Not ready for AARP -- just yet (03/30/07)
Three months. A little over three months until I am officially undesirable … to the advertising agencies. While most people make a big deal out of reaching the "0" birthdays such as 30, 40, 50, 110, another birthday milestone usually passes quietly. It's the turn of the calendar from 34 to 35...

Time for spring cleaning ... maybe (03/23/07)
With spring's arrival this week, many homeowners are faced with that annual task: Spring cleaning. You open the windows to let in the fresh air and realize you haven't cleaned the windows since the previous spring season. You dig out the baseball balls and gloves and notice the trail of dust you've cleared on the floor in front of the closet...

Not the brightest bulb in the lamp (03/16/07)
Although I'm not saving any rain forests or putting a stop to global warming, I do try to recycle when possible. I try to combine errands in an effort to conserve gas. I try to shut off lights when no one is in the room to conserve energy. It's this last category which is really throwing me for a loop because of the introduction of a new type of light bulb...

Travelers have it easy this weekend (03/09/07)
Ten items or less   Fortunately for those heading east for the Nebraska Boys State Basketball Finals this weekend, no snow is in the forecast. (And my family is staying put.) For those who also made the trip to Lincoln last weekend, there was never a good travel day. There was the obvious blizzard on Thursday, which put a damper on many a travel plan...

Chocolate bon-bons for the brain (03/02/07)
Admit it. You've flipped the television station when someone walks in and you are watching some mind-numbing show. You've kept the book lying flat on your lap in the hope that no one will see the seductive cover. You've leaned over the weekly entertainment magazine when a person approaches you on the treadmill...

Crossing over to the dark side (02/23/07)
I have been humbled. My superiority has been thrown out the window. I don't have a clue what I'm doing on my computer, not that there was a lot to work with in the first place. I am now an official user of a PC. As a lifelong fan and customer of Apple, I avoided every other type of personal computer throughout the years. From my first keystrokes through college papers typed out at 3 in the morning, I relied upon an Apple computer the entire time...

Cookbooks: Not just dust collectors (02/16/07)
You buy socks because they are practical. You buy bath towels because they are practical. And sometimes, you buy cookbooks because they are practical. But many times, we buy cookbooks because they look appetizing, or as you flip through them in the store, one or two recipes inside sound good...

A fascination with footwear (02/09/07)
As you scramble to get dressed in the morning and get everyone out the door on time, feelings about your shoes are probably few and far between. First, do the shoes match the outfit? For growing kids, do the shoes still fit if it's been more than two days since last worn? But most importantly, do the two shoes match?...

The lasting impact of the snow (02/02/07)
Ten items or less After explaining that city workers were likely busy with other duties such as snow removal and power restoration since the holidays passed, I asked my kids if they had looked at the outside of their own house lately. While we never did get our Christmas lights up around the roof, a few wreaths and strands of lights adorned our patio over the holidays  where they still hang as we enter February. ...

The dying art of ironing (01/19/07)
Admit it. You have pulled a shirt out of the closet and then stood there a few seconds as you decided whether the shirt was too wrinkly. You have run your hand down the front of the shirt, trying to smooth out the wrinkles. You have pulled at the cuff of the pants, hoping to save yourself from that thankless chore: ironing...

Sure-fire way to want something? Deny it (01/12/07)
This may be one of the most popular times of the year to lose weight, but here's a little hint: Don't deny yourself of favorite foods, much less starve yourself. Not only does it drop your metabolism but it will make you 53 times more hungry than you normally would be...

Taking the blame/credit for snow (01/05/07)
Ten items or less: Of course, that is easy for me to say since I have electricity, since I have a four-wheel drive vehicle to get through the snow, since I have a furry, fluffy yak which looks cool standing in a three-foot snow drift and I can feed him without wading through a 15-foot snow drift...

Battling the bulge and organization (12/29/06)
With only a few days until the beginning of new year, it's time to start working on those resolutions. For many of us, it may be the same resolution which has been considered the past five years. Others may be trying something new this next year. Either way, how you address the resolution may determine whether you will succeed or fail since half of all resolutions are abandoned by February 1. ...

Making it through snow days (12/22/06)
Thanks to the ice and snow, most of students in the area received an early Christmas present: school being called off, the majority until the new year after Christmas break. Even if a child struggles to get up every morning of the school year, he or she will pop right out of bed if there is any chance they need to check the radio for school cancellations...

