It was the winter of 1950. That was the last Christmas my family enjoyed in Southern Indiana, before we moved to the sunny south. And, being the tender age of 6, it was the first Christmas that I can recall. ...more

December 25, 2009

At its best, Christmas has always been a tradeoff. We give, we get. ...more

December 22, 2009

A housewarming gift was enclosed in a square, red-and-green box in 1961. I do not remember what was in the box, but I remember the box. ...more

December 20, 2009

'Tis the season when desperate parents are scrambling to find "LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary," others are deciding if their friends are $20 or $40 buddies and co-workers must stomach somebody's strange tuna casserole at the potluck holiday lunch. ...more

December 20, 2009

Some 50 Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts helped launch the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign in West Pasco on Friday. ...more

November 11, 2009

Christmas came in July for organizers of the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign for gifts for needy children. ...more

November 4, 2009

There are laws against scattering someone's ashes any old place you want. That goes for Daytona International Speedway. So everybody turn their head: Ron Hornaday Jr. owes his dad. ...more

February 12, 2009

What's all the noise about an "emergency" stimulus package? Silly me — I thought that meant we'd be jump-starting our ailing economy around last Christmas ...more

February 8, 2009

It's funny, isn't it, that of the four people at Lakeshore Mall, asked about their most special Christmas memory, each involved a holiday with a mother, a father or a child. ...more

December 25, 2008

There's a new realization that holding a gift card from a troubled retailer is like having a bank account without FDIC insurance. ...more

November 23, 2008