Kelly Learns
A compilation of my columns from the Sunday issues of the Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona.
I’ve been writing an every-other Sunday column for the Daily Courier in Prescott, AZ since late 2020, thanks to the kind encouragement of long-time columnist Ron Barnes, who spent over 30 years contributing his wisdom not only to the newspaper but to many other people and organizations in the Prescott area. He put in some good words to the publisher and editor for me when he decided to retire from column writing. It’s one of those gifts you never knew you wanted and then realize how grateful you are to have it.
The Daily Courier has exclusive rights to my column for 60 days after publication, which is why you might be reading a Christmas column in February. I love writing but seem to need a project and deadline to do it. Hopefully this blog will inspire me to write more. Thanks for stopping by to check out my site!
Living history
A few weeks ago, I was helping take photos of veterans at a local senior living facility. As part of the project, we asked the residents to bring photos of themselves from their time in the military so we could use them alongside the current photos. I scanned the old photos into my editing program and thought about how some looked like they could have been 1950’s movie stars, handsome in their dress uniforms, a mix of serious expressions and big smiles. Although sixty-plus years had passed, I could still see the traces of the younger men and women they were in their faces. But of all the historical photos I was given that day, the most precious was a full photo album shared by a 96-year-old Korean War veteran. He came down to pose for his photo and handed me a beautiful book with an...
Second time around
When Wanda and Bill Starkman first met and fell in love, they were 16 and 20. Bill noticed Wanda walking by the pool hall he frequented in Blythe, California, and thought she was the prettiest girl in town and asked her out. They went on a few dates and six weeks...
The places you’ll go
I sat down in the hard wooden chair, squeezing my knees into the tiny space allotted to me in the middle seat of section 220, Row 13 of the Sky Dome in Flagstaff, surrounded by thousands of other proud family members waiting to see someone they love walk across the...
Mom’s the word
This is the 110th year that we’ve celebrated Mother’s Day in every U.S. state, according to Wikipedia. My earliest memories of celebrating my mom involved breaking off a few purple lilac blooms from the backyard and wrapping them in a damp paper towel to present to...
Five wishes
He was supposed to be a puppy. At least that’s what I’d been looking for when I drove into the Humane Society parking lot. We’d been without a dog since our Canada move two years earlier and somehow the cats were winning 3-0 at home. That’s what happens when a dog gal...
No place like home
There’s a line Dorothy says in “The Wizard of Oz” movie: “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard.” Those words felt especially true this week as we entertained our good friends, Glen and Carol, who were escaping...
A new leash on life
I have a soft spot in my heart for old dogs. We’ve lived here long enough that the young pups who used to jump and pull hard on their leashes when we walked by with our dogs have now mellowed into gray-faced dignitaries who sit quietly while their humans talk for a...
Pipe dreams
I was sure I smelled a gas leak one recent Sunday morning as I was walking down our driveway, but after checking out the obvious culprits, the smell was gone. I convinced Mike to come outside and sniff around with me, just in case. We wandered around the yard, noses...
You can’t hug a sticky note
Each January, when I resolve to be more organized, I look at my desk and think about how nice it would feel to see papers sorted and filed, a clean pad of paper on top of the desk, and my computer monitors freed from all the sticky notes encouraging me to do something...
Be mine, Valentine
I still remember the agony of a certain fourth-grade assignment years ago. Scraps of pink, red and white paper littered the floor as our classroom full of 10-year-olds cut out hearts with blunt-end scissors. We tried to make lacy doilies by folding our hearts and...
A leap of faith
One of the best parts of my job is talking to people and hearing snippets of their life stories. A few weeks ago, I was talking with a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam era. Part of his job was packing parachutes. “How do you fold up the fabric and stuff it...
Finders keepers
Each year, January is the month I resolve to become more organized. Like many resolutions, I start strong. I put out cardboard boxes in the spare bedroom, with post-it notes marked “donate,” “keep,” or “toss” on them. I pack up random mugs and unused kitchen tools....