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Friendships are worth time and effort

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Mother Theresa called loneliness “the most terrible disease.” Theologian G. K. Chesterton claimed that he learned more from watching children than from any philosophy book. Chesterton noted that when young children go to bed without their favorite stuffed animal, they not only miss the toy, they also believe their toy misses them. For Chesterton, that “missing” was proof that God created us to be in relationship with others; we need friends. God himself validates those thoughts. At the time of Creation, all was perfect and right until God created Adam. Then, for the first ...

Paw paws, America’s first fruit

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There it was, laying next to the grass trimmer I was about to start: a paw paw, the first fruit of the season. Suzanne had found it doing yard work. It was ripe, and I took a bite. Fantastic! Paw paw has an Appalachian ring to it, sounding like a dog extremity or ma’s husband. A paw paw is ...

Should schools ban cell phones?

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A few weeks ago the board for the second largest school district in the country, Los Angeles Unified School District, voted to ban students’ cell phone use during the school day. Within days, the chancellor for the largest school district, New York City Public Schools, also announced that they are enacting a cell phone ban. When asked by local reporters from WNYW about this ban, Chancellor David Banks was quoted to say “They’re not just a distraction, kids are fully addicted now to phones.” The policies that these school districts are putting in place will fully remove ...

Time management for school homework assignments

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I feel a strong need to discuss the significance of homework. There is nothing that irritates a teacher more than students who procrastinate completing their homework assignments. Throughout the remainder of this writing, I will offer ideas for doing homework. I am writing it specifically for students; therefore, it is imperative that parents share this important information with their school-aged children. Now let’s begin with the following athletic analogy. Coaches, first and foremost, want all their players to gain positive experiences from athletics. To accomplish this goal, ...

Sedum: Beautiful, low-maintenance plant for the home landscape

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Hello, Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! The dry weather continues here in the Valley. I hope we receive the rain which is in the forecast for the weekend. Water needs for our field crops, gardens and landscape plants are always a big topic during a dry spell. Backyard gardeners may look into selecting more drought-resistant plants for the home landscape. Drought-tolerant plants have built-in features to minimize water loss and maximize water uptake. Plants may have reduced leaf areas and bear small leaves or needles. Others have large leaves with deep indentations (sinuses) ...

Area rivers teem with life

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The area’s rivers have always been important for those living in the area. Native Americans frequently fished the waters, and hunted the game, such as elk and bison that came to the water edge. When the European settlers first arrived, they found the abundant fish and the game living nearby to be a valuable food source. Early writing about the area describes eight bison being hunted along Duck Creek during the winter of 1792. Some of the fish caught in area rivers were huge, including a 96-pound pike caught in the Muskingum in July of 1788. Those living in Ohio hunted much of ...