I need to start this column with an apology. I didn’t write my usual Tuesday missive last week. I can count on my fingers of one hand the weeks I’ve skipped this assignment in two decades at The Daily Reporter. I was presented with a far larger, and far more important writing task on Saturday, Sept. 7, when my beloved mother, Carol Johnson, passed away suddenly and without warning, at her home in Northwood, Iowa...

I'm making my list and checking it twice. No, it's not a Christmas wish list, it's my countdown of "must-see," "must-do" and "must eat" essentials for the 2019 edition of the Clay County Fair. I always forget how fast nine days goes by when you're having fun, and the gates close before I've made my way around the grounds to all the different places I want to ensure I get to each year...

Evenings have a chill that wasn’t there a month ago. The Clay County Fair is finishing up final touches for our nine days of fun. And teachers are back in the classroom in front of students. I hope you noticed that I said “teachers are back in the classroom,” and not “teachers are back at work.”...

2019 will go down in my personal history as a uniquely exciting year. Come October, I will become a mother-in-law. While I've felt like a second mother to my son's lovely bride-to-be for a long time, we will celebrate that status becoming official with the wedding ceremony. I'm a mom of a single child. This is my one shot at this...

Like the last spoonful of homemade ice cream, the last scene in a spellbinding movie, and the last page in an enthralling book, the last days of summer just cry out to be savored. There’s a bittersweet scent to the air as families begin the transition from lazy summer to the five-day structure of school time...

More thoughts and prayers. More flags at half-staff. More words with no action. In a span of less than 24 hours, America once again was visited by the horror of not one, but two mass shootings. At least 31 people died in attacks in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. ...

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller --- As we prepare to flip the calendar from July to August, the end of summer looms like a deep abyss — dark and cold and filled with icy winds and endless obligations...

Summer is the time for beach days and balmy nights; of picnics with family and time at the park. It's not a time to be laid out on the couch for a week, felled by illness. And yet, last week that's where I was, as ill as I've ever felt, laid low by a nasty sinus infection that rendered me weak as a kitten and as fuzzy-headed as a stuffed animal...

I like to say I'm smart enough to know what I don't know. That list of things I don't know is discouragingly long, but I do know quality when I see it. I know when I'm seeing something being done at the very highest level possible. That's why, on Sunday, as I joined millions of people around the world watching the soccer Women's World Cup Finals, I knew the United States women's team I was watching was truly the best of the best...

Temperatures are hot and, it seems, the temper of folks is set on “simmer.” I’ve grown weary of the outrage shown, on our opinion pages and online in various outlets, over all manner of outrages and insults, real or imagined. Isn’t it funny that as the world seems to be more connected than ever before, thanks to technology, people seem more disconnected from one another than ever before? We hunker down in our respective safe spaces, comforted by the incessant hum of our information source of choice, and our beliefs grow, unchallenged by the discordant notes of ideas which challenge our narrow worldview.. ...

I look outside my window to rows of crops, peeking out of the ground 4 or 5 inches above the soil. Those small shoots represent the promise of food for the hungry and a livelihood for our farmers. It would be a reassuring sight to see, except for the fact that, as my calendar says, it is June 25. Those little shoots should be, as they say, “knee high by the Fourth of July.” In the past, that milestone date would usually see plants well over chest-high...

The peonies on my desk smell like memories. Memories of games of hide and seek in the moonlight of my childhood yard. The scent of the row of pink and white peonies was a landmark in the sea of inky shadows. I loved to hide in that row, crouching down amid the bushes, overloaded branches dragging on the ground, making a perfect spot to tuck out of sight. I was happy to bear the near-certain itching of the resident peony ants for a few moments immersed in that heady scent...

It’s Father’s Day this Sunday. A day to celebrate dad for all the things he does for us. I’m lucky, as I’ll get to spend the day with my dad. It’s a gift I treasure as I know so many of my friends no longer get to enjoy that simple pleasure. No doubt the trip will include at least one run out to the farm to do cattle chores, and to the pastures to check the condition of the grass...

“Usually take one last pass through town Stop the car and touch the ground Watch those streetlights swayin' in the breeze Decorated store fronts Rusty old gas pumps Try to fill my mind up With somethin' before I go Picture postcard memories You know they always make for good company.”...

Word of Compass Pointe’s closure last month was a stark reminder of the crisis rural America is facing in meeting the needs of those facing mental health and substance abuse issues. As awareness and openness regarding mental health conditions has increased in recent years, local, state and federal officials struggle to keep up with the demand for services, leaving those in need and their families struggling to find help...

Memorial Day is this coming Monday. As we all know, the holiday is a time to honor those brave men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. The holiday arose after the Civil War, when Americans across the nation began holding springtime tributes to the nation’s fallen soldiers — decorating their graves and reciting prayers. ...

Dear graduate: You close your eyes. You blink. Suddenly the chasm between kindergarten and college has closed, and you are ready to walk across the stage on Sunday and into the “real world.” While you thought this day would never come, and middle school, with all its angst and hormones and drama, would be your whole life. Looking back on it now, does it really seem that long ago?...

Apologies to area mail carriers. Yesterday's Daily Reporter added some heft to their bags as we published our annual Progress edition. It's a time to reflect on the people, businesses and organizations which make our community so special. It's the end product of weeks of work by everyone in our organization. The newsroom, ad department, press staff and mailroom all work extra hard to ensure the edition is the best it can be...

It seems there is a day or a week assigned to recognize nearly everything under the sun. For example, did you know that April 9 was recognized as National Unicorn Day? Or that May 1 is Batman Day? From World Naked Gardening Day (this Saturday, May 4) to International Axe Throwing Day on June 13, there is a day for just about everything...

Is there anything better than the feeling of walking barefoot on your lawn on the first truly spring-like weekend of the year? Like many of you, I took advantage of Mother Nature's benevolence for some outdoor therapy, soaking in as much vitamin D as I could. ...

America loves a comeback story. We love the tale of folks who hit rock bottom, overcome incredible odds, and climb to a mountaintop. We saw a pretty great one on Sunday as Tiger Woods captured the Master’s green jacket — his fifth. While I was traveling and didn't get to enjoy a favorite April Sunday tradition, lounging on my couch watching Sunday at Augusta, I followed Tiger Woods' move up the leader board through radio updates. ...

Intriguing numbers were released last week in a survey of Americans and our attitudes toward social media and technology. A survey conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal indicate that, while we know it's bad for us, Americans just can't quit the dangerous habit of social media...

There are days I feel every single one of my 56 years old. There are days when fighting the constant drumbeats of a chief executive who calls those in my profession “Crazed lunatics” that have “given up on the truth,” and has dismissed what we produce as “fake news,” is enough to make me wave the white flag. I just don’t have the strength to enumerate the ways those statements are incorrect, dangerous and threaten our democracy...

