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Longing for a longer summer, more time outdoors

It has happened — summer has come and pretty much gone. Why is it that the season never seems long enough? Winter, by contrast, seems to drag on forever. So why can’t summer slow down and take on the lazy, hazy characteristics that I remember from childhood? No, autumn has not arrived on the calendar, and there are very few leaves on the ground. But there’s a chill in the evenings that has my windows closed. Days are getting shorter and shorter, and there’s just something in the air that tells me summer may have had it’s last blast of the year. Schools are back in ...

Be a leader and make decisions for tomorrow

This week, squirrels in my neighborhood are running all over. Our neighborhood has a lot of hickory trees. What’s unusual, they all have nuts in their mouth and aren’t eating them now. Instead they are carrying them up to their tree nests preparing for winter. Preparing for tomorrow is something people can do, like cutting firewood for winter. Having regular health checkups today can avoid more serious problems in the future. Young people attend college, technical school or join a skilled trade as an apprentice to prepare for a career tomorrow. Some people prepare for the challenges ...

Success in anything starts with belief

We just got back from a trip to southern West Virginia for a soccer match with Pikeview High School. This was an important match for us since we lost to an impressive George Washington High School team on Tuesday night 0-5. GW dominated us controlling the game and allowing us only one shot on goal. It was our worst loss in over four years and really stung. Tonight’s game was important to get us back on track. Pikeview has a good team. We were flat in the first half and trailed 0-2 at halftime. Coach Joe talked strategy and what needed to change in the second half. I did my best to ...

Listen to the music and let yourself live a little

This is not the first time I have written about the power of music, but it never hurts to remind people how important it is to experience the beauty of life. My husband, Mike, and I are not very good at vacationing. It’s been at least seven years since we took a real trip away from home. We usually opt to take time off from work and to spend it trying to improve our situation at home. From remodeling our kitchen to rebuilding our front porch, we have had plenty of tasks to keep us busy. That has proven true again this year, as we have not traveled and have no plans to do so. But, ...

‘Love Doves’ luck with nesting site runs out

Well, Round 3 did not turn out so well. The “Love Doves,” as Mike and I have been calling them, followed a very similar pattern with their third clutch of eggs laid in the hanging basket on our porch. Each took turns sitting on the pair of perfect, white eggs daily, with a shift change from male to female occurring around sunset. We figured that everything was going according to plan, just as it had with the first two pairs of eggs that they successfully hatched. A few days ago, we saw a familiar sight. A tiny head was poking out of the leaves of my spider plant. We watched and ...

Belmont County Fair a family tradition since 1849

The first weekend of September means it is officially fair season in Belmont County, and the Belmont County Fair is one of the best in the state. It is a celebration that everyone looks forward to, and an event that brings our communities together. The 174th annual Belmont County Fair is set to start on Labor Day, Sept. 4, and continue through Sept. 10. The Belmont County Fair has been a family tradition since 1849. Fairgoers can see livestock exhibitions featuring rabbits, cows, horses, goats, chickens and more. They can indulge in a variety of food options such as funnel cakes, ...