The social news or gossip columns in the old newspapers are always fascinating to read. A special section in the newspaper was devoted to the social media of the day. The whereabouts of local people and events were often featured in these columns. Here are a few from The News Messenger of Lyon ...

We have been learning about David Hansvick, who grew up in the small town of Vesta during the 1950s and ‘60s. He described Vesta’s businesses during those years. “Vesta had a lively downtown. We had three (automobile) garages. Main Street had two hardware stores; Marquardt’s Hardware, ...

Our youngest daughter, and last child at home, graduated high school, and moved away from us, all within the span of two hours this past week. Twenty-eight years of raising children, and in the span of minutes … “POOF!” … Shelley and I found ourselves staring at each other across our ...

A while ago I read a book that has always flowed through me. The name of the book is “A River Runs Through It” by Norman Maclean. It's a story about the author's growing up in rural Montana, and his relationship with his brother. Although different in some ways, they usually bonded over ...

I was recently asked to speak at a meeting of a secret society. I was surprised when they invited me as it’s widely known that I can’t keep a secret. My wife and I went to an innocuous building located in the midst of a sleepy college town. We descended a set of concrete stairs that led ...

In a season where a mix of winter and spring suddenly gave way to summer, I found myself gently dangling my hand off the side of my kayak in a backwater connecting two lakes. It was a Memorial Day weekend tradition for me to fish the mud-bottomed stop just downstream from the cabin, and a place ...