We often find peace in a quiet place of rest whether it be our church Sanctuary or outdoors in nature. There, alone, unencumbered by life’s trappings, we can meditate on and seek our Lord in prayer. Away from the hustle and bustle of life’s busyness and grueling schedules, we can focus our thoughts and attention as we pray for God’s wisdom and for blessings upon our family and friends. Because we are so like those sheep that David settled down to rest in peaceful green pastures, we can meet o
Governor Kathy Hochul this week convenes a two-day “Future Energy Economy Summit” in Syracuse to begin what many of us hope will be a long-overdue, sincere, and transparent rethinking of New York State’s energy future.
This rethinking is badly needed. Over the past few months doubts have exploded over the Albany Democrats’ current approach -- an approach that has been built on rapidly imposing radical and sweeping clean energy mandates on all New Yorkers following the enactment of the Clima
This weekend it word started spreading the unthinkable may be thinkable, as Oasis are rumored to be getting back together for a string of U.K. dates. In light of this, here is an updated version of this post.
Oasis came out swinging. I mean, a lot of bands try and come out swinging and some do a pretty good job. But few bands come out swinging like Oasis did and I don’t think many bands ever will. It’s just something every single musician will have to accept.
The band, led by brothers
With school either having started for some, or about to start for others, I pondered the realization that there was so much I thought I knew when younger, but really didn’t… for education isn’t only that which is gained in a classroom. Over the years, I’ve learned I can’t turn the clock back to undo or redo what’s been done. Life doesn’t have a rewind button for our editing... so we inevitably move forward in a relentless flow of time.
And in that flow, learning becomes an emotional
Late summer is a mélange of ripening aromas, dog-days heat, and lawns growing several inches per day. My Clethra shrub is in full bloom and very fragrant, along with clumps of phlox; both having a sweet and wholesome smell. Yesterday, our road to an appointment was lined, on both sides, with corn fields. Growing, maturing corn has a distinctive perfume, a bit musky and just slightly sweet; it seems to be the signature scent of late August. Summer is calling us to enjoy while we have the chance.
by Ray Craig
Recently, my 10-year-old son, Eric, made a play in his baseball game that I was particularly proud of.
He didn’t strike out the side or make a fantastic stop in the field. He didn’t smash a double down the left-field line.
No, it wasn’t a remarkable play at all—Eric was hit by a pitch on his arm while batting.
What pleased me was how Eric casually dropped his bat and sprinted to first, similar to when he draws a base on balls.
It’s sad, but this behavior fro
The straightforward fact remains that every time New Yorkers go the grocery store, or the gas station, or to buy back-to-school supplies for their children, or to the mailbox to retrieve their next property tax or utility bill, it’s a reminder that New York State is one of the least affordable states in America.
One recent ranking of the least and most expensive states in the nation, the 2024 Cost of Bills Index compiled by Doxo, an online bill payment service, delivered more bad news. The
Recently, I’ve seen several memes quoting, “History is not there for you to like or dislike; it is there for you to learn from it. And if it offends you, even better, because then you are less likely to repeat it. History is not yours to erase or destroy. Teach that to your children.”
In an editorial, Dianna Greenwood penned, “that doesn’t mean we tear the monument down or run around crying about how it victimizes us. Instead use them as teaching tools, to tell the current and next gene
by Rob Smith
Convention, customs, manners and civility.
When my daughter Ella was 16, I met her at a local restaurant for dinner. I was already seated when she arrived and before I could hold the chair out for her, she plopped down in the seat next to me. I was livid. I stood up and told her to get her ass out of the chair and stand up. I told her to always wait until the gentleman held the chair out for her, no matter how long it takes. I followed with “you need to demand respect from
These are the times and the crises when communities across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions always have – and always will – show what we’re made of.
Throughout the years that I grew up here and for the decades that I have spent representing the area in the State Legislature, we have never been strangers to devastating storms and flooding. And it happened again recently with the remnants of Hurricane Debby slamming the region with heavy rains and devastating flash flooding, especia
Even those of us blessed to grow up in a church may go through a time of searching, especially in our younger days. We search for fun, happiness, joy, peace and love in many places and in many ways… and sometimes we search in vain… for what we don’t know. Been there… done that, right?! But did you know that our hearts are born to seek? All the while we grow up and mature, we’re seeking and learning, trying to find our place and priorities in this great big world.
