645 words

By Sharon Tell

Fortnight lilies live like a lot of old folks, not requiring too much attention. Like a stoic citizen in a time of challenge, they carry on, no matter how neglected they may be at times.

1400 words (plus sidebar)

By STEVE HEIKKILA

It’s almost Thanksgiving in the United States. Time to cook a lot of food and go eat it with relatives while trying not to fight about politics. Good luck with that! I’m afraid I can’t help you there. What I can do, though, is show you how to roast a perfectly moist turkey.

530 words

By Sharon Love Cook

Eventually, my husband gave up on his grandmother’s lights. Whether it was the blown fuses, the mini-shocks he’d suffered, or the smoking dog, he reluctantly packed them away.

770 words

By John Coleman

So it’s like this, toots. You’re slowing down, and neither one of us will live forever. While you are still of sound mind and top side of the sod, receive this message from your son-in-law: You are now, and always have been, a wonder.

770 words

By Laverne H. Bardy

I’ve never been interested in planets, black holes, galaxies, or, for that matter, Star Trek. But, these experiences have caused Marc and I to consider that we may have made several visits to a parallel universe.

765 words

By Lilli-ann Buffin

“Buried beneath a heated throw with roots descending into the apartment below, I became an actual spud. I expanded into a lumpy tuber, sprouted a few skin tags and pesky chin hairs, and developed more brown spots than I could count.”

725 words

By William Levine

It took 50 years for me to recognize an opportunity to make a valuable difference in another person’s life.

490 words

By Amy Laundrie

I especially like the idea of a daily gratitude walk. I pull on my boots, grab the leash and the dog, and set off for the woods.

520 words

By Amy Laundrie

I am going to admit this right now. Christmas shopping stresses me out. I feel pressure to find the right gift and sometimes resort to just grabbing something to get it over with. I wish I could restore the Christmas spirit.

595 words

By Arthur Vidro

We can summon up the will and the cash to pay a little extra for the privilege of buying American. But it’s still an almost impossible task.

560 words

By Amy Laundrie

Let’s consider a New Year’s challenge in which we give ourselves priority with a regular exercise program. If going to a gym isn’t an option, you can still prioritize your health with some alternatives.

515 words

 By Dick Wolfsie

Like most guys, when I walk past a magazine rack, I can’t help but stare. The day before Thanksgiving, I saw one cover that made me drool. There she was: perfectly proportioned, with golden skin and a great pair of legs. It was the best-looking turkey I had ever seen.

675 words

 By Sharon Love-Cook

As someone who’s cooked holiday dinners for decades (and opened many cans), I have some lifesaving tips. Consider it my gift to you.

680 words

By Sally Breslin

I’ll never forget the time I was driving to the post office, and one of the radio stations played a lyric from “Long Cool Woman” by the Hollies. Just so happened I knew the lyric: “Just a five-nine beautiful tall.”

655 words

By Wanda Haynes

We compete over which of us has the worst menopause symptoms. While having coffee in our usual spot, we menopause survivors talk about our bouts with this unexplained and misunderstood tyrant.

835 words

By Gary Chalk

I borrowed my dad’s Ford Fairlane 500 and drove to Jan’s parents’ house. Standing inside the front door, I wreaked of leather, musk, and cedar birch. It was like I’d been fighting a forest fire and forgot to shower.

500 words

Review by Holly Endersby

After 20 plus years in the firearms industry, Busse pulls the curtain away from forces most of us would rather not think about in terms of guns, gun rights, and political influence.

740 words

By Wendell Fowler

Hugs provide a way to share love and joy, lift someone up in sad times, and simply generate good vibes. In fact, we could scarcely survive without hugs. Must be why we were born with arms.

570 words

By Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal

While Heloise knew how to remove red wine stains from shag carpet after a rousing party, Phyllis’s ability to knock back a drink before it could hit the rug is now the skill I salute.