By Mark Leiren-Young I was a teenaged reindeer . . . I always wanted to be Santa Claus. When it’s Christmas and you’re in the dressing-up in costumes business, who doesn’t want to be the big guy? But as a gangly teenager — six foot two and maybe 170 pounds, even covered in costume fur […]
The Great Pumpkin Toss
By Rachelle Stein-Wotten I have a Halloween confession: I dislike carving pumpkins. The jack-o’-lantern does not cast its haunting glow at my place of residence, and it’s not because the seedy, sticky innards make a mess or because cutting into the top of a pumpkin is a pain in the ass. I abstain from the […]
Red, warm, and close to the heart
By Jodi A. Shaw I’ve never been shy about my distaste for Valentine’s Day. I don’t endorse or encourage celebrating it, I don’t accept Valentine’s Day gifts from anyone other than small children who have an innocent appreciation for the “holiday.” Instead, every year I close my eyes, plug my ears, and wait for it […]
Hang the holidays
By Bev Schellenberg What has happened to our celebratory schedule? It seems it was only a few weeks ago that I bought a witch hat and cape for my daughter, a baron costume for my son, and carved a pumpkin. In fact, it was only a few weeks ago. Now here I am surrounded by […]
Alone on Valentine’s day? Boo-frigging-hoo.
By Jodi A. Shaw Most romantic holiday of the year, hey? Valentine’s Day is more like the Paris Hilton of holidays: It’s there, we all observe it, and aside from the potential for an anti-climactic sex tape, it’s pretty much useless. I’m not anti-love, romance or grand gesture. I’m a sucker for all the unrealistic […]
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Reality
By Bev Schellenberg In this pro recycling age, it’s easy to feel guilty if you don’t maintain a high standard of green living. Do you rinse out your soup can, pull off the label, and insert it into your handy recycling box? What about the milk carton? Does it get a thorough clean and then […]
Conflicted about candy
By Jodi A. Shaw Navigating your way through the grocery store requires slightly more skill than usual this time of year. Maneuvering the cart around the mountains of Hallowe’en candy displayed in the entryway and randomly throughout the store becomes an exercise in both agility and self-restraint. On my routine weekend trip to the Co-Op, […]
