I never truly appreciated as a boy the gift of living in the country. more

This past weekend featured a weird toss-up between two new releases at the domestic box office. Horror thriller "Knock at the Cabin" made slightly more money, with an estimated $14.1 million to its opponent's $12.5 million, but football comedy "80 for Brady" sold... more

My husband Tom once accused me of being unromantic. As much as I hate to admit it, I think he might be right. more

What if we didn't try so hard to look like we've got it all together? Comparison would be far less alluring and our impression of people far less skewed. Pretending to be perfect ministers to no one. … more

Community Connections would like to thank the Bolivar Community for recognizing the importance of parents in our community. We have fantastic partners who work hard every day to support families. A special thanks to Berean Baptist Church, Open Hearts Methodist Church, Woods Supermarket, Polk County Library, Thrive Ministries and Community Outreach Ministries for their participation in celebrating Parental Resilience Day 2023. more

Using drugs and alcohol will not take away your problems and fears. In the short run, they might make you feel better, but in the long run these addictions will only make things worse. more

While this can't necessarily be verified completely, the story or legend of St. Valentine seems meant to observe his effort of honoring marriages in part by marrying couples even at the defiance of the Roman Emperor of that era. In his memory, over time Valentine's Day became a convenient way to observe the loving devotion that couples have for one another, and a great opportunity to honor marriage. Now several hundreds of years later we are celebrating National Marriage week on February 7 through February 14. more

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? more

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. more

Who doesn’t love their fur babies? Nevermind, don’t tell me. It is fortunate that most people do care for and about their 4-legged friends. I am hoping that care goes beyond their own little (or large) fur buddies and can extend to help some that haven’t had the chance to find their forever homes yet. more

Everybody deals with stress and anxiety, however the key is to know what to do when your stressed out. It is not always easy to keep your feelings from getting the best of you. more