I've watched the college admissions scandal unfolding in the media with equal parts revulsion and a resigned understanding of how it could happen. How money and influence can open doors closed to the more deserving but less flush with cash. How parents, overly invested in the optics of how their children look to the outside world, break the rules to ensure a picture-perfect family...

Folks who know me well understand I do love my holidays. Christmas, Easter, Halloween, March Madness. Yes, for this unabashed college basketball junkie, we are rolling into the most wonderful week of the year — the first rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. I love the excitement. I love the hoopla. I love the story lines...

It's fitting that we are celebrating Sunshine Week in Iowa and around the nation March 10-16. After all, we "sprang" forward on Sunday, which added a little extra light into our lives. Sunshine Week celebrates the work done to protect First Amendment rights, and recognize the press's vital role in ensuring a free and open government. By doing so, journalists provide light on the workings of this great country...

It’s been a long, cold winter. I don’t know about you, but I’m having a hard time getting very excited about — well anything. It’s easy to get down about the state of the world when the world we’re looking at is encased in ice. However, I want our readers to roust themselves from their depths of winter-loathing, and think warm thoughts — warm thoughts about other people...

Raise your hands if you can remember waiting in a line in a school hallway in order to receive a vaccination from a school nurse with a clunky vaccine gun. Yup, me too. If I close my eyes, I can see the pea-green walls of my elementary school, and I can conjure up the anxiety that grew as I waited my turn for "the shot." As I recall, the anxiety was far, far worse than the actual shot...

Farm-raised, farm-grown and farm-proud. A part of me always needs to have a view of neat, rustling rows of corn and soybeans while looking out my kitchen window. I need to be able to walk out my door and pluck tomatoes ripe and warm from our big garden, and live in a place where fall brings with it apple boughs hanging low to the ground, laden with ripe fruit. ...

What kind of dreams do young Iowa girls dream as they sit on the sloping roof of a rural Iowa hog house and stare at the endless sky? It's hard to imagine that Michelle Johnson, Spencer native, retired Air Force lieutenant general, senior vice president of the National Basketball Association, and lucky for me, a friend, ever dreamed of the life she came to live when she sat on that roof and daydreamed...

I will be loading up and heading to Des Moines Wednesday morning for a three-day gathering of friends as the Iowa Newspaper Association kicks off its annual convention with board meetings of the association. It will be a milestone convention for me as it will mark the end of my decade-long tenure on the association's foundation board of directors. ...

According to the weather folks, it's gonna be a little chilly here in northwest Iowa for a couple of days. And by "a little chilly" I mean highs forecast in negative territory and lows set to hit the "Whoa, Nelly!" range. We knew it was coming. After all, we've been blessed with some downright balmy conditions thus far this winter, aside from a day here and there, like last week, that made us wish we had grabbed the hat from the hook before heading out the door...

January and February in my house is the time for baking, and braising, and crockpots simmering all day long. There's just something about below zero temperatures that sends me back to the cupboard of cookbooks. It must be genetic, as I have always associated the scent of soup in the air with childhood winters, and my son is also a wintertime chef...

I grew up in northwest Iowa. I married a northwest Iowa boy. I raised my son in northwest Iowa. I have found the people of this area to be kind, giving, fair, accepting and supportive. I love the country roads and friendly cities. There's an ease to life here off the interstate. ...

There is something about the turning of the page to a new year that makes me, and a lot of others, I suspect, instinctively reach for the broom. I want to sweep away a year’s worth of flotsam and jetsam in my house, my office, my life. There’s a reason retailers prominently place their totes, vacuums and other cleaning and organizing supplies in their stores in January. We seem to have an instinctual need to pitch as the year begins...

“Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves. It directs our thoughts to giving.” ― B.C. Forbes Santa Claus came to town on Sunday, and instead of a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, he was riding in big brown UPS trucks and huge Spencer fire trucks...

What a difference a day (or four) makes. Last Monday, I was pretty blue. Our Holiday Family Adoption program was running behind. With 22 families yet to be selected for adoption, I worried that this might be the first year in my tenure that we didn't get everyone taken care of...

Waking up Saturday morning to news of the passing of George H.W. Bush sent a pang of sadness through me. While I may not always have agreed with his policies, Bush was a reminder of the "good old days" of politics. He became, particularly after his retirement from politics, a beloved figure in our country...

Saturday morning, I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and sunshine to celebrate Small Business Saturday with an excursion to chip away at my Christmas shopping list. What a great day! What a great vibe permeated up and down Grand Avenue as I strolled from shop to shop...

I was watching a news show on Saturday morning, and an etiquette expert weighed in on the appropriateness of decorating our homes for Christmas prior to Thanksgiving. She said it's just not done. Well. I do it. While I used to put up my tree and deck the halls the weekend after Thanksgiving, last year I did it a week before. I had time. I had ambition, and an extra week or two of glittering lights and sparkling ornaments did my cold heart good...

I’ve been a fan of “Saturday Night Live” since it was my slightly-risque late-night television viewing of choice as a preteen back in 1976 when it debuted. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was bawdy, timely and rip-roaringly funny. It launched stars and introduced comedic geniuses and musicians to the world at large. It also propelled cultural touchstones into the universe...

Public Service Announcement: This column is being published on Tuesday, Nov. 6. That means its Election Day. If you haven’t yet voted — do so. Now. Before you read this column, which is about the holiday season, and Christmas, and things you can deal with tomorrow...

It’s easy to understand why some folks would just like to hide under a rock for the next week or so. No robocalls from candidates, no hysterical television ads with words like “Liar,” “Cheat,” and “That’s just not true” in the most horror-movies typefaces available interrupting your viewing of that “Fixer Upper” rerun. No news stories of pipe bombs sent to our leaders, former leaders and news media...

You have to forgive those folks around the office with the faraway look in their eyes, and a slight smile on their faces. They are just daydreaming of what they would do if they won the record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot tonight. With an estimated $1.6 billion (I want to put my pinkie by the side of my mouth like Dr. Evil when I write those words) at stake, dreamers from coast to coast are putting down their $2, picking up a ticket and buying their chance to dream...

It was with a twinge of regret, and the acknowledgment of the passing of time, that I read Monday morning that Sears was declaring bankruptcy. This woman of a certain age has many memories of that stalwart middle class shopping mecca. You could get everything from tires to prom dresses at Sears and, you only need to drive down a few Spencer streets to see that at one time you could buy your home from Sears. ...

There’s a lot of talk in the media recently about “tribalism” in American politics. Reporters describe the Supreme Court selection as a form of tribalism, where votes are cast not on what individual senators think about a nominee but on what the party leadership, the head of the “tribe” proscribes for them...

I was thinking about birdies yesterday afternoon as I watched the Tour Championship golf tournament. Not the golf birdie, which signifies a score of one stroke below par on a hole. My mind went to a more esoteric kind of bird — the mythical kind. The winged creatures of two myths were top of mind as Tiger Woods took his 80th golf tournament crown — Icarus and the Phoenix...

