Can you see me? This is a question that has plagued my mind a bit lately. More specifically, I wonder… if you can 'see' me, are you reading on the Internet or on a printed page? Technology, social media and instant news are no longer 'the way of the future,' but rather now a way of life. So, as someone who earns a paycheck not ...
Black Friday has come and gone but it roused more emotions this year because many stores decided to jump the gun and start their sales at midnight on Thanksgiving Day instead of some ungodly hour the next morning.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It is my favorite of all holidays and each year (for as long as I have worked at the Leader) I try and sneak in a piece to remind readers to 'give thanks.' Each year the holidays look a little different to me, thanks to the eyes and views of my pint sized tenants (commonly known as my children). My ...
Everyone has their favorite holiday - that one special time of year that holds nostalgic charm or warm memories - and for me, it's Thanksgiving. I didn't grow up in a traditional household in the sense that we didn't celebrate most holidays; however, Thanksgiving was something we usually observed in some shape or form - and it always involved lots of food. I love everything about ...
Did you vote on Nov. 8? If not, you weren't alone. According to Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Lee Lundrigan's office, there were 35,876 ballots counted for the unofficial results released on Nov. 9. There are 15,000 or so vote-by-mail ballots that still have to be counted before the official results are released on or before Nov. 21. In a county of 514,453 people, only 227,278 are registered voters, and only around ...
So it has begun…The Seven Months of Celebration.
Very recently my husband and I cleared some clutter from our garage and moved it out to a storage unit. It's kind of funny what we hang on to.
The start of every school year brings with it much work.
When I was a teenager my family had little to spare. My parents were working hard to put food on the table and keep the roof over the heads of their four children, which meant there was rarely enough for extras such as new clothes or whatever trendy accessory that anyone who was anyone had to have. I made do with what I was given, which often wasn't a lot. As a consequence, I was bullied and disdained by those who always had more.
Fair warning: If you are a person who wakes up in the morning and thinks…What am I doing in this town? Well, turn the page because this is not the column for you.
When I was a teenager my family had little to spare. My parents were working hard to put food on the table and keep the roof over the heads of their four children, which meant there was rarely enough for extras such as new clothes or whatever trendy accessory that anyone who was anyone had to have. I made do with what I was given, which often wasn't a lot. As a consequence, I was bullied and disdained by those who always had more.
My journey to baseball enlightenment was a long one. I've never been what you would call a "sports enthusiast." I played basketball in fourth grade but could never locate the "key" everyone kept talking about and I never understood why I couldn't just hold the ball and run. That would make the game a whole lot easier, wouldn't it? I played softball in a rec league in middle school with similar results. I spent most ...
Drop this paper and go do your homework. Watch some TV. Update your Facebook page with that muscle shirt photo you took in the mirror. Go raise your kill/death ratio on Call of Duty Black Ops or gain levels on World of Warcraft/Runescape. If you are an Oakdale High football player, do anything but read the following text of this column, because this article is not for you. As far as you know, this week's ...
This week's column was supposed to be about my 25-year High School Reunion. It's actually already written and was completed 48 hours prior to my Friday deadline. Like most of my colleagues, I am usually pounding out my column an hour or two before my editor is to read it. I guess you could say it's tradition.
A little over a year ago, right before I got married, my then-fiancé and I embarked on an ill-advised, do-it-yourself closet system installation. I had believed that it would be easy and convinced him of the same. I say "ill-advised" because my original theory was disproved when my guy just about blew a gasket a short while into the project.
Resigning from any job is bound to quicken the heartbeat but retiring from a career is downright frightening. I did just that at the end of November although I've been on medical leave since August.
When you start adding it up, a column a month for 19-plus years working for The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News, I've probably covered about all there is – and some topics, more than once.
Happy Holidays to our wonderful community! MOPS/MOMSNext would like to extend a warm wish for love, peace and togetherness during this holiday season. We here at MOPS/MOMSNext have been having a great time crafting, cooking, sharing meals and also listening to some amazing speakers. We recently went out into the community and attended our very first community block party put on by our local Center for Human Services. What a great and fun family outing! ...
Elections are over, the political ads are gone from television, radio and the print media, and now people can turn their attention to everyday life and getting back into the routine.
What a difference a month can make. Our columns here give us a chance to put down our 'reporter' or 'editor' labels and just be real people for a change. It provides us with an opportunity to offer an opinion, talk about something personal as opposed to writing a story about a football game or a council meeting.