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Family Time, by Diane Chase

The holiday decorator

My Christmas lights stay up all year long, or do they? It’s all in the name. Those little white lights surrounding my porch are fairy/twinkle lights in the summer. The same innocent string of white bulbs is part of the holiday spirit the day after Thanksgiving. For me, the pressure has been ...

Food insecurity

Not everyone will be celebrating Thanksgiving. There are numerous reasons, from the holiday’s repressive history and religious differences to loneliness. It must be overwhelming to see a giant blowup turkey waving while worrying about how to put food on the table. This holiday may focus on ...

The ‘Mean Girls’ phenomenon

I’m showing my age when I say I remember seeing Tina Fey’s movie, “Mean Girls,” in the movie theatre. The movie came to theatres a year before YouTube became one of the first video streaming platforms. (I digress as I sit in my rocking chair thinking about the good ol’ days.) Though ...

Losing the grocery cart quarter

There comes a time when a quarter is no longer just a quarter. I’ve always subscribed to the “Pay it Forward” philosophy. I can do something nice for someone and not ask for anything back but ask the person to, perhaps, do something nice for someone else. There are no set requirements ...

Too old to get a treat?

I usually buy too much candy for Halloween. I worry about children being disappointed. I feel I’m one snack-size candy bar away from Halloween chaos. We aren’t concerned about the age of the students knocking on our door. Our philosophy is that a little bit of candy makes everyone feel like ...

A great idea

The words that instill dread in my husband are “I have a great idea.” He usually responds, “How long will your great idea take me?” As the self-proclaimed idea person, I have faith in my husband’s skills to be part of our team to see things to completion. I’ve thought things out. ...