Our son, Kyle, and his wife, Eunbi, came home for Christmas this year. We had been to New York state last October to visit them after the birth of their daughter, Eve. This visit was supposed to be a …

I knew, when the day arrived, I would regret my decision. When I committed weeks before, it sounded like a great idea, but now with the day upon me, I wished I would have declined the invitation. …

Local histories cannot be written without mentioning early missionaries that came to the area. One of the least known is also one who had a varied life. Monsignor Vincent Yzermans, in his 1985 …

The role of the county commissioner is an important one throughout the year but holds extra significance in the second half of the year when budget discussions start for the following year. One of a …

A red poinsettia sits on a table in our office. I have a Christmas cactus with light pink blooms, which is a gift from a friend, on my desk, next to an artificial Christmas tree. At home, I have two other Christmas cactuses; one which is in full bloom. It started blooming around Thanksgiving with more flowers opening as we approach Christmas.

There was a time when Fanny Farmer was associated with a sweet tooth. The product was a well-known chocolate candy, and an Avon area family played a part in that success. The book “Nestled Between Lakes and Wooded Hills,” written by Jean Blonigen Clancy as a centennial history of Avon, records that the Frank Becker, Sr., family owned a resort on Upper Spunk Lake. 

My coworker told me this week I need a shorter memory. She’s right. I even preach the same philosophy to my softball players. Be a goldfish. By the time the goldfish circles its bowl, it has forgotten the previous lap. I shout “goldfish mentality” from the dugout after a wild pitch or an error on a play. Forget it. Move on. Focus on the next pitch, the next play, the next chance to get it right.

“Oh, tidings of comfort and joy” is sung every Christmas and holiday season. In one way, it describes the general feeling of most songs. They are familiar, comfortable reminders of what the season should be. Mis-sung lines and phrases from Christmas songs might create a sense of unease during the holiday. Consider some of these image-changing visions from mangled Christmas classics.

There are complaints — some justified — on how commercial Christmas is.  The sentiment gives the impression that until recent years Christmas was devoid of sales, promotions or events other than the celebration of the birth of Christ. That’s also a bit erroneous. 

I’m taking you on a Christmas trip back in time. Some of you will hopefully remember the performances on this time trip. 

They all fit. I wasn’t sure they would, but they did. All 35 of them.

The United States, as a nation, has a tradition of isolationism.