Don’t you just love statistics? Today, we are bombarded with statistics of all kinds and types to prove some point or other. more

As he was dying at the young age of 45 on April 4, 1774, the sharp-witted English writer Oliver Goldsmith was asked if his mind was “at ease,” to which he replied, “No, it is not.” Unease often accompanies people when dying, but it also does while living too because of unforeseen circumstances and puzzlement about how to respond. Many might dream of a life of ease, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be! more

Have you ever been so tired you don’t even know what you’re doing anymore? So tired that even coffee won’t put a dent in the impenetrable wall of sleepless fog? So tired you’re giddy? more

We experienced a rather scary situation within the Sedalia School District this week when an anonymous person called to report that there had been a shooting at Smith-Cotton Junior High School. more

Among the greatest conundrums to befall the wine industry in recent years is the question of the pull or the twist – the pull being corks and the twist the screw top. The best way to research this question is to look at the history of both closures. more

In today’s culture, there is no phrase I hear more than “I am too busy.” We often make our lives so busy that adding anything else seems impossible. more

“Molte grazie, ai nostri amici, i vignaioli italiani” or in English, many thanks, to our friends, the Italian winemakers. more

Daffodils are the unofficial heralds of spring here in mid-Missouri. Once those yellow, or white, or orange trumpets start showing, gardeners start itching to get things started. Those bright flowers also seem to stir possibilities in new gardeners. Regardless if you have gardened for many years or if this year will be the first that you put a seed into soil, there is always something to learn. more

My mother’s people have two passions: farming and reading. I inherited the love of both. more