September 2020

The Father of Mexico By Herbert W. Piekow   The Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla began the Mexican Revolution for independence from Spain by ringing his parish church bells at 2:30 AM on September 16th to call his parishioners, not to Mass, but to revolt against tyranny and bad government. Although his exact […]

Editor’s Page By Victoria A. Schmidt And now, the News   During my lifetime, I have seen many changes in the world. One that troubles me the most is the decline of the news industry. As a student of journalism, I was schooled in the crucial role it plays in our relationship with our government.

How to Celebrate a Birthday During a Pandemic By Tom Nussbaum   Having a birthday during a pandemic is like not having a birthday at all, especially when you are of a certain age and are single. The isolation, obviously, limits the celebration. But that isn’t such a bad thing if your birth certificate was

Ramblings From The Ranch By Christina Bennett Pet on the Belly   Recently, I learned another context for the phrase “a pet on the belly.” I always thought it was what my dogs wanted when they lay down with their feet in the air. But think again. My husband and I were “flight angels” for

Bridge By The Lake By Ken Masson   Experience counts for a lot in competitive bridge. Although the odds against the exact same deal occurring more than once in a lifetime are stupendous, certain situations reappear with sufficient frequency that if you recognise a possible solution early enough it can lead you to the best

Vexations and Conundrums By Katina Pontikes Are We Done?   Recently I was invited to be a guest at a very exciting presentation at the Baker Institute of Public Policy at Rice University campus in Houston, TX. The seminar was titled “A Presidential Election in an Uncertain Time.” It was as lofty as it sounds.

Mirror To The Universe —Community Spirituality By Rob Mohr   “Alone, we can do little – Together we can do so much.”—Helen Keller   As early as 100,000 years before the common era, Paleolithic and Neolithic hominid communities lived in both the spiritual and physical worlds. Their dominant art and architecture were the stage and

BEYOND THE FOREST GATE A Day in the Rainy Spring Woods With a Guy and his Dog Dr. Lorin Swinehart   It was the first week of May, one of the most beautiful times of year in my part of north central Ohio, that narrow window of time during which the woods are brightened by

Saving The Wild Orchids By Janice Kimball  Lavender orchids blooming on trees high in the mountains above Lake Chapala.   Toward the end of a miserable winter, orchids bloomed in the conservatory on Belle Isle in Detroit. The director who introduced the rainbow of blooming orchids inside explained that these were cultivated orchids. I remember