A couple of years ago, I wrote about the lifespan of a refrigerator. In 44 years of marriage, we have had four refrigerators in our house, each one lasting about half the time of the previous one. The refrigerator we have now is about two-and-a-half years old, so I’m thinking I’d better start looking around for another one soon. I’m not fond of the refrigerator we have now. When the last one quit working, after six years, I almost cried. We could not find one like it. It had

Andy Li, Wikimedia Commons While we usually think of the British in regard to this treat, the Irish like it, too. Just like one thinks of turkey on Thanksgiving, most of us think corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day, which is on Tuesday, March 17. While we have plenty of time before then, it never hurts to start thinking ahead and planning early. I am not sure what it is like for everybody, but I can say that I am amazed at how quickly time goes by. It does really see

This morning as I was leaving the house to go to the Tribune, my husband, David, came out with me to get something out of his truck. While we were out there, a young lady from the next street over walked by with her little dog. The dog was a Chihuahua-Poodle mix. She was a very sweet little dog, and very curious about us. David said, "That dog is smaller than some of my cats." That struck up a conversation with the neighbor, who mentioned that it will be a good day for a bike

Nancy Simpson/The Madera Tribune Hanna Lane, a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge 327, serves coffee at breakfast the third Saturday of each month. Pictured, from left are David Simpson, Lane, and Nancy Simpson. On the third Sunday of every month, Madera Odd Fellows Lodge 327 has a breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a.m. It is a mighty good breakfast, and included in the meal is two eggs, two pieces of ham or sausage, and three pancakes, with orange juice and coffee. The price is only $1

For The Madera Tribune Sue First and Bert Roper on their Valentine’s Day wedding in 2009. Bert Roper and Sue First were married on Valentine’s Day in 2009. For the past 17 years, they have remained blissfully happy, and they continue to enjoy the blessings of life. Bert is a United Methodist pastor, who was appointed to the Madera church in 2016, and retired in Madera. He is temporarily serving as an interim pastor in the Mariposa church. Sue is a school teacher, also retired

It’s Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air. On this special day of the year, we celebrate something called Love, and during this season we see hearts and flowers, cuddly teddy bears, balloons, candy, and lots of things that make us smile. These are our symbols of love. There are many kinds of love to celebrate on this day. On Valentines Day, we usually think of the romantic love, a feeling you may have toward your spouse or lover. Romance is a great part of a relationship,

Jeffreyw, Wikimedia Commons Enjoy a bowl of chili made just the way you like it. National Chili Day is always on the last Thursday of February, which happens to be February 26 this year. One of the great things about chili is that you can make it any way you like. Meaning, if you don’t eat meat, make a vegetarian or vegan version. Don’t like hot and spicy? Tone it down to suit your comfort zone. Add this or take away that, and you end up with your own custom-made chili. I thi

Since last fall when we had the carpet replaced at our house, I have been trying like the dickens to get things organized and to pitch what I no longer need or want. Our church is having a rummage sale at the beginning of next month, so it is a perfect time for me to get my act together and pass on some items that are still usable. My closet has always been a real challenge for me when it comes to disposing of items. Now, I don’t have a lot of high-quality clothes, but my cl