The Cowboy: This job was not like what TV and movies have glamorized. The cowboy in the old west worked long hours, not our typical eight-hour day nor a forty-hour week. Their main job was to protect cattle. Thieves and outlaws stole cattle to sell on what we would...

This month has so much going on. Groundhog Day—the belief that Punxsutawney Phil really predicts winter—at least back east. Valentine’s Day—a holiday promoted by greeting card companies but really started by St. Valentine. Susan B Anthony’s Birthday (15th). Canada’s...

Most of you probably know we use the Gregorian calendar. What is it? In 1582 it was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII (Google) to coincide Easter with the spring equinox. Compared to the Julian calendar which was used previously, it still had 12 months, but February now...

What’s normal for this time of the year?  Do you continue your everyday tasks like any other month? I know, I try to. The holidays are a time of celebration. For me, it’s the birth of Christ and why he came to earth to save us for his heavenly realm. The...

When was the last time you laughed? Really laughed from deep down in your core. Science tells us that laughter is a potent endorphin releaser. It acts with our homegrown receptors, much like an opioid would work. Ooh! Let’s not go there but return to laughter. Quite a...

PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES How many of you remember the movie with the above title? I have to write about getting on a plane in a few days to head to the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Annual Conference. I’m excited! However, I don’t recommend reading...

Do you wear a hat? There are so many reasons to wear them. Hats have been around for a long time. Wikipedia tells us that there are records that date back to the Bronze Age, but hats were probably worn long before that. There are a number of reasons to wear a hat,...

When I was a youngster and heard the term “dog days of summer” I thought of hot summer days and dogs lazing around because of the heat. How many of you thought that? After some research, I thought I’d share with you that the term came from a reference to Sirius, the...

How many of you remember the couple in this picture? Some of you may not know them but growing up they were televised as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Sadly, a museum dedicated to Roy in Branson, Missouri, was closed years ago because of lack of interest and the fact...

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." - Jimmy Dean The above quote reminded me of when I learned to sail while my husband and I were stationed in Hawaii. The group I joined was called the “Wet Hens.” That...