I recall a news item published a couple of months ago about the traveler who was refused boarding on a United Airlines cross county flight with her “emotional support peacock” as a traveling companion. Now, there was great hue and cry over the denial, and scoffing from those on the other side of the fence. Therapy animals have become a common sight, and the emotional benefits of pets are widely accepted...

The Clay County Fair always has me feeling nostalgic, and sentimental. A walk through horse barns takes me back to those days, eons ago, when it housed cattle, rather than equine competitors. I close my eyes and I can picture myself, aged 12, filling feed buckets and brushing the tawny coat of my entry in my very first Clay County Fair...

How did it happen? I closed my eyes in May, and suddenly September is here! Summer raced by on balmy winds and breezes scented with lilac and morning dew. We are lucky here in Clay County. The melancholy that can accompany the end of the lazy summer days is mitigated by the knowledge that we have nine days of fun to ease us through the transition to fall...

I came home Sunday night from an eventful weekend spent in the big city, (well, Des Moines which is as big as we Iowans get) visiting my son. It's a trek I make often, for work and for play. As a young girl, I dreamed of living in a big city, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people living their lives cheek to jowl with one another...

You reap what you sow. I thought about that admonition the other day as I was out in the garden, so lovingly sown by my husband. He's the sower in our family, and the tender of the crops. He hands off much of the reaping and dealing with the fruits of his labor to me. Our tag-team garden method has worked well for a long time...

I was unexpectedly touched, and moved to tears by a Facebook post I saw on Sunday. Jen Hatmaker, a social media force and wife of a pastor in Austin, Texas, shared pictures and the story of how their congregation descended on the cities' Pride Celebration March to share something very simple - and very needed...

I could tell my niece was feeling a bit blue Sunday evening. She has recently packed up her bags, her sofa, her boxes of baking supplies and tons (I mean tons!) of books, and headed west. After eight years of working and building a family of friends in Omaha, she was chasing a long-held dream of living in the mountains in Colorado...

Like many of you, I suspect, I spent the past few days reveling in Mother Nature's benevolence. With puffy white clouds dotting the sky, cool evenings, humidity in the low 40 percent range and highs in the upper 70s, these were the kinds of days we dream of...

It’s hard to believe it’s been less than a decade since I first signed up to be a part of the Facebook Nation. Back then, in 2009, I had listened to my nieces and nephews talk about posting things on a new social platform. They said they saw friends’ vacation photos, and noticed someone else had a new beau (They didn’t say beau, that’s an old person term)...

It’s mid-July, prime time for summer vacations. Folks are packing up the family truckster and hitting the road. Our Facebook feeds are filled with photos of sunburned cheeks and milewide smiles snuggled up to waterfalls, holes in the ground, and the World’s Largest Ball of Twine...

As I drove away from my “undisclosed remote vacation destination” on Sunday morning, my phone, which had been blissfully disconnected to the outside world for the most part, began “chirpping” and “tweeting” and lighting up with a few days worth of backed-up communications...

"Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit, things that are easy, things that are free, things that you can do every day. Civility, respect, kindness, character. You're too good for schadenfreude, you're too good for gossip and snark, you're too good for intolerance. ..."...

Generally, in my position as publisher of The Daily Reporter, I withhold any comment on local editorial pieces we publish on our opinion pages. My staff has their photos and names attached to their opinions pieces. The thoughts included are their own. The opinions are their own...

In a world where speed and convenience is prized, where we expect to be entertained day and night by devices feeding us a constant diet of “stuff,” there is something to be said for taking a step back and taking a break from the information superhighway for a spell in the slow lane...

“Maybe that’s enlightenment enough: To know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom ... is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.” —Anthony Bourdain The death of designer Kate Spade, by suicide early last week, made me sad. The shocking news on Friday morning that chef, writer, television star and all-around raconteur Anthony Bourdain had also succumbed to the same manner of death, shook me even more strongly...

Spencer's annual citywide welcome to the summer season — Flagfest — is set to gear up this weekend. Started 36 years ago by a group of city boosters, Flagfest has settled into "tradition" territory quite nicely. It's changed and morphed over the years — with locations of events moving around the city, and events coming and going. But the core of the festival has stayed, blessedly, the same...

The Memorial Day holiday just passed marks the beginning of summer vacation season. Immortalized in the classic comedy, "Vacation," road trips are one of the most popular ways to get away from the 8 to 5 routine, connect as a family, seek adventure, and play the license plate game...

We joked, as winter overstayed her welcome, that we were likely to skip right over spring and head straight into summer. Well, with the Memorial Day weekend around the corner, that seems to have happened. Wasn’t it only last week the ice went out in the Iowa Great Lakes? Come Saturday, those blue waters will be filled with colorful boats. Grand Avenue in Spencer will be in its summer holiday gridlock as trucks hauling boats, and campers packed to the gills will race like geese, north to summer...

Dear graduates: While it's been a long (long, long) time since I was in your shoes, ready to graduate from high school, my memories of that time remain. I was excited and a little anxious; impatient for the next chapter to begin and strangely nostalgic for the life I was preparing to bid adieu. I was, in short, a bundle of mixed emotions — all laying very near the surface of my skin...

I’m a big fan of the "behind the scenes" heroes. The folks who just see a need and fill it. No fanfare. No need for applause. No lust for the spotlight. Just shoulder to the wheel and head down, they gets things done. So, it makes sense that I'm a big fan of our newest Citizen of the Year...

In these days of tribalism, with groups of Americans divided among lines of race, politics, gender, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my own beliefs. Why do I feel the way I do about issues? How do these beliefs color my choices — of literature, media, friends?...

Ah, spring. Welcome back, we’ve missed you! The warming sun has done its best to erase the snow that blanketed our ground just a week ago, and the plump robins are tweeting away from the trees outside my home. The squirrels have been dragging out the corn cobs they nibbled on through the cold days, depositing them around my driveway, stripped bare reminders of cold days past...

As a young bookworm, I loved to immerse myself in the pioneer life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her “Little House” series of books chronicled her growing up years in Minnesota and the Dakota Territories. I thought about those books on Saturday as I wandered, lost, around my chilly, dark house, as the winds howled and the snow flew ... and my power remained off...

I have a sneaking suspicion I wasn't the only person lounging on my couch this weekend, as the snow swirled outside the windows, watching the Masters golf tournament. I am also fairly certain that there were a good number of those folks who were watching the tournament mainly for the shots of green grass, flowering shrubs and folks in short-sleeve shirts. The bucolic chirps of the birds just added to the image of warmth and spring...

Back in the Cold War days of my youth, we often heard about the Soviet party line being touted in Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The paper served as the mouthpiece of the Soviet leaders, and facts took a back seat to the message the party wanted to convey...

