A humble carpenter’s son warned us that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” In an era of deep division within our country, we need some unifying perspective. Two family writings may provide this perspective. David Acheson, a Pennsylvania merchant writing home while on a visit to his native Ireland in 1841. “I find an […]

When unexpected death enters our world, we are caught off-guard and unprepared for the intense loss and agonizing pain. We did not get to say good-by to our loved one. In a mere second of time our lives are forever changed. We struggle to do daily life without our person. The following are excerpts from […]

You have to hand it to Windy. When Alphonse “Windy” Wilson chooses to speak, it is a bombastic sampling of creativity. Windy has yet to find a word he can’t make better through his own unique methods. Well, what got him fired up the other day was a meeting of the ladies of the garden […]

Some years ago I was enjoying some quality family time with my children when the telephone began ringing. The response that followed confused me, mostly because there wasn’t one. Not one of my trio of offspring made even the slightest attempt to answer it. I briefly considered several possibilities. Perhaps they were all hard of […]

In a presidential election, should a vote in Brunswick, Biddeford or Bangor, Maine, carry less than half the weight of a vote in Cheyenne, Cody or Casper, Wyoming? That’s what happened in 2016. And Wyoming wasn’t the only state with more influence for each of its voter than Maine. By the same token, a Maine […]

If you were a Democrat, and you believed, as many Democrats do, that the nation faces an existential crisis in the form of President Trump, would you want to watch a Democratic debate which opened with ten of your party’s presidential candidates stuck in an endless discussion of healthcare arcana? Yes, healthcare helped Democrats win […]

MEREDITH, N.H. — Someone needs to whisper this into Beto O’Rourke’s ear before the next Democratic debate: “Step up or step away.” The twin debates in Detroit were a vital moment for all 20 candidates who have qualified for the televised events; and the last proving ground before the party, through more stringent debate standards for […]

I used to be useless around the house. I couldn’t do the simplest chores. Painting, hammering, minor plumbing, installing cat doors, assembling IKEA furniture, hanging closet doors — I did none of it. Sue did it all. Not just because I’m a lazy bum, but because I wasn’t any good at it. Sue enjoys being […]