The end of Christmas cards and letters (12/15/06)
The Christmas cards are arriving in the mail fast and furious, taking the place of catalogs and magazines in the mailbox. With every red and green envelope I open, my anxiety eases a bit. I was really concerned that maybe no one would send Christmas cards this year, instead relying on e-mails...

Holidays bring out the difference (12/08/06)
Ideally, I would like to say all of my meaningful, thoughtful presents are bought, the lights are hung and the baby Jesus figurine is always in its rightful location in the miniature Nativity scene in the living room. Realistically, I have randomly bought some presents, the lights are still sitting in their storage box on the front porch and baby Jesus makes an appearance for a few hours before disappearing for days at a time...

Celebrating the season of cold weather (12/01/06)
With our first blast of cold weather under our belts, many a person's thoughts start drifting toward a change, a change of location. Most people dream of heading south for the winter, finding a warm location that never features wind chills or snow depth in the weather forecast. They would settle for just a few days in the tropics on the beach or in the warm sun on a golf course...

No gaming system this year (11/24/06)
With the Christmas rush beginning unofficially today, many consumers will be purchasing gaming systems to put under the tree. Don't look for any new systems at my house Christmas morning. The thought never even crossed my mind to stand in line to purchase the new Sony Playstation 3 last weekend...

Looking for a few extra bucks (11/17/06)
Ten items or less: Anyone who has been outside the high school or around the YMCA when a football game is scheduled at Weiland Field has likely seen a few out-of-town cars circling the practice fields or driving aimlessly through the parking lots. The vehicle usually contains the parents of a player who has never attended a McCook game and doesn't know the game field is not located at the high school. ...

A little taste of fame (11/10/06)
For those who aren't glued to the ABC network on Sunday nights, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is remodeling/rebuilding a house in all 50 states. The crew from the show descended upon Nebraska last week, remodeling a house in Lincoln for an upcoming show...

There's no place like home (11/03/06)
Whether it's two days or two weeks or two months, there is nothing like the feeling of walking through your front door, sleeping in your own bed, bathing in a tub which hasn't been used by hundreds of strangers. Actually, traveling to a larger city just makes you appreciate what you have even more. ...

Any old super hero will do (10/27/06)
The week following Halloween is the same every year: I pack away a variety of cute, usually furry, animal-style costumes -- more than likely unworn. Also crammed in the box are the completely ravaged and candy-smeared, yet easily recognizable outfits for that year's popular super hero. For those out of the loop, more than a few Superman's will be ringing your doorbell begging for candy...

Out of the loop on the news chain (10/20/06)
Anyone who has gone on vacation, been confined to a hospital room or lost all contact with anyone over the age of five can relate to being clueless about current events. You return home after several days away and flip on the radio, catching a news story in midstream, only to be left scratching your head...

Her middle name's not organization (10/13/06)
Walking through the kitchen, you catch your thigh on a cabinet door which is slightly ajar. After a few choice words, you try to push the door shut, only to find that the door won't close all the way. Even a couple of hard slams don't manage to completely shut the cabinet door...

Next year: The volunteer garden (10/06/06)
Once again, I was searching my home office for something I had put away in its rightful location. (Why is it that you can leave something laying around for months, only to finally put the item away but then you can't remember the next day where that proper location is?)...

Sixth child still causes chaos (09/29/06)
With the arrival of a couple's first child, their world can be turned upside-down. While the bundle of joy may be small, all her "accessories" can fill a small bus. There's the diaper bag with all the creams and lotions, the strollers, the cribs, the bouncy chairs. That's not even taking into account the car seats which will occupy more than their allotted amount of space in the vehicle for the next eight years...

Looking for any old excuse (09/22/06)
Ten items or less n Sometimes the perfect excuse just falls into your lap. Such is the case with the recent E. Coli breakout involving spinach and the advice not to eat the fresh produce, not that most people need a reason to avoid spinach. Now I can blame my lack of weight loss after the recent arrival of child No. 6 on the absence of fresh spinach in my diet. If only I could have a bowl overflowing with fresh leaves of spinach, I know the pounds would be melting away...

Staying athletic ... even as an adult (07/21/06)
At some point in our lives, we must admit that we are not the best athletes nor will we ever make millions playing sports. Some people come to that conclusion early on, such as being picked last every time for dodge ball. Others are still dreaming of that glory, while they're in the prep room for hip-and-knee replacement surgery...

