Like magic, Sunday was an hour longer than Saturday with the clock change. And with the sun climbing higher into the sky every day, the days will continue to become longer and warmer.
Whether you belong to the morning water cooler gang, the brown-bag lunch bunch or the afternoon coffee klatch, it's always good to bring a juicy "did ya hear" story.
One of the answers on "Jeopardy" last week had to do with a famous bombing mission over Germany during World War II. Contestants were expected to ask a question that would identify the plane flown by the crews.
For many years I chose not to clean up after my dogs when they went in the yard, believing that it helps the grass grow and that only wusses pick up dog poop.
Last week was a time to appreciate technology. Our power was out for only five hours, but that was long enough for the outside chill to get in and numb our toes as we huddled under several layers next to our survival gear -- a flashlight, camp stove, two cans of tuna fish, three cans of soup, a jar of applesauce and a half-full can of Giant lightly salted party peanuts.
There's nothing like adversity to bring out the best and the worst in people. And since late December, the skies have dumped more than 5 feet of adversity on the Northern Shenandoah Valley, including last weekend's 2-footer.
There's always a letdown the day after the Super Bowl, no matter who wins. Part of it is that there will no more football to watch until next season. And part of it is facing the dreariest expanse of the calendar, the six weeks or so between now and when we'll begin to thaw out with warmer temperatures.
Anyone who has lived in the Northern Shenandoah Valley for any time knows that we've made many strides in the past few years, with greatly expanded opportunities for education, shopping, cultural refinement, health care and fine dining -- although we still lack a Hooters restaurant.
Who qualified as the greatest Scrooge of 2009? The Winchester City Council was right up there with the stingiest of the sticky-fingered as it cracked down on the poor, the elderly and recovering addicts and alcoholics.
In a recent column I suggested that if you would like to see the horse that carried Philip Sheridan to victory in the Battle of Cedar Creek, you could view his stuffed remains (the horse's, not Sheridan's) at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History in Washington.
It was the year the Christmas tree became airborne. This was in Bangkok, when I was a kid sprawled on the couch reading a comic book and a gust of furnace-hot Asiatic wind ripped through the living room, lifting the tree, tinsel wafting in its wake, and slamming it to the floor with a mighty crash.
On those weekday evenings when my presence is not required at The Daily Miracle, you will find me in my kitchen as the hour approaches 6:30, pouring a drink and preparing to settle down with -- what else? -- the news.
If the weather experts got it right, Old Man Winter came calling in the dead of night. And he's a few days early this year. By Friday afternoon, the forecasts called for a major storm system to pass through Virginia....
Every year right around this time, I ask my wife: "So, dear, how are we doing with Christmas?" And just to toy with me a little, Cindy will say: "What do you mean, we?" She has quietly done a lot...
The air was cleaner last week, both inside and outside. The state's ban on smoking in bars and restaurants that took effect Dec. 1 was big news, with some owners wondering how many customers they'll lose due to the new restrictions.
The Battle of Cedar Creek was a most unusual battle. It may have been the only time during the Civil War that both sides won smashing victories in the same day.
A glass of milk is such a wholesome, healthy thing. And that makes it hard to associate it with such dark matters as anti-trust allegations, political intrigue and swollen executive compensation.
We're told to love thy neighbor, and that's always seemed like good advice. In fact, it's been pretty easy counsel to follow. No matter where I've lived over the years, I've been lucky to have wonderful people living just across the fence.
Everyone loves a happy ending. Lassie rescues Timmy from the bottom of the mine shaft. Alice wakes up, no worse for wear, on the right side of the looking glass. Dorothy and Toto miss their balloon ride but still make it home safely from Oz.
It's too bad Alma Porter isn't in charge of Congress. Mrs. Porter, God rest her soul, was my 11th-grade algebra teacher, and she ruled her class with an iron fist.
Every generation has its special words. When my generation's parents would say something was "super," or "neat," we would say it was "cool," mainly because we wanted to sound cooler than our parents.
Whether you belong to the morning water cooler gang, the brown-bag lunch bunch or the afternoon coffee klatch, it's always good to bring a juicy "did ya hear" story.
One of the answers on "Jeopardy" last week had to do with a famous bombing mission over Germany during World War II. Contestants were expected to ask a question that would identify the plane flown by the crews.
For many years I chose not to clean up after my dogs when they went in the yard, believing that it helps the grass grow and that only wusses pick up dog poop.
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