I was a child, the nightly news seemed like a foreign movie. It seemed that everything bad and evil happened on the other side of the planet, far from our suburban home. When we went to church and heard…
Oh say, can you see? I am still waving at you. Raised to represent the freedom for which you live, I boast of your unity as I fly proudly over your Capital, your courthouses, schools and homes. I bring hope…
