By Nancy Whitaker

THE CRUISE FROM HELL

Sometimes a couple saves their money all their lives and wait until the kids are grown to take that perfect vacation. Perhaps, they want to go on a cruise to relax and enjoy the warm sun. Everyone dreams of sitting on a lounge chair on the deck soaking up rays and drinking cool drinks.

The food is promised to be the best you have ever eaten and luxurious surroundings will be right at your fingertips.

Personally, I have never had the desire to go on a cruise. First of all I don’t care for the sea or the ocean and getting my feet off of dry land scares me half to death.

By Jim Langham

Several months ago, our washing machine took its final spin before bowing out of service to us. Just prior to that, I had made the decision to start airing out our laundry at a laundromat in Berne, Ind., where I work for the local newspaper several days a week.

The big decision came when I noticed that the steps to our basement decided to start growing and seemed taller each time I carried the clothes up and down the stairs.

So once or twice a week, I tote a garbage bag full of clothes to the car for the 38-mile drive to Berne.

One evening when I arrived home from such a task, Joyce and I decided to go out for supper. Casually, she said to me, “I'll need the laundry because the clothes I want to wear tonight are in there.”

By Nancy Whitaker

A Valentine’s Day gift

Valentines Day is tomorrow, Feb. 14. Are you a romantic person who surprises your sweetheart with that special gift? Do you like chocolates, flowers, jewelry or maybe a book? I am a romantic at heart and I love getting any of the above gifts. Now, I know that some of the stores had Valentine’s Day gifts on the shelves right after Christmas, so I guess we have all had plenty of time to get something for that special someone.

They say a woman remembers Valentine’s Day more than a man does. She is more apt to throw out hints on what she wants and nine chances out of ten she will also buy her sweetie something.

But, did you know, guys, that there are certain items your gal just may not want for Valentine’s Day? In fact, there is a list of what not to buy women and a list of what not to buy for men on Feb. 14. I find the list interesting, because not everyone is alike and we all have different ideas of what constitutes a “gift of love.”

By Kylee Baumle

Valentine’s Day is here and many of you will be receiving flowers from someone who loves or cares for you. The most commonly given flower is the red rose, but what if you get something else? Is your lover trying to tell you something in a subtle way, something that they’re reluctant to say any other way?

Flowers have a language all their own, some of which remains commonly known and used to this day. Red roses mean love and yellow ones signify friendship. But, the messages of yesteryear weren’t always those of love or friendship.

Though the language of flowers has its origins as far back as the 1600s, their use to convey specific messages has been linked most significantly to Victorian England. During the mid-1800s, it became popular in the U.S. as well.

By Nancy Whitaker

TALES OF DETAILS

How close do you pay attention to detail? How quick are you to notice changes to someone's appearance such as a new hair style or new glasses? How long does it take you to notice a change in your surroundings?

It is funny what details you might notice that I don’t. The age old question has been posed to me many times, “Don’t you notice anything different today?”

One day I was typing away on my computer and someone said, “Don’t you see anything different?”

I looked around at my desk and everything appeared to be in place. I said, “No. Should I?”

By Kylee Baumle

As a garden book reviewer, I receive quite a number of books in the mail each week for me to consider giving my opinion as to whether they’re worth the time and money readers might spend on them. It may come as no surprise when I say that I look them over and for the most part, choose to read only the ones that I think I’m going to like. I try to keep things positive that way.

There are very few books that I’d say are outstanding, but there are an awful lot of good ones. One that I recently read and reviewed was “The Roots of My Obsession.” It’s a collection of essays by some well-known figures in the world of horticulture, telling how they got started gardening, what they like best about it and why they do it.

By Nancy Whitaker

I WONDER AS I WANDER

I have always been a curious person and have always found myself wondering about things that maybe no one else thinks about.

I used to ask my mama, and anyone else who would listen, so many questions, they used to call me “News Reporter.”

A child does wonder about things and as an adult, I still do. Some of my musings may sound funny, however, I bet we have all questioned some of the same topics.

By Jim Langham

If there is anything that reminds me of my age these days, it is the sense of an "impersonal world" created by technology and the structure that accompanies all of the services available these days in the world around me.

Recently on a Saturday morning, I had a simple question about whether or not an office was open on the weekend in an area business.

I dialed the main number, at which time I was given 10 options to call in order to receive the answer to my question. In addition, number 10 gave eight other options if needed, all of which produced recordings that weren't even close to the answer I needed.

By Nancy Whitaker

Whatever happened to Bob, Dick, Jim, George and Joe? Whatever happened to Mary, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Susan and Margaret? I am not thinking of different people, I am just wondering about the different names that people choose for their kids.

Each year it seems as if couples are coming up with unusual names and I think, “Where did they come up with that name?”

Now I don’t have room to say anything because my first two daughters got more non-traditional names, but my last two children got more common monikers.

By Kylee Baumle

Just two more days and another January will be history! And on Saturday, we get to find out if we’re getting an early spring again this year. It’s time for Buckeye Chuck to make his annual appearance and give us his expert opinion about the weather. His cousin, Punxsutawney Phil, lives one state to our east and is the one most of the country will be watching on Feb. 2.

Buckeye Chuck is Ohio’s resident prognosticator and since 1979, holds the title of Ohio’s Official Groundhog. He’s been predicting weather since the early ’70s, but the tradition has its origins in Germany and says that if the groundhog emerges from his hole and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather.