Cold, snowy winter days are especially challenging when you live off a narrow, winding gravel road surrounded by acres of trees. On the rare occasions when we don’t have to venture out in the season’s elements, I do admit it’s quite nice to look out the window and admire the pristine snow carpeting the ground… Continue reading.

I’m writing from a chilly horse barn. I’m watching my daughter perched atop a willful, yet beautiful, horse named Tucker. They’ve spent most of an hour trotting — first in a clockwise circle, then counterclockwise. Over and over again, they travel together around the dressage barn going faster than I’ve seen them go before. After… Continue reading.

When magazine mascot Alfred E. Neuman asked, “What, me worry?” he obviously didn’t know what he was saying. There’s a whole list of reasons to worry: the economy, the election, the war, crime, our children, our jobs, our overloaded schedules. Of course we’re going to worry! After 10 minutes reading the newspaper or listening to… Continue reading.

I can’t shake the image. When I think of George Washington, my first impression is of him chopping down a cherry tree. I can’t recall why he allegedly got ax-happy. Maybe he figured if the branches fell to the ground, it would be easier to get to the fruit. Hunger, after all, can lead to… Continue reading.

The big police news here in Indianapolis this month is the Jan. 1 merging of the Indianapolis Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department into the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. The merger, said Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, should save from $9 to $10 million and will eventually lead to more officers patrolling capital city… Continue reading.

In today’s world of iPods and plasma screen TVs, the idea of a traveling “circus” showcasing electric appliances like irons, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners seems inconceivable. Yet, almost 70 years ago, these educational Farm Shows, nicknamed “circuses” because they were usually held outdoors under large tents, were popular events throughout rural America. As many as… Continue reading.