On Saturday, as the wind howled and I was homebound, I spent a lot of time transfixed to television coverage of the March For Our Lives, organized by student survivors of the mass shooting at Margory Stoneman Douglas High School. The National Mall, a spot perfectly designed for gatherings of citizens with something to say, was a sea of humanity — young and old; black and white; gay and straight. ...

It's in my basement, under my bed and in and on my mind these days. I've reached an age where I spend more time trying to clear things out than with accumulating more stuff. Our parents are passing away, or moving into smaller homes. With that comes the clearing and sorting of their belongings. ...

When a friend of mine, also in the news business, said the Steven Spielburg film, "The Post" had made her cry, I was incredulous. How could a movie recounting the battle between the Washington Post and President Richard Nixon over the publication of the Pentagon Papers be classified as a tear-jerker?...

It's become an early spring tradition, as certain as the sun. March rolls around and I write my column imploring people to get on the stick and nominate worthy Spencer residents for the Citizen of the Year award. Hey, I understand procrastination — after all, I'm a journalist and we love deadlines. ...

William the Conqueror, after the Norman Conquest, divided the land under his control into manors. His Norman barons who had been loyal to him were rewarded with these lands. For generation after generation, the land, along with a title, was handed down to the eldest son of each family...

Another day, another massacre at the hands of a maniac armed with a heart full of darkness and a high-powered, semi-automatic firearm. Columbine. Aurora. Virginia Tech. Sandy Hook. Las Vegas. Parkland. The list seems to roll on and on. Innocent lives taken. A nation shaken by the evil. Families distraught...

No doubt you regular readers of The Daily Reporter picked up your Monday edition and had to do a double-take to ensure you had the right publication. The Daily Reporter sported a brand new, bright and bold front page look. Inside too, subtler changes, in headlines, page headers and typeface. It is a new face to a tried and true product...

I recall speaking with an honoree at our Citizen of the Year reception a few years ago. I asked him if he had enjoyed the event. His reply made me laugh, but it also seemed appropriate. "It was great. Everyone said such nice things. It was like being at my own funeral, without actually being dead."...

One by one they approached the podium. One by one, they stood tall, proud and angry. One by one, a parade of tiny, impossibly tiny, young women came forward and stood down a monster. One by one, these women, long-honored for their athletic skill, showed they are so much more than back-handsprings and vaults...

I remember pretty clearly the early days of the internet. This new technology would revolutionize the way humans lived. We would be able to share knowledge and communicate easily with those a world away. The internet would bring people together. The internet seemed like a game-changer in the human experience...

On Saturday morning residents and visitors to Hawaii woke up, as usual, in paradise. That heaven on earth quickly became a nightmare as cellphones beeped, and disembodied voices came over the television to warn of an incoming ballistic missile. Suddenly, folks who were dreaming of lounging by the Pacific, umbrella drink in hand, were faced with the unthinkable. What to do when you may have only moments to live?...

When the Christmas tree is taken down and winter has settled in for what seems like a never-ending stay, it’s easy for me to get a bit down in the dumps. Spring is a dream, and the reality is wind chills and snow shovels. But, every four years there’s a respite from the February blues. There’s something that makes even a winter-hater like me applaud the snow...

hi·ber·nate verb (Of an animal or plant) spend the winter in a dormant state. Synonyms: lie dormant, lie torpid, sleep; overwinter "bears hibernate in winter." (Of a person) remain inactive or indoors for an extended period. "The pilots who have been hibernating during the winter months get their gliders out again."...

As we roll out of bed on this day after Christmas, rubbing our eyes to clear them of those visions of sugar plums that had filtered our sight the past few days, we reflect on time spent with loved ones, laughter, and the very real need to count our calories for a while in the coming days to make up for so much glorious food...

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. ...

My grown-up Christmas list Dear Santa: Well, it's that time of year again. You're putting finishing touches on toys for good girls and boys and preparing your sleigh for that long journey around the world. I understand that your main focus is on the young ones, but I wonder if you will indulge this "not so young" woman who has some requests this year...

I spent the weekend up to my elbows in flour and sugar; babies and laughter; stories and hugs. It was a family bonding, Johnson girls holiday baking weekend. Flush off the success of a fall getaway for just girls, we inaugurated the holiday baking event this year as well. We focused less on wine and glitter and more on caramel and chocolate...

As we were traveling over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house this past weekend, the radio in the car was tuned to one of the 24-hour Christmas channels on the subscription radio lineup. We sang along to old favorites, as well as giggling through appallingly bad modern renditions of classics. It was fun to see that there are some things that transcend the generations — "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," is one of those things...

I decorated my tree this past weekend. I decked the halls, too. Traditionally, those tasks are done the weekend after Thanksgiving at my house. Family obligations will mean we won't have a chance this year and, instead of waiting an extra week, I opted to open the season early. After all, I'd rather have an extra week of basking in the soft glow of a brightly-lit tree. When the days get shorter and nights long, there's nothing like the festive lights of a tree to brighten my spirits...

I have a blister on my thumb. And one to match on my index finger. It must be the Christmas season. Fellow holiday crafters will nod their heads in agreement when I say blisters are a predetermined outcome of utilizing an essential crafting tool — the hot glue gun. ...

I freely admit it — I'm Christmas crazy. If my husband wouldn't revolt, I'd have the tree up and decorated now, the holiday tunes on low in the background, and artificial snow falling lazily outside all my windows to create the perfect Christmas ambiance. I have multiple decor themes to choose from, and rotate them depending on my mood each year...

Tired of the gray, chilly, windy weather? Depressed by the current political state of our nation? Have the blues thinking about the uncertainty in the insurance markets? Well then, while there is so much fertile ground to till in the over-heated world of Washington politics — particularly this week — I'm going to give you what you need — a feel-good story to lift your spirits, warm your hearts, and make you happy to be alive...

I have come to an age where I am often seen as an "elder stateswoman" in terms of my career. I started in the newspaper business at a time when stories were typed on a Smith-Corona (I got mine as a high school graduation present), then reset using a Compugraphic machine. ...

I've written in the past about our messy, broken world. About how hard it is at times to see the positive when wave after wave of heartbreak seems to break over us, and people are blinded by divisions. It's enough to make you lose hope. Tragedies big and small conspire, sowing seeds of doubt and despair...

"October, baptize me with leaves! Swaddle me in corduroy and nurse me with split pea soup. October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins. O autumn! O teakettle! O grace!" — Rainbow Rowell I'm a sucker for autumn. ...

Another Monday morning. Another story of horror. Another heartbreak for our country. This time it was a madman with murder in his heart and an assault rifle in his hands. As we all turned on our televisions Monday morning, we saw images of terror. And we see on social media that sides are being taken and madness is being politicized...

