It is that time again for me. The annual AVMC Halloween Party is this Saturday in Okmulgee at the VFW. It’s been 20 years! I am super busy this week preparing but I didn’t go easy on myself, a fact I ...

The average cost to raise a child in the U.S. is between $15,000 and $17,500 per year according to several sources. Wow! I know when I was growing up that the cost was not nearly that high, but it was...

Jim’s departure caught me off guard. Once I got an introductory taste (it seemed that someone had dropped a savory appetizer on my plate) of the school’s environment with its diverse cultures, I retur...

I had a dream. And in this dream I had been following my Savior - my Guide, my Light, my Path - for a while already. He had led me past many, many obstacles and pitfalls - for which I was most gratefu...

DEAR ABBY: I’m a lesbian. My wife and I have been married for nine years, but since COVID and my mother’s death, we have had problems. I met a man online; he’s an actor. We grew close via the internet...

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my man for seven years and I keep asking him when we’re getting married. He said we would - “someday.” Then COVID came along. Now he says after the pandemic is completely o...

Children will often call for a “do-over” when involved in a game on the playground. Similarly, golfers might take a “mulligan” to attempt a shot a second time when the first went awry. In life, you do...

Make it a brown one We need a brown revolution. Most of us are familiar with the green revolution - the explosion of agriculture production that happened between the 1940’s and 1970’s, due largely to ...

Spaghetti squash is a winter vegetable, but readily available year round. It has a nice, nutty flavor and is super easy to cook. It’s a trifecta of perfection when it comes to choices-available, flavo...

10 Years Ago: Okmulgee was selected as a primary filming location for a television show called “Brunch.” Spc. Thomas J. Johnson, 564th Engineer Battalion, CENT-COM Material Recovery Element and native...

“Hi guys, welcome!” It is a growing conviction of mine only a handful of people in the world carry a smile that actually lights up a room. That is just the kind of smile that frequently beams across t...

DEAR ABBY: My fiancé and I have been together nine years. During that time, we have had our ups and downs. Eight years ago, after a year of dating, we decided to move in together. The following year w...

Friends, Watching the ugliness politically has so many of us frustrated and confused. Where are our leaders who worked for everybody? We had incredible leaders like Gov. George Nigh, Gov. Walters, Gov...

When I was young, just a little guy, I loved playing with my cars in the driveway. Our driveway was dirt, so it was perfect for carving out roadways to drive my toy cars over. I would become so involv...

Wildfires - It’s no surprise that this is the topic that comes up again and again when you talk about adapting to the changing climate. After all, wildfires are pretty scary and unlike tornadoes, hurr...

Earlier this year, on the first day of his second term of office, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order forming the Child Welfare Task Force. Former Human Services Cabinet Secretary Justin Brown ...

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married since 1968. The last time we were intimate was in 1984. The house is in both of our names. Nine years ago, she asked one of our sons to come live with us. Sh...

Cold and flu season is almost upon us. If you read my column on a regular basis, and read it completely, you will notice a lot of the foods I have covered have all sorts of great benefits from reducin...

Lunch: Corndog or Uncrustable w/Cheese Stick, Carrots, Fruit Salad, Chocolate Pudding Tuesday: Breakfast: Strawberry Parfait or Sausage on Stick, Cheese Stick, Pears, Orange Juice Lunch: Chicken & Waf...

DEAR ABBY: My husband of six years has left me for my sister. I’m brokenhearted because I thought he was the love of my life. I thought the six years we had together were wonderful for both of us. I d...