Looking for someone human on the phone line (07/14/06)
Keeping with the technology-theme, let's consider another area which has been taken over by advances in technology: phone service centers. Hearing a human voice when you call a company for help or for information is now the rarity rather than the rule. Rather, an automated voice leads the caller through a list of options which put most toddler Christmas lists to shame...

Losing the element of surprise (07/07/06)
Click, click, click. The proud parents run through roll after roll of film on the family vacation. They take 16 shots of their kids standing in front of Mount Rushmore, just in case someone has their eyes shut or something was flying behind their heads at an inappropriate time...

The 10 dollar parking space (06/30/06)
The scene is the same nearly every weeknight, every late spring/early summer, every year: The parents/grandparents/friends of McCook Midget League T-Ball players arrive at the way-outfield for Felling Field and park their vehicles by the entrance to the lone open gate. ...

Finally, a valid reason for the heat (06/23/06)
Ten items or less For the past month, I've been making excuses and explaining the reasons regarding the seasons to my children, especially the area's absence of spring. Yes, school was out for "summer vacation" but summer doesn't really start until three weeks after the final school bell...

Off this week (06/09/06)
Ronda Graff is off this week.

Stay aware of deer, wreaths and pop machines this holiday (05/26/06)
Despite gas prices that make you consider a scooter as your primary vehicle, many people will hit the road this weekend for the Memorial Day holiday. This provides a whole new world of opportunity to encounter things you would never see -- day or night -- if you stayed close to home...

Bending over backwards for a good garden (05/19/06)
It's that time of year again and it doesn't even involve self-tanning lotions as you try to hide those glaring, white legs in shorts. Rather, we're in the midst of gardening season. The time when a person looks out on the freshly up-turned soil with optimism...

Taking the soda out of schools (05/12/06)
Ten items or less: While I fully support the removal of pop from schools, I have to wonder if it's going to create a desire for something they can't have. For example, I don't forbid pop in my house. We simply don't have it around because there are better, cheaper things to drink -- such as water. We occasionally have a 12-pack of root beer in the basement in case of root beer float emergencies, but that's only when the pop is on sale...

A Mac girl in a PC world (04/28/06)
If a giant hamburger pops into your head upon hearing the word "Mac," then more than likely you're one of those elitist PC users. (For all of my fellow, yet-naive Mac users, a PC is a personal computer.) Those of us computer users who favor Apple's Macintosh computers, we know we are in the minority...

Endorsed by ... a vacant lot (04/21/06)
Ten items or less While I'll glance at the signs, especially those yards supporting every candidate in every race (if they can't make up their mind in their yard, what is that owner going to do in the voting booth?), I take special notice of those signs displayed where obviously no one lives...

Discovering life beyond the TV (04/14/06)
With Lent coming to a end this weekend, a sacrifice shared by my family will also come to an end -- living without the TV. Although a person is not supposed to announce what they gave up for Lent, the six weeks will nearly be over by the time this hits the newsstands and the debate will have begun on whether to return the TV to its designated spot in the living room...

Unattached and unavailable (04/07/06)
For all of those people who own or use a cellular phone on a regular basis, here is a little pop quiz: Question No. 1) Think of the person you call most often on your cell phone. Now recite that person's entire phone number and No. 2 on speed dial doesn't count...

Things we never knew we needed (03/31/06)
Everyday, we learn new things -- whether we want to or not. And today, I am here to help. Life is full of information we never knew, ideas we never considered, opinions we never recognized. Relax, we're not going to go that deep. Instead, we'll look at things out there in the big, wide world that you never knew you needed and may just wonder how you got by in the world without them...

Basking in the glow of the snow (03/24/06)
While many people may take pride that McCook is the "Hot Spot" of Nebraska, I am at the other end of the spectrum. I long for cold, snowy days like we finally experienced earlier this week; my spirits soar as the snow piles upon the ground. Only when the snow stops falling and the sun emerges does my mood peak and return to normal...

Living in the childless lane (03/17/06)
For nearly four complete days, I became something hadn't been in nearly 10 years -- childless. Those with grown children, you have probably blocked out all memories of waking up with small bodies in your bed, loading and unloading into car seats or buying extra items at the store because either something got broken or you didn't notice the item in the grocery cart until after everything was rung up...

Reasons why the Olympics come every four years (02/24/06)
While I consider myself an athletic person, watching sports on television is not a regular past-time for me. Sure, I watched the Super Bowl, but I was among those millions of people who returned to the living room just in time for the commercials and planned my bathroom breaks for the first through fourth downs...

