As a little kid, I loved the book “The Little Engine That Could.” It was published in the 1930s, and it’s a story about the power of positive thinking. The star of the book – a little blue train engine – realizes that when he “thinks he can,” he chugs up the big hill and saves the day. more

According to my Missouri Department of Conservation’s Natural Events Calendar, Monday, March 20 is the first day of spring, and it seems that most of us think we are ready for it! I’m not a big fan of the severe weather that often comes with it, but there sure are a lot of great things about this upcoming season. more

March 1, here at last — again. more

I suppose it’s appropriate that movies starring Ant-Man aka Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) have always been rather “small” in the scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. more

Last week, we got a text from my son Jack, who’s away at college for his freshman year. He sent it to our family’s group text which includes his older brother (also away at college), his younger sister (who’s in high school), and Tom and me. more

Today, Feb. 22, we celebrate the birth in 1732 of our nation’s first president, Gen. George Washington, commander of the victorious Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, president of the constitutional convention of 1787 and the man we honor as the father of our country. more

If you want to see a great example of citizen-driven conservation success, look no further than the nearest bluebird box. more

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