We wonder if our life m
With the Union Pacific's Big Boy 4014 making a run this summer/fall, I'm sharing my blog from several years ago. I fell in love with that train, and referenced it when I researched and wrote this blog on the old steam locomotives with input from my Dad a few months before he passed away. He grew up next to the railroad tracks in Clifton NJ and had a life-long love of those old trains, passing that love on to me. The Big Boy's agenda for this fall can be found in this recent news release: 1.2 mil
August is named for Caesar Augustus, and it’s also my birth month. The green peridot is the gem for the month. These are stones found in some lava deposits and stand for history and strength. Brown-eyed Susans are the month’s flower according to Native American lore, and I prefer those to the gladiolus usually attributed to August. Gladiolus are stately, colorful and lovely, but the wilder, cheerier brown-eyed Susans seem to fit me better. This August has two full moons; the sturgeon moon and
Several weeks ago, I highlighted in this column that a long-awaited report on New York State’s COVID-19 pandemic response, first commissioned by Governor Hochul more than two years ago, was finally released.
It’s a report that cost state taxpayers more than four million dollars and it hasn’t exactly drawn rave reviews. Far from it, in fact.
Remember that the governor released the report at the beginning of July with very little fanfare, to say the least. No press conference. No reassur
Some of us know the depths of depression and despondency. Some of us know the lack of physical healing or the pain of incurable disease. Some of us know the sorrow and grief of losing a precious loved one. Some of us know family dysfunction. Some of us know abuse that no one else can see or fathom. And we question how this could be…
How could a loving God leave us in pain by not healing us, even after much prayer? How could a loving God allow so much evil to go on all around us?
State government spending has continued to spin wildly out of control over the past several years while, at the same time, it has failed to address many key priorities for all New Yorkers.
One of the top priorities, in my view, is the future of local roads and bridges. A recent state comptroller’s report found that one out of every 10 locally owned bridges in New York State is rated in poor condition.
“Ensuring safe and reliable public infrastructure is an ongoing concern for local gov
Phish has been around for some time now and as a result, the band has no shortage of original material. They have songs they’ve recorded, songs they haven’t recorded, multiple versions of songs, etc. My friends, Phish has a lot of songs.
But despite having a bevy, a boatload, and bushels of their own songs, Phish also has a penchant for performing cover songs. They’ve been including covers of everyone from Led Zeppelin to the Talking Heads, Bob Marley to Jay-Z in their shows since they star
I grew up in a great church full of my “own kind” – i.e. Dutch immigrants and their first- and second-generation families born in the U.S., the Christian Reformed Church. I felt a bond and a love for my family and friends from both communities in Clifton, N.J. and East Palmyra, N.Y. As my family moved back and forth between the two church and Christian school communities, friendships were made with some lasting a lifetime.
I treasure the churches of my earliest memories. I treasure ha
Now are “Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer” *that Nat King Cole used to sing about. The lakes; Seneca and Cayuga, Juanita and Lomoka, are sparkling, the temperatures are balmy. Thunder storms come through frequently, often bringing considerable damage with them, via wind and hail but also clearing the air. Soon tomatoes will be ripe in our garden and sweet corn (not in our garden) ready to eat on the cob, freeze or put into corn fritters. One of my sisters-in-law made delectable corn frit
I recall a buddy of mine saying that, probably more than once, many years ago. Since that time, it’s been sort of a mantra I’ve taken on as my own. When all signs point to something you should be doing, you do it. When Life presents you with a situation, seek to embrace it.
Two of the most common questions I get are, first, “How the f–k do you sleep at night?” or something similar. That one is common after someone is finished reading one of my books. The other, more common question is, “Wh
The drumbeats of doubt have continued to grow louder throughout the past few weeks as reality sets in over the ongoing, utopian plan by Albany Democrats to impose sweeping clean energy mandates on all New Yorkers.
Since the enactment several years ago of a far-reaching climate agenda known as the “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act” (CLCPA), as well as the approval of other mandated actions since then, the governor, her energy czars, and a Democrat-led state Legislature have be
What is our worth, our value? How do we even measure such an entity? Have we been so downtrodden that we feel like a failure… like we’re unworthy of the love of others? Or do we hold our head up knowing we have inherent worth among the rest?
Feeling unworthy is not new to any of us. We’ve all been there at times throughout our life. Haven’t we at one time or another made a simple mistake, yet were left feeling so ashamed we just wanted to disappear? I have. Frequently belittled in th
by Walker Larson
Recently, I was in search of trout, but my search resulted in more than just fish.
I’ve been a fly fisherman for over a decade, but when I moved to Wisconsin a few years back, I lost easy access to my favorite haunts. So I was searching for a new stretch of untouched waters to fish near my home, a journey that led me through the winding backroads of the coulees in my area, as the evening summer sun soaked the little fields in liquid bronze and made the tree line gliste