I'm a collector — of memories, photographs, meaningless items and of beautiful words that, when strung together, have the effect of an arrow to the heart or a symphony to the ear. Certain phrases are so wonderfully constructed that in a few short words a world can be created in my imagination. ...

I woke up on Monday morning groggy, with low-level melancholy dragging down my bones,and the faint perfume of a cattle barn wafting in from the entryway where I kicked off my shoes on Sunday night. The drum of rain on my home's tin roof and the gray scene outside my window matched my mood...

Sitting down at my computer, on 9/11, to write a story about catastrophe striking our nation, sure brings back memories. This time, the disaster we are facing is natural, not the work of terrorists, but the back-to-back hurricanes hitting our south and wildfires in the west still strike a blow to our hearts...

Can you believe it, the summer is over! And the Clay County Fair kicks off its 100th anniversary celebration this Saturday! Through my haze of jet lag and dealing with a garden overflowing with the bounty of September, I'm processing the arrival of fair, and all the fun that comes with it...

There's a bittersweet tinge to the back-to-school excitement this year. I'm in that middle-of-life stage of being too old to have a child in school and too young to have grandchildren heading off. Seventeen years of "first day of school" photos in front of the apple tree in our yard are done, the photos packed carefully away in a box. I smile as I peek at the shots of friends and family sending their little ones away...

Terrorism came to our shores again this past weekend. A rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned deadly when a white supremacist who was characterized as a supporter of Nazism, turned his car into a weapon, mowing down a group of people holding an alternative rally against the hate groups. Nearly two dozen were injured and one woman was killed...

I was wasting some time, scrolling on Facebook the other night when I came across a shared post that made my heart break. A young father in Illinois was left trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life after a horrific car accident claimed the life of his pregnant wife and three young sons...

I always feel a tinge of sadness when I see the aisles of school supplies replacing the flip flops and sunscreen in area stores. How can summer be over? It's impossible. There is far too much left to do — too many ice cream cones to eat and rivers to float down. Too many barefoot days and firefly nights...

Hey, Spencer — ya did good! Months of preparation, endless calls for volunteers, an enthusiastic and untiring committee, and the goodwill of our community all came together for one heck of a welcome to the thousands of bicyclists from around the state, nation and world who made a "one night only" visit to our town...

Spencer is used to welcoming crowds to our city. After all, every September we host the biggest and best county fair in the Midwest. Our community just seems to expand effortlessly every year, putting out the welcome mat for those 300,000 visitors. This Sunday, we're going to see a similar influx, as RAGBRAI rolls into town for an overnight stop. Instead of trailers hauling livestock, it will be bikes flooding our streets...

I went over for a short visit with my parents this past weekend. While it's always nice to spend some time with Mom and Dad, I had a mission — to find photos of my grandparents to be displayed at the wedding of my nephew this weekend. My parent's home is the archive for our family. ...

We're less than a month away from hosting a great, big slumber party here in Spencer. Thousands of folks, from all around the country and all around the world will descend on our community as RAGBRAI rolls into town. This is an amazing opportunity to showcase our city. Who knows how many business leaders, entrepreneurs, young folks with families and recent college grads looking for a place to start out are along on this ride?...

One of my very first memories as a child is of sitting on my father's knee, singing along to the 1966 Eddy Arnold song, "Make the World Go Away." The silky smooth tones came from the console radio/stereo record player that had a place of honor in our home. ...

American workers — we have a problem. It’s a problem that’s hurting our productivity, our health and our career progress. The problem? We aren’t taking enough time off. Really. Multiple studies show the negative effect to employees and workplaces when folks don’t use their vacation time to unplug, walk away from the office and relax...

While Memorial Day has passed, somehow, for me, summer doesn't really get rolling until we celebrate Spencer's own summer party — Flagfest. I'm looking forward to another great weekend of red, white and blue fun, starting on Thursday night with a favorite native daughter of the region, Shawn Mayer, who will be playing the greenspace at Gary's on the River in a SPARC concert that's bound to kick off the events with a bang! I'd encourage everyone to head over to the Spencer Community Theatre or The Bear to buy tickets to the show. ...

As someone who has made a living for the past 30-plus years, stringing words together, stacking paragraphs upon one another, it's no surprise that the power of words is something I've always appreciated. The greatest thinkers of history have understood that. The giants of the ages have known the virtue of a well-chosen word. They also extolled the wisdom of staying silent...

Every year, as Memorial Day approaches, I consider my summer options. It could be due to my role putting together our Explore Spencer magazine which focuses on activities and events in our area. I'm always astounded by the sheer volume of things to do within a 30-mile radius of my home...

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." — Ferris Bueller Hey, you. You with your hunched shoulders and eyes glued to the screen in front of you. Stop it. Stop it right now. This is your graduation week. It's kind of a big deal. Take it from me, in the years to come, your mind will wander from time to time to these days, the ones you are living in right now. You will feel nostalgia for old friends, fun times...

I got a text wishing me a "Happy Mother's Day" this past Sunday. I laughed and realized again a hazard of being the mother of an only child — and a son at that — there's no one else to remind him of life's important dates. Or to tell him he's got that date wrong...

With his distinctive voice and trademark bucket hat pulled over his head, it's hard to miss Del Brockshus. For area residents, who have depended on Del's commonsense horticultural advice, he's an institution. For Clay County citizens, who benefitted from nearly a quarter century of his service as a county supervisor, he was a supporter of the public's voice in county affairs. For those who utilize the services of the newly-created Autumn's Center, he is a steadfast supporter...

Like beautiful exotic birds, with colorful plumage and bright-eyed optimism, the photos jumped off the pages of my Facebook feed on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Young people you remember as toddlers shined up like a new penny, suddenly, unbelievably, nearly grown...

The robins are back, browsing the buffet of worms that is my front yard. Pickings are good, judging from how portly these harbingers of spring appear. My windows are open throughout the day, with the scent of greening grass wafting through a winter-stale home...

I have a secret to share. It's nothing scandalous, and I have a sneaking suspicion it's more common than we'd like to believe. Like lots of women in today's society, I've been carrying around an extra load, and it's not the extra dozen pounds that have made themselves comfortably at home around my midsection the past decade or so...

While basketball fans were awaiting the final game of the 2016-17 season which was played last night, for other sports fans, a long winter was over, and a hallowed day arrived on Sunday. Major League Baseball's opening day. A high holy day for those who worship the game, opening day brings with it a fresh slate, high expectations, and a giddy dream of a race for the pennant. ...

While I'm loathe to admit it, I am no longer a young woman. While the spirit is willing to do lots of crazy things, the body is weak. The creaking knees and sciatic pain are a fact of life. I've been working hard over the past few years to minimize the toll age and a desk job take on my body. I've been religious about twice-weekly training sessions, but I will admit that I falter when it comes to getting in my daily cardio exercise...

