Village Voices - We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks

I have never understood why women love cats. Cats are independent, they don't listen, they don't come in when you call, they like to stay out all night, and when they're home they like to be left...

Every year we haul out the boxes of Christmas Icicle lights, and begin the tedious process of going through to see which ones light, which bulbs need to be replaced, and once completed – then there...

At our recent Stephenson County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, I talked to our members about helping us grow our Young Leader Program. This is a program for Farm Bureau members who are 18-35 years old....

The holidays are a time to reflect and express appreciation to the people who enrich our lives with the gift of their friendship and service to others in our community. This year, I am exceptionally...

With the rise of self-driving vehicles, it's only a matter of time before we get a country song where a guy's truck leaves him too. As I write this, my wife and I are in southwest Florida where...

What’s your favorite cookie? The typical answer is chocolate chip, and I love my wife’s chocolate chip cookies – especially when fresh and warm out of the oven when the chocolate is a bit on...

Just in time for the holiday baking season, the Stephenson County Farm Bureau is excited to remind you we are an authorized McNess Home Products retailer. We currently have McNess pure ground...

When my boss asked me who is the dumb one, me or him? I told him everyone knows he doesn't hire dumb people. My first paying job other than working on my parent’s farm was working on our...

I admit it, cooking has never been one of my strengths. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is this going to be another one of your stupid columns where you try and make excuses for yourself?” “Hi honey, nice...

Brrr… These last few days have certainly felt like late fall and early winter. It has made me immensely thankful for my warm jackets, gloves, and hats. With the temperatures trending downward as win...

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. There are several reasons, but one of the main ones is that growing up on the farm, Thanksgiving always was a celebration of the end of the work...

I know all about Spring cleaning – my wife usually has to drag me out of my chair to help … well, I guess she only has to threaten not to cook (that typically works). In either case we trudge out...

It has been over 10 years since I served as the Summer Intern for the McHenry County Farm Bureau located in Woodstock, Illinois. I spent my summer interviewing farmers, helping with Agriculture In...

Local journalism is a cornerstone of democracy and a vital source of information for communities across the country, with newsrooms covering local politics, high school sports, local business...

Being in the profession that I am in, when meeting strangers, their reaction to me can be all over the board. My profession can either be a conversation starter or a conversation killer. When hearing...

I don’t know about you, but I am seriously glad that the election is over. Part of the reason is because I was sick and tired of seeing commercials on television where candidates were repeatedly bas...

Last week I had the opportunity to travel with our members to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as part of a day trip the Farm Bureau hosted. Our group enjoyed a tour of the Geneva Bay, which was narrated...

“Signs, signs, everywhere a sign, blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind. Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?” So say the vocals to the song “Signs.” According to...

I've always loved Halloween. I never got into horror movies, and can remember going to see the original movie "Halloween" after a friend had told me every single thing that was going to happen in the...

I remember when I was in about seventh grade, American Eagle had come out with this shirt in preparation for that election season. The shirt simply read “VOTE”. Now obviously as a seventh grader...

With an election looming, I marvel at the rhetoric and actions of many. They tell me that it is because of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe V Wade that pregnancy crisis centers are being bombed...

A few months ago, somebody sent me an anonymous package in the mail postmarked from Tinley Park, Illinois. I was most curious about this package, because I don’t know anybody from Tinley Park, Illin...

My Dad was very old school when it came to voting. Every time people complained about low voter turnout, he immediately stated how much he liked it when the turnout was low. “Don’t vote,...