Columnists

The first time a child looks up at you and says “You’re my hero,” or something to that effect, your thoughts stumble for a moment. If you’re like me, when my grandson Booga said it to me the other day, I thought “Well, if you really knew what went on inside my head you’d think differently.”...

I am so excited about an event that I have been invited to recently. This is the year that the Class of 1957 of Brazil High School celebrates our 60th reunion. The date is Saturday, July 1, 2017. Classmates will celebrate, this time, at the home of Sam and Joyce Emmert. I received my notice of this event in mid-May...

World War II had many casualties. One was Lena, Indiana, native 2nd Lt. Wilbur “Web” Thomas Reinoehl. The 26-year-old man was a navigator on a B-24 bomber flying missions over Germany. Unfortunately, he was killed in action when his plane was shot down during his 6th mission on May 19, 1944...

"It's the most wonderful time of the year …" Sing the phrase of that great old song and people think of Christmas. I love Christmas but I honestly get more excited when the Brazil Rotary Club passes out scholarships at $1,000 each, as we did this year...

My granddaughter, Lindsay Marie Terry, and I set our clocks to make sure we tumbled out of our beds early Saturday morning. The Peach Truck is on tour. Brownsburg’s Frazee Garden Center is on their schedule. The company is located in Georgia. Each year, sometimes twice, they tour through Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania...

This has been a busy day. The yard work went amazingly well. I cut the grass and Paul handled the trimming. He seems to be feeling better. The rays from the hot sun felt good this sunny morning. The first peach trucks will be rolling into town Saturday. ...

It’s graduation season again. If your child is graduating from high school or college, you have reason to celebrate. But what should you give to your newly minted diploma holder? You might want to consider offering a combination of financial gifts and tips, which, taken together, could set your graduate on a path toward a successful, independent life...

I just purchased a tree to replace the ash tree that died last year. The ash borers stripped the stately tree, an amenity to the frontage of this property. Now, months later, we have decided to add a beautiful Royal Purple Smoke tree, several feet from the site the infestation of borers took place. The master gardener at Frazee Gardens in Brownsburg claimed the flowering specimen will fill out and grow as much as 15 feet before it tops out at maturity, perfect for the small yard...

Are you OK? Don’t know how many times I’ve answered that question since my father died on April 25. I understand that people are offering their condolences, and that is so nice of them. I’ve tried to put on my best smile when answering, but a couple of times the facade cracked and I struggled with tears to answer...

Many of the mainline denominations have agreements with one another where pastors can be shared with other denominations. This is officially called “Altar and Pulpit Fellowship.” For example, I am Lutheran (a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and we have fellowships with the Presbyterian, Methodist, Moravian and Episcopal churches, and a few others I am forgetting. Essentially, such an agreement says these denominations have more in common with each other than differences...

In a recent column I reported on an effort in Ohio to bring price transparency to medical services. Ohio state representative Jim Butler had spearheaded passage of legislation that would require healthcare providers including doctors and hospitals to disclose prices for their services. ...

Have you ever been the victim of a scam? Probably most of us have heard of the Nigerian scam where someone calls and claims you’ve won a million dollars or so and all you have to do to get your prize is to send them $5,000 for postage, or something like that...

It is nice to have some drying out time before it rains again. There is rain in the forecast. Last evening patchy frost was a possibility, however, this morning I saw nary a hint of that here. Last week brought about drastic changes for us, and especially Paul. ...

The Senate is now adjourned “sine die” – which signifies the end of the 2017 Indiana General Assembly. Before session began, my fellow legislators and I set our priorities, which included finding a long-term, sustainable road funding plan, keeping our state budget balanced, replacing the ISTEP exam and improving our workforce development efforts. Now that session is over, here is a review of some of the major bills that achieve these goals:...

Most people like rainbows. It’s usually a happy moment when we see one. Have you ever seen the end of a rainbow? My brother, Bill, has. He and his wife, Judy, live in Shoals, in southern Indiana. A few weeks ago my sister heard weather reports of tornadoes in Shoals and people were advised to take cover immediately...

Don’t worry too much if you haven’t heard, but April is National Stress Awareness Month. Of course, stress can present emotional and physical challenges to all of us, but if you belong to the “sandwich generation” – that is, you may be caring for aging parents while still supporting your own children – you may be facing some financial stress as well. What can you do to relieve it?...

Federal funding for meals on wheels is on the chopping block. The Trump administration budget blueprint released in March calls for the elimination of two federal block grants: That’s money the federal government gives the states for social welfare programs, and those programs include home-delivered meals and meals served in senior centers...

Wednesday, what started out to be a good day ended up to be less than pleasant for us. Paul had an appointment to see his primary-care provider at the VA Clinic in Terre Haute. When we moved to Brownsburg he decided to continue to see Dr. Webster there. ...

Good deeds are done with charitable hearts, with no expectation of a pat on the back. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be done,” Grandma Iva used to say. “You do these things because it’s a gift from you to whomever. You give because you care, not because you want something in return.”...

Turning healthcare consumers into educated shoppers has long been a goal of employers who foot the bill for most care, politicians and some consumer organizations that believe that someday shopping for care should be as easy as comparing brands of canned soup...

A vegan is a person who doesn’t eat any meat, fish, dairy or eggs. Nor will they use anything made from animals such as leather shoes and fur coats. Vegetarians don’t eat meat either but may eat fish, eggs and dairy and may use animal byproducts. For this column I’m using the terms vegan and vegetarian interchangeably even though they are not...

Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare are getting lots of media attention. But like most reporting on major issues, the coverage is about who’s up, who’s down, who wins, and who loses. Explanations of how proposals will affect people will get short shift...

How often do you think about your ears? Probably not a lot. Why would we? We don’t see them unless we’re looking in a mirror. Even then we may not notice them unless we’re putting on earrings. They’re not cute, they don’t have joints, they don’t bear weight. Mostly we’re just not aware of them...