While a Greek philosopher said those words around 500 BC, they ring as true today. As much as we would like things to stay just the way they are, for a perfect moment to be frozen in time, it never happens like that. Days pass, things change. Parents joke that they want to keep their babies little. Coaches want to hold on to winning teams. Gamblers want the hot streak to last forever...

It's fitting that we are celebrating Sunshine Week in Iowa and around the nation March 13-19. After all, we "sprang" forward on Sunday, which added a little extra light into our lives. Sunshine Week celebrates the work done to protect First Amendment rights, and recognize the press's vital role in ensuring a free and open government. By doing so, journalists provide light on the workings of this great country...

While I probably don't hit the mold of a "typical" March Madness addict, my family will quickly set you straight. For the next month, beginning with conference tournaments this week, through Selection Sunday, and onward to April 3 in Glendale, Arizona, I am as rabid a fan as you will find...

It started out simply enough, as these rabbit holes often do. I had a blank spot in my entryway. A large mirror hung on the wall, but the space below cried out for a narrow console table. That realization led to the first dangerous foray — into the world of Pinterest. I scanned design sites looking for just the piece that said "Me — I'm your table." Alas, like the bed in “The Princess and the Pea,” one was too big and one was too little. None were just right...

Man, it’s easy to get depressed about the state of the world when you turn on the television or look at a national magazine or newspaper. Yes, we have challenges. Yes, our nation is more polarized and openly angry than I can ever recall. Yes, we are on edge...

My father, whom I adore, was honored Sunday night by a livestock association he is a member of, with a prestigious award. That surprise honor meant my mom, siblings and I trekked to Des Moines to help commemorate the night. For me, it was the fourth trip to the capital city in two weeks...

You have to excuse community newspapers if we’re feeling a bit under attack these days. We have a president who assails us with a bombardment of “alternative facts” and deriding statements. We’ve got an Iowa High School Athletic Association which sold out all local media (and by extension, the coverage of student-athletes) for $60,000 per year...

There's a phenomenon I experience every year come mid-to-late January. I call it my "travel dreams" time of the year. I quite literally dream of trips to exotic locations as I sleep,and when I wake, I daydream of jetting off to parts unknown. I think about learning a new language. I leaf through guidebooks to Umbria...

A new phrase entered the American vernacular on Sunday morning — “alternative facts.” Uttered by Senior White House Advisor Kellyanne Conway in response to queries by Chuck Todd, NBC News political director, the phrase was soon trending on Twitter as the public began to digest its import...

The breathless anticipation. The overheated rhetoric. The graphics! Oh, my goodness, the colorful graphics blazing across my television screen. Inauguration? Nah, the Icepocolypse of 2017. Since last Thursday, our senses have been bombarded with ever-more-intense discussions of Winter Storm Jupiter and its anticipated devastation of northwest Iowa. ...

Saddest day of the year in my house? The day I take the Christmas tree down. Which is why it remains, lights on, shining in the corner of my living room. Judge me if you want, but I am just not ready to let go of the singularly comforting glow that comes from a decorated tree...

There was a tug on my soul as 2016 wound down, a melancholy ache for younger days and a mourning for days past. The end of 2016 saw me in an introspective mood, and the loss of two old friends this past week was another nudge into thoughts of days gone by. An old tune, by Al Stewart, played through my head:...

In a thoughtful piece I read over the weekend, poet and novelist Jay Parini discusses the vital importance of the Christmas season to all of us, this year more than ever before. The biblical message of peace, inclusion and racial equality strike a chord in a year filled with anger, mistrust, and division...

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. ...

Tis the season ― for the Christmas letter. You know, the year-end recap of family life, tucked inside a Christmas card. For far-flung friends, it's a way to keep up to date with growing families and milestone events. It's a tradition that is equally reviled and adored. I fall on the "adore" side of that fence...

The tree is trimmed, the stockings are up. There's tinsel in my hair and carols on the stereo. It's the most wonderful time of the year. The Christmas gift list I carry in my bag at all times is whittling down nicely. It seems I'm ahead of schedule in my Christmas shopping, but I know that, on Christmas Eve, I will likely be running about the town, looking for "just one more" goodie to fit in a stocking. It happens every year, and it's part of the Christmas fun...

It's funny how actions, particularly during the holidays, morph from "just something we do" into treasured family traditions. I thought about that this long Thanksgiving weekend as my family put up and decorated the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving night...

In 1621, after a successful corn harvest, a band of immigrants who had arrived and established a home in a new land, had reason to celebrate. Only half of the passengers and crew who had made landfall in America survived to see their first spring in a new land. Thanks to helpful natives, they slowly adapted to life in the raw land. They learned to extract sap from maple trees, catch fish and cultivate corn. They grew stronger after that brutal winter...

I started a little project nearly a month ago, when the din and roar of a nasty election had everyone snarling and gnashing teeth at one another. I decided, instead of political posts on social media, I would embark on "21 Days of Joy." I did it because I was being drawn into the deep well of discontent and uncertainty and anxiety that negative rhetoric was creating in our country. I was internalizing the discord and divide. I wasn't sleeping well and I sure wasn't feeling well emotionally...

Despite the gloom and doom filling our airwaves these days, we are pretty darn lucky to be Americans living in the 21st century. We have, as Warren Buffett famously said, "won the ovarian lottery." We are free. Our children have open access to education...

A trip through local stores and shopping mall shows that while the weather is unseasonably warm, the holidays are around the corner. I got a notice from my satellite radio provider that the holiday-only radio channels start broadcasting this week. Soon the sounds of Nat King Cole will be reminding me of the upcoming holidays. And, a true harbinger of the season — the Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel — have already begun airing...

I should say this quietly, so folks don't club me. "I'm not a baseball fan." Nope. I understand that it's "America's game." I understand it's universal. I understand that for many, baseball isn't a sport, it's a religion. I understand it's a risk to step out of the shadows...

I've written several times about my lifelong love of reading. From my earliest memories, books were constant friends, instantly taking me from my run-of-the-mill life into different lands, different times, different personas. I read it all — fiction, nonfiction, the dictionary. .....

There has been an awful lot of talk in our country about the death of good manners, civility and respect. We decry the lack of positive role models for our children. We shake our heads at the future of America. I have a solution -- maybe not for the entire country, but certainly for the young people who are involved -- 4-H...

There's nothing like October in the Midwest. Warm, golden days and chilly, crisp nights. Football on Friday night and some more on the weekend, and sweaters, cozy and comforting. I'm a big fan of October. Not too hot and usually not too cold. The hay fever that bedeviled me all summer long is tamped down by the first good frost. My birthday and anniversary both fall in these 31 days, another reason to celebrate...

A dear friend in the news business shared a great piece of editorial page writing last week. It encapsulated the feelings I've had for so long about the perception of the public and some in the political arena about our business. You've heard it. Someone railing about "the media," as if they were discussing a singular enterprise. ...

