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A day at the sale barn

It had been many years since I’d sat down and watched a livestock auction in person. I was pleased to learn that most things about sale barns hadn’t changed. My wife and I raise a few Jersey steers. We normally sell them as halves and quarters of hanging beef to friends and relatives. For ...

Steady by jerks

“How’s it going?” is a common conversation starter. I use the reply that Grandpa Nelson favored. “Steady by jerks,” I’ll say. This has never been truer than during my recovery from treatment for tonsil cancer. There are going to be repercussions whenever they slightly kill you ...

How to opt out of mailing lists

Dear Heloise: I read with interest Julie G.’s letter, from Tucson, Arizona, about being overwhelmed with letters from charities. My mom, God rest her soul, received “begging letters” from every religious charity out there and, unfortunately, gave many of them money. When she passed, I ...

Social media: the greatest oxymoron of the 21st century

Social media has changed lives, often for the better but at times for the worse. It’s transformed how people communicate. It used to be that the phone, the postal mail and face to face were the only options. Now people have online resources and social networking sites to talk to ...

Spotting the red flags in an online relationship

Dear Annie: I met this guy who seems to be my soulmate. He lives in America, and I’m in South Africa. However, he refuses to meet me and says it’s because he is a celebrity. He is manipulative and constantly makes me cry. He wants me to send him money before we meet, but because I can’t ...

Lineworkers and first responders are heroes in our communities

Fred Rogers, from the beloved children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, once recalled how his mother comforted him during frightening times. “Look for the helpers,” she would say, reminding him of the people who, even in the worst situations, step up to help those in need. Many ...