The bane of big families (02/17/06)
The commercials directed at families with lots of kids and lots of stuff are becoming more common on the airwaves. A large SUV rolls down the highway, the two parents, three children and one dog laughing and singing, the reason for their joyfulness obvious: They have more room in their vehicle than everyone else and are therefore happier...

Too good to be true (02/10/06)
This is for all those parents, mothers in particular, who have been counting down the days until your son or daughter leaves the proverbial nest: It will never happen. At least according to scientists at the Tupper Research Center, children will live within their mother for the rest of her life in the form of fetal cells...

Economic growth, but at what cost? (01/27/06)
Ten items or less Proponents want to use the lake to encourage economic growth in the Omaha-Lincoln corridor. Beside the environmental impact, legislators need to consider the personal impact because the lake would eliminate the town of Ashland, population 2,500. ...

Not alone in vacuuming fetishes (01/20/06)
Despite the advances in technology, many people can still feel alone and isolated, especially when they they reflect on their individual habits. This is especially true when it comes to vacuuming, a very personalized, individualized chore. Everyone has a particular way that they vacuum, whether it's in circles or diagonal, daily, weekly or when things start sticking to your feet...

Playing 'old school' video games (01/13/06)
The rain is falling. It's cold outside. Everyone has actually cleaned their room. What to do for the day? One option is to drag out all the old video games systems that have been gathering dust in the basement. I'm still in a firm believer in the original systems and own an Atari system and the first Nintendo set-up. These 25-year-old systems may be all that is available in your house if you're like me and refuse to give into these "fly by night" systems such as PlayStations and XBoxes...

Nothing to fear but the camera (01/06/06)
Most people do not age a decade within one week's time. But that is exactly what I have done between the last week of 2005 and this first week in 2006. Whether it's trying to avoid aging, the unwillingness to step in front of a camera or procrastinating about getting a up-to-date photo taken, it's easy to just keep on using an old picture. But I finally bit the bullet -- after nearly 10 years -- and updated my picture...

Read the labels, heed the signs of change (12/30/05)
As the year draws to a close, journalists have it the easiest. For a year-end wrap-up, all they have to do is rehash everything that happened over the past yea. The year-end lists are everywhere from the most popular folk songs of the year to the Top 10 fashion mistakes; what star couples broke up (whom we'll never meet) to what top criminals broke out (and whom we're thankful that we'll never meet)...

Torn over Christmas letters (12/23/05)
The last of the Christmas cards, holiday greetings, seasonal salutes, whatever you want to call them will be arriving in the next two days. (Or they'll be showing up in the mail for the next week if you send them out on Christmas Eve like me.) Inside many of those cards will be the traditional Christmas letter. The letter serves as a summary of the past year, catching everyone up to date on what has (or in some cases hasn't) gone on with the entire family...

Christmas trees: Real vs. Artificial (12/16/05)
By this time of year, most people either have a Christmas tree up and decorated in their living room or have assumed the attitude, "Oh, can we just skip it this year?" While that latter idea entered my head briefly, it is more or less a given that we'll have tree, given that we happen to have five small children in my house...

Embracing the winter weather (12/09/05)
Love it or loathe it, the recent snow has brought a sense of the holidays to the air. While we can do without the winds and the white-out conditions, waking up to a fresh layer of snow means the holidays are quickly approaching and nothing gets you in the mood like Christmas decorations...

Flipping through the days 'til Christmas (12/02/05)
Snow covers the ground. Lights line the rooftops. Eight-foot blow-up figures are more common than pink flamingos on a 40th birthday. All tell-tale signs that the holiday season is nearing. But the most obvious signal that Christmas is just around the corner actually began weeks ago as our mailboxes became fuller and fuller with the arrival of catalogs and magazines...

Adventures in Lincoln (11/25/05)
Every year, the debate resurfaces about whether to hold the Nebraska high school football championships at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln or at a high school stadium. While a high school stadium would allow more hometown fans to attend the game, a trip to Memorial Stadium is very motivational and inspirational for the team, the staff and the fans...

Does government owe us television? (11/18/05)
Last year, I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time. While the event did include more than three dozen people, I was prepared to host it again this year. But another family member offered to have everyone over for the holiday next week. While they may be using some far-fetched claim such as wanting to introduce their son's fiancé, I suspect other motives: My family's lack of football games on the television, a day-long staple during our Thanksgiving gatherings...