The Clay County Fair shut its doors Sunday evening after a very successful nine-day run. For all of us who grew up with the fair we know that re-entry to normal life is tough. We're tired. We are behind in our work. We have piles of dirty laundry at home. We are just so not ready to dive back into the workaday grind...

Like nearly everyone else around, (With a two-day gate admission of almost 120,000, everyone must have been there!) I enjoyed the opening weekend of the Clay County Fair. Even the weather did its part to ensure visitors had a great time. I'm always amazed at how the fair seems to be the dividing line between summer and fall in our little corner of the world...

I spent Labor Day weekend the same way I've spent it the past 15 years or so -- setting up the photography display in the 4-H exhibit building on the Clay County Fairgrounds. While the sound of hammers and the backup "beep-beep" of trucks unloading their goods outside is my background music, inside the building it's just me and a couple hundred photographs...

In his novel, "The Last Tycoon," F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "There are no second acts in American lives." I would beg to disagree. I see inspiring second, and third, and fourth acts all the time. I see people who have rolled with the heavy punches life throws their way. I see curtain calls worthy of standing ovations...

In the news business, we are often called upon to write stories that cover tragic events, or pen news items about folks on the wrong side of the law. We get called out from our homes, cameras in hand, to take photos of a fire, or to report on an accident...

Youngsters are enjoying the last bittersweet days of summer, and evenings are growing cooler. The sunsets seem almost golden, hearkening to the harvest season just around the corner. So many of my friends on Facebook are describing the process of helping children move back to college or buy school supplies. Past that stage of life now, I've been thankful for the distraction of the Olympics this year to occupy my mind...

It's been the summer of our discontent for the nation. The political heatwave, pumped up with a side order of racial tension and general late summer malaise has put many of us in a funk. It's pretty easy to imagine moving to a remote island, with a few good books and no other people. The very word "politics" causes my temples to throb...

Just got back from a working vacation away, for the most part, from the television, computer and social media. For someone as plugged in to the news as I, withdrawal from these lifelines can be a bit of a shock, and result in some painful symptoms. I crave the news like I crave oxygen. I want to be on top of what is happening in the world. I get antsy, out of sorts and anxious when I don't know what's going on...

You reap what you sow. I thought about that admonition Sunday as I was out in the garden, so lovingly sown by my husband. He's the sower in our family, and the tender of the crops. He hands off much of the reaping and dealing with the fruits of his labor to me. Our tag-team garden method has worked well for a long time...

Reading a Facebook post from a high school classmate prior to our reunion last weekend I was saddened to hear about her experience with bullying in high school. The post garnered a great deal of attention from classmates who shared their own feelings of being bullied or left out. Others chimed in with support and encouragement, discussing the long-term toll such early experiences have on our lives...

Usually, I can delude myself with affirmations that "you are only as young as you feel," or "age is just a number." However, there are times when I feel the passing of the years very acutely, and am reminded that, while I feel 35, I'm really not -- at all...

Lurid headlines grab our attention: "Texas mother murders her two daughters before being shot by police." "Woman brutally kills four babies with butcher knife." Two instances in this weeks' headlines which underline the devastation of mental illness in our society. ...

I'm not sure about you folks, but for me, there's nothing more exciting than men's platform diving. Unless it's the women's 100-meter individual medley. Oh, but then there are those gymnasts doing all those gymnast things on all those odd apparatus...

I thought about redemption on Sunday night, after a day and evening spent watching two iconic sporting events - the U.S. Open Golf Tournament and the NBA Finals. I know, it's odd that in my house with two males, it's the female who has the passion for most sports, but it's our dynamic and it's worked for three decades. So it was that on Father's Day, it was mother who was on the couch, glued to the sports action on the tube...

Terror came to the "Happiest Place on Earth," Orlando, Florida, in the early morning hours on Sunday. A lone gunman, armed with a heart filled with hate, and an AK-15 with extra clips of ammo, sprayed the dance floor of Pulse, a popular gay nightclub, with bullets. When he was done, 49 people were dead...

Pack your sunscreen and plenty of water -- it's looking to be a hot Flagfest weekend in Spencer! While the mercury is aiming for the 90-degree mark, it's also the wide array of events which will heat up our community this weekend. For over three decades, Flagfest has been a time to gather together, relax, enjoy fellowship with our neighbors and friends, and celebrate the flag. ...

We watch the rape of gorgeous landscapes, unique and precious, in the name of "progress." Beaches we frolicked on as children are now front lawns of million dollar mega-mansions, open only to the "genetically blessed" as Warren Buffet once put it. We've noted with dismay as oak savannas where we once gathered acorns like human squirrels on golden October days make way for office parks...

With Memorial Day looming, and the summer vacation season nearly here, my daydreams involve hitting the road and exploring. I admit that, in my mind, I travel to multiple foreign countries several times a day. Like many, I have a bit of wanderlust, which, in these busy days, is a poor, abused portion of my being -- rarely given a chance to roam. ...

Class of 2016: You did it! You will be walking the stage in a few days to pick up that hard-earned high school diploma. While it seems like it took forever to reach this point in your life, to your parents and grandparents, it happened in the wink of an eye. ...

"I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, And each road leads you where you wanna go, And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose, I hope you choose the one that means the most to you ..." If you want to see a hard-boiled newspaper publisher cry, simply play the Rascal Flatts 2006 tune, "My Wish." The first lines begin, and like Pavlov's dog, my eyes begin to well up with tears. I'm a mom, and the sentiment of the tune hits me hard -- every time...

May Day came and went on Sunday. The April showers were gone, at least for the day, and my mind went back decades to the childhood pleasure of giving and receiving May baskets. They were generally simple things -- a paper cup with a pipe cleaner handle -- filled with popcorn and candies. Sometimes a piece of colored construction paper was rolled into a horn and filled...

Democracy is an amazing thing. Our founding fathers decided, so many years ago, that the people were capable of deciding who should lead them. Without coups or bloodshed, on a regular basis willing citizens would put their names forward to be considered for posts governing the land...

After a winter that seemed much too long and much too cold, spring has finally come to Northwest Iowa. I noticed a guaranteed sign of the season on Friday -- a planter out in the field, sowing this year's corn crop. After months of snow and wind, the sight of that spring scene brought warmth to my heart. ...

We said goodbye to a couple of Spencer institutions this past week. They aren't gone for good, just moving on to another stage in life. Bob Rose retired after 24 years with the Spencer Mainstreet Program, a run which saw the local program earn many state awards, and continue as a leader in downtown vitality...

Two employees do the same job, have the same experience and the same duties. One employee is very successful. Exceeds expectations, wins performance-based competitions, and makes money for the company. The other employee isn't as successful. In fact, that employee actually cost the company money last year...

