She has a purpose. A talent. And a God-given gift that she has graciously shared with sick children. Her name is Dorothy Crane, and she is having a birthday.
Arizona knows how to throw a party. While our eyes were temporarily diverted from unidentified flying balloons, visitors flocked here from all over the country and seemed to have one big spend-fest.
The Day of Love. Roses. Candy. Champagne. Cards. And all things the color red. Were you ready? Could Valentine’s Day have been more special than the Super Bowl? I hope so!
How do you celebrate your birthday? My girlfriend, Carol, has a big birthday coming up. She is thinking about going skydiving to celebrate. She wondered if I might like to join her.
What do Oreo cookies and psychoactive drugs have in common? Evidently, they are both highly addictive.
There is nothing quite like stormy weather to get us in a tidying up mood. January is the perfect time to de-clutter! Out with all the “stuff” we never use, wear or even like.
Football. Once again it is that time of year when we Americans obsess over who will make it to the Super Bowl. The fate of our beloved Cardinals has been decided as they got crushed by San Francisco. Maybe our consolation prize is that Arizona is hosting the Big Game.
Eggs, where art thou? How we miss your oval beauty and deliciousness. How will we manage without this essential ingredient that goes into our yummy baked goods and perfectly with toast?
The gifts are unwrapped. Holiday decorations are coming down. We ushered in a New Year. Another chance to look forward to what is coming and to let go of what didn’t work.
‘Tis the Season of Giving. As we approach a New Year, Americans are unified through one common bond over the holiday season. We give generously to those in need, to the tune of over $484.85 billion a year!
Oh, Dearest Santa, are you for real? My parents won’t tell me, my friends say, “just chill.” I have made out my list and do not want a toy. Can you help all the people who are needing some joy?
Do you believe in Santa Claus? Yes, of course you do. Who can honestly say that there is no Santa! So, as we approach Christmas, we still have many reasons to believe.
To tree, or not to tree, that is the question. Oh Christmas Angel, please guide my decision, as I am contemplating not putting up a Christmas tree this year.
How did “Black Friday” get its name? The phrase has been widely used since the 1980s to signify when retailers can go from operating in the red to finally making profits. Yet, dig a little deeper...
Football. Turkey. Family. Oh my did I mention football? The first professional Thanksgiving Day football game was played in 1920.
Mental fatigue. Post-election hangovers. So much to contemplate. Winners and losers. Time to reflect and take it all in. And remove all of those campaign signs from every street corner!
I won the lottery (in my dreams). I see it all now, flashing before me. I turn on the television and watch excitedly when they call out the winning numbers. Nervously, I look down at my Powerball ticket...
What is quiet quitting? Evidently a malaise has taken over the American workforce, it is the definition of slacking off, doing the bare minimum, and displaying an unwillingness to do anything extra.
Soon. Day of the Dead. Dia de los Muertos is approaching. So is Halloween.
Cinnamon. Ginger. Nutmeg. Allspice. The holy grail of spices. The pumpkin spice season has arrived! How did this “autumn flavor” gain so much popularity in America that it practically formed its own culture?
Flippy, move over. There is a new tin can in town. Elon Musk debuted Optimus, the “robot of the future.” Flippy is just a shiny steel robot who can flip burgers at fast food restaurants that had to be put on paid leave one day after he started!
Sometimes, we just need a friend. A buddy who will walk miles through a scorching desert, escape the perils of predators, suffer through the wind, rain and dust of monsoons with no map, GPS or cell phone, just to make it up your driveway, and saunter in through your open door.
My colleague reluctantly moved to a new city to be closer to her daughter. She is shy and worriedly asked, “where can I meet friends?”
Oh Freya, how we loved you. Named after the Norse Goddess of beauty and love, you were 1,300 pounds of blubber, a chubby maiden of the sea, with all your sea mammal splendor and plus-size personality.
The British are coming! Yes, it is that time of year again! Would like some chips? No, not potato chips! I mean delicious French fries that are perfect with battered Cod, which is a staple in all pubs in Great Britain.
Labor Day is coming, and August will soon be in our rear-view mirror. This is the one holiday to celebrate and honor the hard work that we all do. Every single day.
I went purse shopping. Yes, my eyes have been opened because I have seen the Purse Promise Land. Husbands, please stop reading this column right now, because what I am about to say might be alarming.