Venturing onto the field of sports (11/11/05)
Although sports are an important aspect of my family's life, we would rather play than watch. I've never understood spending an entire afternoon in front of a television set watching someone else play a game when you could be outside playing the sport yourself. But that's just me...

Overwhelmed by all the choices (11/04/05)
Maybe it was because I had stocked up on adhesive bandages at some point in the past. Maybe it was because I had implemented the rule that no Band-Aids are to be used unless there is blood -- and it's flowing profusely. Regardless of the reason, Band-Aid purchases had been some time in the past. It wasn't until I mangled my own hand and needed several strips to control the blood loss, that I realized that my household was nearly out of Band-Aids and added it to my shopping list...

Costumes, candy weigh heavily on minds, hips (10/28/05)
If the popularity of a holiday can be determined by the number of plastic storage containers tucked away in a basement, then Halloween comes in a close second only to Christmas at my house. Actually, if the costumes which have mysteriously migrated to the dress-up boxes were counted, Halloween might assume "most items taking up space for one holiday" status...

Opening eyes in the big city (10/21/05)
With gas prices likely to stay way above the $2 a gallon mark for the long-term, my family will be limiting its' out-of-town trips. This is unfortunate because trips away from home provide numerous learning opportunities not available in smaller communities...

Wedding pictures: Better late than never (10/14/05)
Everyone who is a die-hard, life-long procrastinator, raise your hands. Never mind. You can do that later if you would like. But I know I'm not alone in putting things off until the last moment. Some people thrive on the urgency of doing things with the pressure of a deadline over their heads. ...

Life in the slow lane with technology (09/30/05)
Organization is not my middle name. In fact, it's usually not even in my vocabulary. Combine my lack of organization with all the tiny technology gizmos in our lives today and I'm constantly compensating for lost gizmos. Take cell phones for an example. Because of speed dial and preprogramming, many cell phone users don't know the numbers they are dialing. They simply push No. 4 and Joe Schmoe rings up on the other end of the line...

Ignoring No. 1, focusing on mediocrity (09/23/05)
Ten items or less n If you are in Nebraska for at least 10 minutes during the fall, the topic of the Nebraska Cornhuskers will come up -- all devoted to football. Page upon page will be devoted to the football team, despite playing teams they wouldn't have considered playing 10 years ago...

Educating at home can test patience, organization, sanity (09/16/05)
While most students prepared for the new school year by purchasing new clothes, classroom supplies and backpacks, there are a select few students whose preparation included clearing off the dining room table -- home schoolers. Every time I help one of my children with their spelling words or review for a test, my admiration grows for those who choose to home school their children...

Whiling away the day with sudoku (09/09/05)
"Everyone was crouched over the dining room table all morning, doing these puzzles, nobody talking." My mother relayed the situation at her house during a recent visit by her brother and his wife and daughter. A brother who had driven more than eight hours to reach her house. A brother whom she saw once or twice a year. A brother who had spent a small fortune in gasoline to visit for the weekend...

Getting inventive with fuel alternatives (09/02/05)
My wishes seem to change regularly. Sometimes, it's to lose weight. Sometimes, it's to have more patience. Sometimes, it's to understand what my 3-year-old is saying. Recently, however, my wish has been to be inventive and creative because then I could come up with a solution to my family's latest dilemma: An 8-person, leg-powered vehicle...

A future in the weed business (08/26/05)
My respect for farmers continues to grow, every time I pass a lush field in full bloom. True, farmers provide the vegetables to put on our plates each evening. They raise the wheat for our breakfast cereal in the morning. But my admiration stems from the weed-free fields. In reality, the fields may not be completely weed free, but at least the weeds are not towering over the plants -- unlike my garden...

The appeal of home-grown carnivals (08/19/05)
Ten items or less n Time to hop up on my soapbox ... The last of the county fairs is wrapping up and once again, the carnivals have left a particular impression on me. When it comes to community-run, home-grown carnivals versus outside-run carnivals, McCook may be at a disadvantage: We're too big to have our own carnival...

Tri-ing something different (08/12/05)
Young people are regularly encouraged to try new things despite their reluctance: Food: How do you know you don't like it if you've never tried it? Clothes: Trust me. No one will know they're girl jeans. Sports: Just finish out the season. After all, I've already ordered the pictures including that personalized button...

