Articles written by Lois Stephens
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Wacky Neighborhood
Our neighbor lady has quite a few talents. She has imagination, a sense of humor and artistic talent to boot. She excels at creating posters, cards and other graphic materials. Three years ago, she produced a collage as a memento of the first year...
Walking Barometer
Years ago, before I underwent a double knee replacement, I got quite adept at predicting weather changes. My knees would ache abominably a day or so before we would see the weather turn; whatever that shift happened to be. Depending on how badly my...
New Year, New Beginnings
Yikes, what a year we all saw in 2020. To say this past year proved itself a most unusual year qualifies as an understatement, as nearly everyone I know can’t wait to look at 2020 from his or her rear-view mirror. 2020 provided us with situations...
The House of My Dreams
Some of you may remember a story I wrote several years ago about outhouses. In that little tale I explained how fascinated I have always been with these outdoor potty rooms. I have outhouse...
Left In The Dark Again
When life flows along as we expect, we take electricity for granted. The refrigerator hums along on its own, a flick of the finger lights up a room, water splashes out of the tap on demand, and we enjoy hot showers whenever we require them....
Sirens Seductively Calling
I have always loved baked goods. Especially as a youth, I could never resist any tempting concoction placed in front of me. Pastries, cream horns, cream puffs, pie, chocolate cookies laden with coconut and nuts; you name it. If it wasn’t good for...
Tombstone Rock
Madison County has a regulation that requires a property owner to clearly mark his or her 911 physical address at the entrance to the driveway so emergency services can find the property if called to the site for any sort of emergency. We have lived...
Cowboys Had It Right
Cowboys knew what they were doing, in more ways than one. Remember those oversize bandannas they always wore around their necks? Just think, that big kerchief served a multitude of uses. Cowboys could use those fabric neckpieces as a cooling cloth on...
Lumberjacking With The Neighbors
My husband loves to spend time in the woods. He’ll travel several miles to reach our BLM ‘big timber’ country, where he enjoys the scenery, the hushed solitude of the forest, and the search for firewood. Logging puts him in a good mood as...
From Rubbermaid To Old Clunker
I used to be made of rubber: elastic, stretchable, and just about indestructible, or at least that is the way I felt. When I was a child and even still as a young adult, I could leap over tall buildings in a single bound, tumble down stairs, bounce...
Fumbling in the Dark
Owls have amazing eyesight and night vision. They lurk in trees at night, look below them, see a dark rodent running across equally dark ground, swoop down, and unerringly make a catch. Wow, talk about the ability to see in the dark. I wish I had it...
Saying Yes When I Mean No
Most of us were raised to be respectful, to offer help in times of need, to make ourselves useful, and to say yes when someone asked a favor. We were taught to do what we could to help and assist someone when asked or needed, and to try hard not to...
The Case Of The Disappearing Snacks
My husband and I enjoy snacks. We like our cookies, crackers, nuts of all shapes and sizes, candies, and other assorted treats. When we have such delightful goodies in the house, we keep them in a specific spot so we both know where to check when...
That Gadget on my Wrist
Technology truly has changed everything. Remember when we would get a new wristwatch? We’d pull out the stem, set the watch to the appropriate time, push the stem back in, and then rotate that stem back and forth to wind the watch. The device kept...
Those Amazing Lines and Squiggles
My mother grew up during the Depression. She only had a handful of books at her disposal, and since she loved to read, she read and reread those half dozen books multiple times and treasured each and every one of them. She still had those books when...
Always A Season Late
It seems my husband and I always decide to begin a project at the wrong time of year. We purchase snow shovels in April, barbecues in November, and sleds after the snow melts, a new self-propelled four-wheel drive push lawn mower when the grass has...
Family Reunions
I love my three siblings. After all, we grew up together, we knew what buttons to push if one of us wanted to start an argument, and we also knew the way to soothe those ruffled feelings. We banded together against perceived outside threats, we kept...
Newspaper Legend Passes
The MonDak region has lost a newspaper icon. Russ Wells, born Dec. 5, 1945, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019 just a few months shy of his 74th birthday. Wells exhibited a talent for newspaper...
Those Annoying Senior Moments
Did you know that the phrase 'senior moments', which means a temporary lapse of memory, first made an appearance in 1996? The staff of Webster's New World College Dictionary made it the word of the...
Community and Other Changes
When I moved to Virginia City, the sign “Welcome to Virginia City - Resisting Change since 1863” amused me. I understand the sentiment behind that statement, as the community wants to preserve the old buildings and atmosphere that attracts...
Pet Peeves
We all encounter inanities in life. Pet peeves, gripes, and complaints differ greatly among people. What drives me totally mad does not seem to bother others at all. Each one of us experiences minor life encounters and occurrences that annoy us as...
Ancient Artifacts
I think I have moved to the right place. It seems in most parts of the country older people no longer receive the respect they deserve. We're often looked upon as a burden, as using up vanishing...
When The Shoe Is On The Other Foot
Maybe this observation applies only to this household, but somehow I doubt it. It seems that when the man of the house does something silly, or makes a mistake, or has some sort of accident, the...
Staying Active
Activity of any sort has always been a large part of my life. As a child, I had the nickname Worry Wart or Nervous Nellie as I could not seem to sit still for any length of time. When sitting, one or...
Hot Pink Scooters
I can't believe I've done this again. I thought we gained wisdom as we age, but not this old fall hen. Two years ago I broke my arm after slipping on ice. Learning from experience, I invested in...