Columns

We knew it was coming, but then, is it possible to get ready to say good-bye? The children and I were all gathered around Grandpa’s casket.

I write a weekly column to celebrate military veterans and share my perspective on a host of social issues. I realize there are diverse opinions in the latter arena, and I hope that my opinions make those of like minds feel they are not alone. My hope also is that perhaps those who disagree with me will reconsider their perspectives even as I know that still others will feel they need to send me a hateful email.

I gathered the six little children together and told them: “We are going to sing a song over the phone for your great-grandpa in Ohio, who is about to go to Heaven where Daddy and Jesus are.”

Now if you would tell me what you want to hear about this week I’d know just what to write! I enjoy chatting with you, but I don’t want to bore you with too much rambling about our ‘corner of the woods’. Okay, we don’t really live in the woods, just right next to 300 acres of woods behind and back yonder from our house.

I made my way down to the far end of my brother-in-law’s field, and the sun rose higher. It was pushing 100 degrees. From one tree to the next, I scooped two-year-old Joshua and carried him 20 feet down the line to the next tree, where I carefully planted 20-inch chestnut saplings.

As we hit the dog days of summer, I think this time of year is possibly best described as ‘Golf Scramble Season’. There are certainly several of those on which to report in this column, so keep reading for more information, whether one is a duffer or not.

Okay, last week, we had a peek at my Dad’s family reunion. This week we’ll be reliving those following days with Daniel’s family on our trip to Pennsylvania with a 55-passenger bus.

For young children, a long-awaited event ‘never comes’. But it did, and it happened.

I subscribe to two newspapers daily, a local one and the Dayton Daily News. I’ve attempted to get the New York Times delivered with some reliability, but have discovered that’s not possible in Piqua, Ohio. Both my husband and I prefer print versions that we can hold in our hands, and we prefer to receive the paper early each day so that we can be informed. Of course, we get news from other sources such as television; however, we despise the repetition on television as well as the endless interpretations/commentaries. And when an event occurs that demands we have more information before the print newspapers arrive, I go online. We also subscribe to two news magazines weekly.

By Jim McGuire