Countdown is on for children -- and parents (08/05/05)
August is here. The sweetest sounding month of the entire year, at least to parents of school-age children, has arrived and the countdown has begun. It seems like summer vacation began just yesterday but for most students the number of weeks left can be counted on one hand...

Keeping track of lost time with reunions (07/29/05)
If our time spent looking for lost things uses up great blocks of our lives, then reunions make us realize how much time has been lost. With the nose to the grindstone, days are spent going to work, doing laundry, driving to soccer games. Time spent with distant friends is pushed to the back burners. Before you know it, a decade has passed since you have seen people which you spent every waking hour with for years during college...

A life spent searching and searching (07/22/05)
A birthday came and went for me recently. If I don't change my ways soon, that 40th birthday will be right around the corner and I will have missed the next seven years -- all because I spent my time looking. I'm not looking for the meaning of life. I'm not looking for a great lasagna recipe. I'm not even looking for a good laundry detergent. I spent all my time looking for things...

Where have all the swimmers gone? (07/15/05)
Summer may be here, but sometimes -- even on those fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk hot days -- you wouldn't know that as you drive by the swimming pool. Sure, the kids are still making those daring dives off the pool deck into water where they can't touch. The kids are still trying to make a full flip from the diving board, only to make it half way and landing on their backs...

Life-long camper still learning (07/08/05)
My marriage is being strained and not just by the sheer number of children and animals at my house. No, any marriage will be tested if one spouse likes to camp and the other would have the majority of his or her teeth pulled rather than sleep in a tent. I put the wedding vows -- those little ones about sticking together through better or worse, through sickness and health, through camping and not camping -- to the test during a recent camping trip...

Point A to Point B: The road trip (07/01/05)
With summer officially here, another official season has begun: The family road trip. A road trip can bring to mind memories of joy or pangs of dread, depending upon the number of the times the vehicle is allowed to stop along the way. This is where disputes can arise...

Getting a better handle on mowing (06/17/05)
Many people bemoan the chore of mowing the lawn. True, you get dirty from the flying grass and blowing dirt. The machines can be difficult to maintain. And it takes up time that you could be using for more constructive activities such as lounging on your porch swing...

Green thumb missing from garden (06/10/05)
Every spring, the same thought process occurs. First idea: I'm going to plant the most abundant, most organized, most plentiful garden ever. Let's buy three of every variety of plant. I'll can enough food to last my family throughout the winter months. This will be wonderful. (Add the sounds and visuals of Julie Andrews running over the hilltop in "The Sound of Music" and you'll get the picture.)...

Searching for the sense of snakes (06/03/05)
What do the wind, mosquitoes and snakes have in common? I'm not fond of any of them and I'm not sure of their purpose. While there are few ways to elude the wind and mosquitoes, I make it a regular and usually successful practice to avoid snakes. Yet, it seems like I'm seeing them everywhere right now. ...

Too slow for the Torch run? (05/27/05)
Ten items or less Some ideas look better on paper than in reality. Other ideas remain better in concept than in actuality. This is especially true when the idea is an event involving hundreds of people and throwing off everyone's schedule. Now my friend is having second thoughts about participating. ...

Scrapbooking to graduation and beyond (05/20/05)
The graduation season is wrapping up. The mints created in school colors I never knew existed will all be gone, the personalized cakes which always make me queasy when the "face" is cut into are finished, the countless helium "Grad" balloons will sink to the ground. Which means only one thing is left: Opening the graduation presents...

Reaching the saturation point on animals (05/13/05)
With food, you eat until you feel full, at least most of the time. With clothes, you shop until you can't stuff any more shirts or skirts into the closet, at least most of the time. With animals? Now that's an entirely different story, at least at my house...

New form of exercise: Mushroom hunting (05/06/05)
The newspaper article sat in front of me with a story about kids and exercising and bonding. It's true that America's youth are growing bigger and unfortunately, it's not just taller. In response, today's parents are enrolling their kids in pilates and yoga classes and signing youngsters up for kid gyms, according to the article...

Prom is better -- 15 years later (04/29/05)
Prom season is here for kids as well as adults. Not many people get a chance later in life to attend prom, yet that opportunity has opened up to me several times since my husband is a teacher. If you're ever asked to chaperone a dance, jump at the chance. There are few occasions which are so fulfilling...

The mystery of the Pope's appeal (04/22/05)
Despite accounting for "just" one-fifth of the world's population, stories about Catholics and the pope have dominated media coverage the past several weeks. Much has been written about the events taking place at the Vatican -- yet I'm perplexed. I don't fully understand the ample media coverage. ...

