Category Archives: General

New Year, New Outlook

Posted on December 29, 2023 by Stephanie Fawkes-Lee

As a child, celebrating Christmas seemed infinite. It was taken for granted that the same people would be celebrating year-after-year. Time changes this outlook. Siblings grow up and move away, starting families of their own and creating new traditions. Divorce … Continue reading →

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Censorship – Revisited

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Marty Ryan

THIS IS A REPOST FROM NOVEMBER, 2021 Censorship: “the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.” What is so attractive about shutting down the ability … Continue reading →

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Picking Sides

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Stephanie Fawkes-Lee

My soon-to-be ex-husband was helping me paint the outside of our house in preparation for putting it on the market.  I noticed that the neighbors across the street were chatting with him and pointedly ignoring me. When they left, I … Continue reading →

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By Any Other Name

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Marty Ryan

Why do humans name cats? They never come when you call. If you have a routine that lets them know it’s time to eat, they will come running. But most of all, the cat will be there staring at you … Continue reading →

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That’s the Ticket!

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Marty Ryan

Cheap entertainment is hard to find when you reach my age. As we were getting ready to walk the trail near our residence, a City of Des Moines police car was sitting on the curb in front of our house. … Continue reading →

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Whether to go or Weather to stay

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Marty Ryan

“Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” I had always thought the first to say it was Benjamin Franklin. No, when it comes to weather, Ben Franklin said: “Some people are weatherwise, some are otherwise.” The … Continue reading →

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