Can you substitute baking oil with applesauce? Hmmm, this was the Big Question that I had to answer yesterday. You see, I have decided to try one new recipe a week and it has not been easy.
What would you do if you saw a brown object the size of a frisbee moving across the road? I was driving in the country last week when I was startled to see a big, brown desert tortoise standing in the middle of my lane.
A colleague of mine just came back from a romantic trip to Italy and France with a new lady friend. I boldly asked him if he fell in love. He replied, “What is love?” Then he challenged me to describe love, because he couldn’t be sure if he would “know it when it happened.”
Dead. Last. Good grief, who are the mental giants (idiots) from Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) who ranked Arizona as the worst place to live in our country?
Oh Alexa, how did we ever manage without you? “I am not certain of this and have no opinion,” Alexa replies dryly.
Roe versus Wade. Three little words. Millions of opinions, celebrations, protests, anguish, and jubilation. We have entered a new era, like it or not.
Shortages. Our new reality. If we could only figure out what is next to be delayed, out of stock or unavailable, it might help us plan our lives. Instead, we have entered the chaotic world of “uncertainty.”
What do you have in common with a goldfish? Evidently more than you could ever imagine. Scientists now claim that the average adult’s attention span is eight seconds. A goldfish? Nine seconds.
Churches. Movie theaters. Shopping centers. Hospitals, Concerts. Schools. We watch with horror the news coverage of mass shootings and then with further disbelief the fall-out of blame, outrage, opinions, accusations, analysis and all manner of political warfare.
Did you enjoy this past Memorial Day weekend? It’s he beginning of summer, the remembrance of those who have died in this nation’s wars. Flags flying, memorial services, family gatherings, three-day weekends, bagpipes playing … what better way to start off the summer?
Naomi Judd. Robin Williams. Katie Meyer. Anthony Bourdain. Kate Spade. So many more and too many to count. Loved-ones, neighbors, friends and celebrities. We don’t like to talk about suicide. Too difficult. Heartbreaking. We cannot comprehend it.
Oh, Rich Strike, how we love thee! The underdog who stunned the racing world! The horse that barely had an opportunity to run in the Kentucky Derby and was only given a spot through default of another horse. The biggest longshot to win the Derby in the modern era.
Mother. One small word. One universal meaning. We are all bound by the shared realty that we had or have a Mother. This is a central person in our lives. The foundation of our history. A huge part of our personal journey and earliest memories.
Would you marry your pet? Hmm, I didn’t think so. Sure, they might be loyal and loving, but isn’t marriage between two humans? Evidently not.
Where there is smoke, there is fire. And so it begins. The Crooks Fire in Prescott and the Tunnel Fire near Flagstaff have grown to monsters, as high winds and plenty of fuel keeps them rapidly growing and moving.
Uh oh, it’s allergy season. Kachoo! Excuse me, Dear Readers, because it seems I cannot stop sneezing! And I guess I am not alone. After reading up about allergies, it clarified one thing, we are suffering in Arizona.
Are you ready? Because the deadline for filing your taxes is looming, causing quite a few Americans to become upset (if you owe) or happy if a refund is coming.
Did you watch the fight last week? Oops, I meant the punch (more like a slap) that Will Smith planted on Chris Rock during the Oscars. While I don’t really care too much about award shows, it was a doozey of an altercation between two very big stars. Yikes, then there was the profanity and screaming.
I saw a spider. I went to the bathroom at two in the morning and there sitting on a wall was a big brown spider. She had eyes like the devil, glaring at me.
Brother, can you spare a dime? Actually, 30 trillion might help. The national debt boggles the mind, and is causing panic in the hearts of citizens throughout the land. It seems our government has been printing and spending lots of money.
What is the greatest invention of all time? No, not the wheel. Not the combustible engine. It is the round sphere, better known as a ball that has dominated the world. Imagine for one dismal moment that there were no balls. No baseball, basketball, football, soccer, golf, tennis or volleyball.
Have you been taking many road-trips lately? Hmm...maybe not. Now that gasoline is around four bucks a gallon, it appears we’re all trying to find ways to drive less.
How is your year shaping up? With so much tension swirling around in the world, mental health experts claim that people often get into a “February funk.” Evidently, one way out of it as we head into March, is to set new goals.