One of the mixed blessings brought to us by COVID has been the rapid expansion of virtual meetings and online events. Although Skype got us moving in this direction, Zoom, YouTube, Facebook Live and other platforms accelerated the movement toward meetings where we don’t actually meet. All of these options…
With Thanksgiving officially behind us, we begin our approach to Christmas complete with parades, shopping, decorating and baking. Over the next few weeks billions of presents will be purchased and even more cards sent to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Just before Christmas, however, is a Jewish holiday known as Hanukkah. This…
No other holiday is as warm and cozy as Thanksgiving. Although the air may be crisp outdoors, inside the stove heats the entire house as the turkey roasts to perfection stuffed with dressing and encircled by potatoes, carrots, and onions. My mouth is watering just writing about it. What great…
Up until I was nearly through high school, I wanted to be a taxidermist. Growing up in my father’s shop brought me into frequent contact with a variety of animals and I was privileged to see the nicest bucks, the largest fish, western mammals, and even African game. Although I…
Tomorrow ushers in another firearms season for whitetail deer in most of the Valley. Muzzleloading season in Shenandoah County officially begins one half hour before sunrise Saturday morning and will continue until one half hour after sunset on November 18. How do I know that? Because I read it in…
Tomorrow would have been our parents’ seventy-second wedding anniversary. They are now both in heaven and although they didn’t get to enjoy that many anniversaries here on earth, they did celebrate 58 of them together. As I shared a while back, my siblings and I came across one of mom’s…
As we approach Halloween, we are reminded of frightening stories told around campfires that kept us awake for many nights to come, but few mastered horror and plot twists as well as Alfred Hitchcock. He is considered by many to be the father of the horror movie genre. In his…
One of the stories buried deep in Genesis is the one where Rebekah offers a drink to a total stranger. Little does she know he is seeking a wife for the son of wealthy Abraham. In great hospitality, she offered and drew water for his camels as well. Rebekah also…
Many readers are familiar with Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of the Biblical David which still stands in Florence, Italy. It is viewed by many as an artistic masterpiece that has survived earthquakes, riots, lightning strikes, vandals, and every outdoor statue’s worst enemy: pigeons. What many do not know is the incredible…
One of the benefits of traveling is learning about other cultures. While Nancy and I were in Hawaii earlier this year, we learned a good bit of its history that has helped make the Hawaiians who they are today. Prior to Captain Cook’s arrival in 1778, the Hawaiians had no…