Kick back and relax, you deserve it! All of the stories in this section are unique, original entertainment by our local Waynedale, (Fort Wayne) Indiana columnists, created just especially for you. Our columnists love to hear from their dedicated readers!
It’s certainly not something celebrated annually but the month of August is remembered for the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano at the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, on August 24, 79 A.D., destroying the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii, . . .
August 13 will mark the 48th annual celebration of International Lefthanders Day. First celebrated two months and 9 days after the United States Bicentennial, the Bill of Lefts were proclaimed.
Lefthanders International, the organization responsible . . .
An umbrella, as well as a parasol, is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. They fold and close along the pole and are opened when needed. The umbrella is used when it rains . . .
Recently, on the way to Indiana Beach with my brother Richard, we got to talk about how we’d like our lives to be celebrated after we die. Richard is a very patriotic guy, so it wasn’t surprising he wants patriotic music like “The Star- Spangled . . .
Remarkedly, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the only two signatories of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as presidents of the United States, both died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.
And . . .
A crayon is a stick of pigmented wax used for writing or drawing. Wax crayons differ from pastels which use a dry binder such as Arabic gum powder mixed with the pigment. In oil pastels, the binder is a mixture of wax and oil.
Ancient Egyptians left . . .
On May 20, Samuel “Sam” Butcher, the creator of Precious Moments died. Butcher loved to draw from a young age, and he often drew scenes inspired by his Christian faith. Some of his fondest memories are of his grandmother telling him Bible stories. . . .
Several years ago, when there was a boom in books and movies celebrating Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, LaVar Burton read the audiobook of A Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers. As I listened to his exquisite narration, it seemed only a . . .
Flag Day, June 14, is a celebration of the American flag occurring each year on the anniversary of the flag’s official adoption. It’s not a federal holiday, but its observance is traditionally proclaimed yearly by the president of the United States. . . .
The words ‘rocking chair’ appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1787. Benjamin Franklin was credited with the invention in 1710, but probably early American cabinetmakers or farmers are responsible.
Historians believe the first armless rockers . . .
For all of the games we saw, and those we missed.
Our secret crushes, and those we kissed.
For the good times & the bad.
Our rivalries and the friends we had.
Filing through the halls in masses.
We got our stuff and went to classes.
How . . .
When I went to Wayne High School in its very early years (Sept. 1972- May 1975), Nancy Keller Mack was the Latin teacher. I didn’t take Latin, preferring to take German with Herr Lowell Shearer. My Low-German speaking maternal grandparents spoke . . .
If we delve into the past, the interjections: “Mayday!” and May Day have interesting origins as well as long and varied histories. The terms sound similar, but they are not spelled the same.
“Mayday!” is an internationally recognized radio word . . .
Overalls were originally essential workwear intended to be worn over the wearer’s clothes. The design of overalls is a bib attached to trousers with over the shoulder straps. Bib overalls, also known as dungarees, also had an enlarged crotch section . . .
Recently I had a customer pick up a grandmother’s flower garden quilt that was hand quilted by the Emmanuel Lutheran Church quilt group. While at the shop she told me she had a quilter friend she wanted me to meet so an appointment was made for me . . .
A filmmaker originally from Ft. Wayne, Cory Krueckeberg makes his Cinema Center debut later this month with the musical romance Glitter & Doom. The Homestead grad’s film opens at Cinema Center on April 19th, followed by a Q&A session featuring . . .
A submitted poem by area resident Doug Bohs.
When the Earth was still young
And could spin without form
It was struck by a mass
That sheared off an orb
The orb thought of leaving
But decided to stay
It circled the Earth
Still not far away
The Moon was now here
But . . .
How did early builders ensure the structures they were erecting were plumb vertically and horizontally? The principle they had observed is that a body of water is always horizontal, thus, a trough or channel filled with water can show horizontality.
When . . .
Despite being born with a disability in both arms, Ryan Niemiller, the self-proclaimed “Cripple Threat of Comedy” who finished 3rd in season 14 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, will share his views of the world from the perspective of the disabled . . .
On March 16, the third Saturday of March, quilters will once again be celebrating their special day.
The National Quilt Alliance has partnered with the National Quilt Museum to draw attention to this special day with special signage and activities.
One . . .
Critics write articles about the death of the romantic comedy so often that the argument has become a trope much like those writers bemoan in the movies. The rom-com is not going to die. It has been around since Shakespeare. And the predictability . . .
The idiom “time will tell” means that the truth or correctness of something will only be established at some time in the future. It’s used to express that the outcome of a situation is uncertain and can only be determined with time.
This idiom . . .
Do you wonder about the history of women’s undergarments? From the time of our origins until the 1500s, NO underwear was worn. This made toileting, i.e. squatting, easy. So, what was the purpose of early undergarments?
1500s – This century claims . . .
Washington Did Not Cut Down A Cherry Tree!
According to Author Sarah Pruitt, when it comes to mythic American figures, George Washington leads the pack. Commander in chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and the first president . . .
Our vacuum cleaner, literally, was not up to snuff and didn’t seem to be sucking up dust and dirt like it used to so we took it to Ye Old Sweeper Shoppe on Bluffton Road in Waynedale where we had bought it a few years ago.
Owner Ralph Skaggs agreed . . .