Conquering the fear of technology (04/15/05)
Every week I scribble notes for this column down on a scrap of paper. As the week progresses, more information is added. Soon, most of the column is done, yet one task remains. I still have to type it into the computer. Not once have I written an entire column while sitting in front of the computer. Call me Old School, but no one will ever take my pen and paper away...

Trying to leave the dinner rut behind (04/08/05)
The refrigerator doors are wide open. The shelves are half empty (or half full, depending upon your point-of-view). And there you stand, waiting for dinner to miraculously appear before you eyes. I cannot count the number of times I have opened the kitchen cabinets or the freezer door, hoping that a fully-planned dinner is just sitting there, waiting for the taking. ...

No time for work or play, only exercise (04/01/05)
The time has come to give up your jobs, to give up your hobbies, to give up any thoughts of keeping your house clean. (OK the last one I gave up a long time ago.) Why? Because you're going to be spending more time exercising. While the government still recommends 30 minutes of exercise each day, a recent study gives as much weight to 60 minutes and 90 minutes of exercise each and every day...

Learning to be a good wife, '50s style (03/25/05)
Once in a while, I stumble across something that is just too good not to pass on. Such was the case when the "The Good Wife's Guide" fell into my hands by, of all people, my husband. Published in Housekeeping Weekly, May 13, 1955, the article lists in detail how to be a "Good Wife."...

Meeting up with the 'Crue' (03/18/05)
Every year during the month of March, families, church groups, students head out of town for that annual tradition -- spring break. Some come back with souvenirs; some with a treasured photos; some with great stories. For a McCook family, they came back with all of the above -- with the most memorable event ending up as nothing they could have planned...

Did you hear the one ... (03/11/05)
**A blonde just got fired from a painting job and needs money, so she goes to her neighbor and asks him if he needs anything painted. The man tells her that she could paint his porch. About an hour later, she comes back to the man and says, "I'm done and just so you know, it's a Mercedes, not a Porsche."...

VSA: It hits early and often (03/04/05)
A study needs to be done, research needs to be completed, a solution needs to be found for a reoccurring dilemma: Video Store Amnesia. Nearly everyone knows what I'm referring to. You're standing in the video rental store, trying to find something you haven't seen six times or know the lines backwards and forwards...

Staying awake with sports broadcasts (02/25/05)
The darkened highway stretches out in front of you for miles with no break in sight. Everyone in the vehicle is sound asleep with only an occasional snore to break the monotony. In an effort to stay alert, you start scanning the radio dial, looking for a lively song...

Replacing one, fluffy wandering animal with another (02/18/05)
Since my dog passed away several weeks ago, I have been inundated with suggestions for a replacement. The proposals began the day of the burial with a request from my 4-year-old for a small dog, which is not an option in my house with several, small destructive children...

Quantity over quality on Valentine's Day (02/11/05)
Recently in an advice column, a woman asked if her daughter could give Valentine's Day cards to just the girls in her class. (I should note that I always read the advice column and question-and-answer features first in the newspaper, just to make myself feel better and you never know when you'll learn something.)...

Trying to fit in with every other state (02/04/05)
Ten items or less: n In their second month of distribution, Nebraska's new license plates are appearing on more and more cars. The plates, with the light blue edging and dark blue letters, replace the previous orange and red plates of the past three years...

Trying to find the silver lining (01/28/05)
Doggie snow globes. Doggie seat belts. Doggie leather jackets (Harley Davidson, of course). If you want something for your dog or something featuring your dog, it's out there. You just have to be willing to fork over some hard-earned cash. So, it was no surprise to find that there is an abundant supply of dog urns, dog remembrance items and dog funeral options available for purchase if you lose your dog, which happened to my family this past week...

Mastering the flop, turn and river (01/21/05)
Unless you have been living under a rock, were raised by a rock or have a pet rock as your only friend, you've likely heard of No Limits Texas Hold 'Em, a poker game which is everywhere. This last Christmas, either you or someone you know likely bought a loved one something poker-related. Just ask around and someone will have received a set of poker chips...

Setting new records for raccoons and fog (01/14/05)
Usually at this time of year, news articles abound with lists about the best and biggest from the previous year. In case you haven't noticed by now, we're not usual here. Instead, I have news about the biggest and best from the first two weeks of this year and I think they'll stand the test of time or at least through the end of the month...