Ter·ror·ism, noun, the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal. . Violent extremists have struck again -- Islamic State group suicide bombers hit the airport and a train station in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, killing 35 and wounding over 300, a suicide bomber at a soccer match in Baghdad on Friday killed at least 26, and the Taliban claimed responsibility for a bombing targeting Christians in a park on Easter in Lahore...

Looking back through a haze of too much snack mix, far too much time in the Lazy Boy and way, way, way too much college basketball over the weekend, one surprising takeaway came to my attention amid all the coverage. Iowa has gotten cool. We've always known it. ...

It's been 50 years since Congress adopted the Freedom of Information Act, which provided access to documents held by federal agencies. Other laws have been passed since that time, clarifying and expanding on the basic tenants of a free and open government. This week, March 13-19, we celebrate Sunshine Week, which recognizes the importance of transparency and access in a free and democratic society...

Why, hello there March! Boy, am I glad to see you! After the winter of my discontent -- with low temperatures, a low bar set for presidential campaign decorum, and low stock prices -- March has arrived, filled with promise. The weather forecast for this week makes my old, cold heart warm (as well as my old, cold toes). ...

Time to recognize our special Citizens Every year, as spring nears, we at the Daily Reporter ask you, the residents of our community, to recognize those who go above and beyond to help others in our community. A week or so ago, we put out a call for nominations for the Daily Reporter's annual Citizen of the Year. I'm waiting for those nominations to roll in. And, I'm waiting. .....

Aside from my work, those who know me well understand I have some strong passions which fill the rest of my time. My family, NCAA basketball, reading, photography and baking top the list. In fact, as I write this, a tray of chocolate macarons are cooling on a rack beside me, my latest attempt at mastering the French classic...

You'll have to excuse me if I seem to be staring into space a lot lately, a dreamy half-smile on my face. No doubt I'm in the midst of another February daydream. You know the one. You're walking along the ocean, sand between your toes and an umbrella drink in your hand. The temperature is a balmy 81 degrees, and there's not a cloud in the sky...

Like a lot of you, I've been enjoying a great deal of great sports action on television the past couple of weeks. NCAA basketball conference action is heating up, the Super Bowl broadcast (all 27 hours of it) was Sunday, and we're anxiously anticipating March Madness...

"The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances." -- Aristotle I've been thinking a lot about grace these past few days. Grace, in the secular sense, defined in part as " kind, polite and fair" and "a disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency." As a Christian, I think of grace as God's unmerited favor toward man. His love and mercy which comes, not because we've done anything special, but given freely...

I don't generally write about politics in my column. We at the Daily Reporter don't endorse candidates, we aren't affiliated with any single candidate. Aside from telling folks if they don't participate they don't have a right to complain, I back away from public political pronouncements...

When the weather is cold, as it was this past weekend, and I'm in between college basketball games, I've begun feeding a dangerous addiction. I browse the wide open spaces of Pinterest. Pinterest, an online "catalog of ideas," feeds my imagination. On the photo and idea sharing website one can find ideas for home decorating, for crafts, for the next great vacation and how to pack for said vacation. ...

The excitement reached a fever pitch across the United States on Sunday after another Powerball drawing yielded no winners, and Wednesday's jackpot is estimated to top $1.4 billion for Wednesday's drawing. That's billion, with a "B" (my pinky is placed at the side of my mouth as I type this, ala Dr. Evil from the "Austin Powers" movies)...

Fresh year. Fresh start. As I look at my newly-minted 2016 desktop planner, I see box after box of unmarked time. Only a couple of appointments have been jotted down, marring the symmetry of 365 (actually 366, since 2016 is a leap year) days of possibilities...

As we prepare to turn our calendar from 2015 to 2016, my thoughts turn to a quick review of the year just past and dreams for the year to come. I'm not a big New Year's resolution gal -- pronouncements made simply because "it's what you do" have far less chance to actually happen than goals set in response to a movement in your mindset or life circumstance...

I was ready to write my traditional Christmas column this week, a riff on the "Yes, Virgina" letter to the editor. It speaks to the spirit of the holiday, beyond the packages and gifts. And it's an important reminder to us to keep our childlike joy and wonder. It's an appropriate message this time of the year...

In Italy, "La Befana," a kindly old witch, brings gifts and sweets to children during the Christmas season. In Finland, it's "Joulupukki," the Yule Goat, who knocks on the doors of Finnish homes and yells, "Are there any well-behaved children here?" before leaving presents...

Balmy temperatures greeted the throngs who headed out for Spencer's Grand Meander. Warmer than usual weather meant folks really felt like "meandering" along the city streets, rather than speed-walking from one warming station to another as is sometimes the case with Spencer's annual holiday event...

The traditional weekend-after-Thanksgiving decking of the halls (and the counters, and the nooks and crannies) is complete. It is truly beginning to look a lot like Christmas at my home! There was a bit of cussing and gnashing of teeth as I attempted to put up the Christmas tree while simultaneously watching THE GAME on Friday. ...

It's Thanksgiving week, and in my house, that means food, family, some football trash talk (a sister with Nebraska season tickets), more food and even more family. It also means reflecting on the things for which we are thankful. And, despite so much to fear in the world, there are still so many things to be thankful for. Big and small, counting our blessings is so much more enjoyable than worry. It's also good for you, and there's science to prove it...

The world watched in horror on Friday as the events unfolded on our television and smartphone screens. A small group of organized terrorists once again brought their vile brand of hate into our collective consciousness. Over 130 were killed and hundreds more injured in a series of coordinated attacks...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly. Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie...

Like Santa, I often start "making a list and checking it twice," around this time of the year. Luckily for my loved ones, I don't have a "naughty or nice" criteria to weed out the rascals before making gift purchases. It's hard to believe, particularly as the mercury hovers near 70 degrees, that soon the Christmas carols will be playing -- on the radio and in stores. ...

If you've been around city or county government for any time at all, a phrase comes up time and again -- tax increment financing, or TIF. It's a common tool for economic development that is utilized in order to promote economic development or upgrade infrastructure so development can occur...

On Monday morning, I turned on the TV just in time to hear a news story about a Southwest Airlines flight which had to turn around and make an emergency landing in Los Angles late Sunday after a woman claimed the man in the seat behind her tried to choke her after she reclined her seat...

The nation observed Columbus Day on Monday, honoring the explorer who famously "sailed the ocean blue ..." in 1492. While I've never been invited to a Columbus Day party, and there are no Columbus Day cards put out by Hallmark, it's recognized as a holiday...

With farmers busy in the field, harvesting their crop, it's appropriate that this week marks National 4-H Week. From Oct. 4-10, the youth development program celebrates its long history of helping young people learn and grow. 4-H has been a part of my life for just about all of my life. My parents were 4-H members and leaders. My brothers and sisters and I were all in 4-H. My son was a 4-Her. Nearly all my nieces and nephews participated...