Ragnarok
Well, here we go again. The Mayan “end of the world” didn’t pan out, so, now we can look forward to the Viking Apocalypse. It seems that in some enormously long poem in Norse mythology written in the 13th century by( Here’s a name to conjure with) Snorri Sturlson, the gods of just about everything and nothing have a whopper...
The Wheels On The Bus…
Even more important than the wheels on the bus is the driver behind the steering wheel in the front of the bus. Here’s your chance to be really, really important–try being a school bus driver. These important people are in short supply right now and really, really needed by about every school district in these parts–and a bunch of other...
The Right Time, For The Right Reasons
We all have a unique relationship with time—some of us thrive on precise schedules; others adapt fluidly as life unfolds. This individuality shapes not just our calendars, but how we approach decisions, prioritize responsibilities, and manage change. Our relationship with money is also complex and personal. There are many paths to success. In times like these, it’s important to align...
The cat came back!
The cat came back! Isn’t that Dr. Seuss or something? Anyway, the cat did not come back—it never left. The cat/kitten is still here and in fine fettle, as they used to say in British horsey circles. This is the sole survivor of a litter that was left on my back doorstep and, in the manner of kittens in general,...
Cabin Fever Factoids
Being stuck inside(Where it’s marginally warmer) for extended periods can send a person(at least this one)over the edge, or at least out on the slippery part. While out there, one can run across some quirkily weird items in the news, To wit...
Quick, check the calendar! Is it winter yet?
Wholeeee Snowleee! When the real thing hits, It’s gonna be “Bessie bar the doors!” if this is just the preview. Wouldn’t you know that this exercise in inclemency--weather division--happens in the year that the powers-that-be down in Columbus, where the sun never sets, have decreed that there will be only three snow days. Kiss the early end of school...
Time Out!
Well…seasons have started…football season, soccer season, volleyball season, cross country season, interscholastic golf season (The regular duffers have been going at it all summer), marching band season…you name it, the season has started. School is like the opening gun for all sorts of stuff. There are, however, plenty of competitions out there which we “wot not of”. Such as: Amazon has just agreed to pony up a ton of money--$970 million—for some outfit called Twitch which makes it possible for video gamers to watch—just watch, not play themselves—other video gamers play…what else?...video games! This is causing great commotion in the online world for some reason and many of the big names—whatever they are, in the online gamers world are all a-buzz about it. I am not one of these people. Let us get this straight; people can get on their computers to watch other people play video games. Just what IS it that these watchers DO? They don’t have to even move their fingers, just barely their eyeballs. Do the actual players get any feedback on their play? Are there electronic/digital cheerleaders chanting algorithmic encouragement from the in-the-cloud sidelines? Any rain delays when a server goes down? The questions have only just begun to roll in.
“I was looking at a magazine and I saw this little ceramic bird stuck in the middle of a pie. Can you tell me anything about it?”
“I was looking at a magazine and I saw this little ceramic bird stuck in the middle of a pie. Can you tell me anything about it?” Some members of the Newton Falls Public Library staff were familiar with this cute item known as a pie bird, but having some personal understanding about a topic does not always supply...
April Showers
O.K., if “April showers bring May flowers”, what, in the name of all saints are we going to get based upon our most recent weather extravaganzas? Gonna be some flowers! Speaking of which (Great segue, eh?), I’ve got all sorts of things coming up around here. As usual, I don’t know what most of them are until they’re in full...
A File In The Cake?
I’m sure that somebody is going to “rat me out” and tell the Portage Park District that I’ve been pulling up plants along the Headwaters Trail. Indeed, I have been doing exactly that but the evidence will show that what I’ve been pulling up is a vast number of invasive weeds known as Garlic Mustard. Actually, it’s kinda cute,...
“What makes a rock maple table different from a regular maple table?”
“What makes a rock maple table different from a regular maple table?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff began their investigation in the library’s woodworking books. We found a complete list of various woods with photographs and descriptions in The Complete Manual of Woodworking by Albert Jackson, David Dan and Simon Jennings, p. 26. There are two kinds of...
What You’ll See When the Tide Goes Out
Some seasons announce themselves gently. Others arrive with unexpected surprises. So far, 2026 feels like the latter — filled with news that makes us think more carefully about security, stability, and the people we care about most. Surprises can act as a spotlight. They draw our attention to what we value, where we may feel exposed, and what deserves protection....
The machines are out to get me!
Does a computer count as a machine or a device? Matters not, they’re after me. So I’m sitting at the computer typing away at my much-anticipated column for this week, when, out of the blue—or whatever color cyberspace is nowadays—the screen went black (that color I know) and totally unresponsive. I wiggled and jiggled various plugs and...
Winter Wonderland?
So… I’ve been wondering a whole bunch of stuff about this so-called winter which we have been having. It seems that there are records of all sort being broken all over the place…highest temperature on such-and-such a date…least amount of snow for whatever month…lowest temperature on some other date (Thank God every day that we do not live in...
Fiscal Fashions
So...I’m listening to a radio program called “Marketplace” and discovered an interesting idea from some economic guru—Michael Bloomburg or Warren Buffett or some such multimillionaire. Whoever this dude was, he said that he frequently followed the MUI—the Men’s Underwear Index(not to be confused with the Modern University of Information and Technology or the Multilingual User Interface)—when deciding the type...
Balancing “Now” Needs with “Later” Goals
With so many options and demands competing for your attention, it’s normal to wonder: Should I focus on the needs I have today, or the goals I have for tomorrow? This is what we call a “Now and Later” moment—a time for evaluating immediate needs against future aspirations. It’s natural to feel the pull of both, and a personalized...
May You Live In Interesting Times
There is , allegedly, an ancient Chinese curse, which says, “May you live in ‘interesting’ times”. Last week was really interesting. First off.... I have been waiting for and keeping an eye on the paw paws on the finally-mature paw paw bush on the east side of the house. There are only two bushes and only one of them had fruit...
Folly? Did Someone Say Folly?
Oh, “Fa La La La La !” you said. My bad…or worse, maybe. “Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, Please to put a penny in the old man’s hat.” Or more like it, at my place, “Christmas is coming. The Walk is on its way. There are way, way too many things for me to do today.” That’s...
Follow the Signs: Part III
This is part three of the story about running down a Model “A” Ford lead and purchasing the car. Jerry and I most often look for hobby cars that were never finished or cars that have sat in the garage for years and years, forgotten until a new owner or relative comes on the scene and wants to clean things...
How Long, O Lord?
We’re all going to wax Biblical if this quarantine thing doesn’t end soon. Which book? Well, we have several suitable possibilities, mostly Old Testament, such as Numbers: Six feet “social distancing”, Num 16: 20, “And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, ‘Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.’ Does that...
PG-13?
As I have mentioned before, somebody out there in ComputerLand.Internet thinks that my name is REALLY Ivan and, therefore, I must be interested in “guy things” and messages. This means that I get some pretty interesting messages in my SPAM pages (there are lots of them); some having to do with topics like ED (erectile disfunction) ( Did that...
“I need a recipe for making buttermilk…”
“Help,” our caller said “I need a recipe for making buttermilk. Not the one that uses vinegar or lemon juice; the one that uses cream of tartar.” While the staff of the Newton Falls Public Library was more familiar with the latter, they had heard of the former. We were successful with an online search using the terms “buttermilk cream...
Another SummerFest Goes Into The Books
Quite the affair this one was. A meteorological potpourri for at least two of the days--Sunday was very nice, actually. The on-again-off-again showers kept everyone on their toes through Friday and Saturday but the fireworks were uninterrupted and the shows seemed to go on just fine. The tractor parade was missing some of the ENORMOUS machines...
Drawbacks To Unseasonable Weather
There ARE drawbacks to having a warm spell this late in the year. Yes, indeed. So…I’m sitting in the living room reading the paper; it’s a breezy, balmy (for November, anyway)fifty-something, sixty-something outside. The room is pleasantly warm enough. It’s evening, getting dark, I’m thinking about getting to bed early after a day that started fairly early for a weekend. Then...
Notes From The Vineyard
2011... wow – I can’t believe it! Where did 2010 go? Oh well... now that 2011 is here, it is time for me to get started on all of my exciting plans for this year and not dwell on last year. I know that 2011 is going to fly by just as fast so I am ready to start...
12 Tips for Spring Home Buying in a Seller’s Market
With spring finally here for most of the nation, prospective homebuyers can look at houses and condos without traipsing through snow and ice. Better weather, plus the traditional belief that families search for homes so they can move in between school years, makes spring a major homebuying season in much of the country.
Red Letter Day
A RED-LETTER DAY Or a red something, anyway. As I have said before, you can’t make this stuff up. It seems that in Sheboygan, WI a group of brewers has got together to raise money for charity by being featured—mostly in the buff—posing in a calendar which will be sold online or at numerous bars, liquor stores and groceries in Wisconsin...
Foodtrucks in 1966
Have you noticed the abundance of competing food trucks at events you attend? Is this a machination of the current marketing minds? Excepting for the good humor truck and the milk man in his distinctly peculiar looking milk truck, I don’t remember food trucks being at events. Maybe the current food trucks are the modern manifestations of the old...
I’m Doomed
I know; this may not be news to some but I was sort of hoping to avoid a swift descent to the fiery furnace for another decade or so, maybe more if I kept moving and eating enough dark chocolate. This assessment has been confirmed by finding in yet another slick magazine in my too-wide assortment of subscription reading material(...
OMG!!
What a beautiful way to end a Summer that spent WAY too much time resembling the hinges of hell. Gorgeous finale. Activities of all sorts (Zach Peterson Memorial Bash, Cleveland Air Show, Great Geauga County Fair, all of the miscellaneous family gatherings–all of it!) got to soak up the sun, break out the BBQ, kiss one season goodbye and...
