Gifted freezer containers were perfect for preserving this year’s sweet corn crop.

It is sometimes said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But in today’s world we should strive to no longer produce any trash. At our house for example, we make every attempt to reuse, repurpose and recycle what we can to minimize the amount of trash we send to the landfill. And thanks to the successful recycling program in Osage County we are able to recycle most of our trash.

I remember when I was in junior high we had a young, enthusiastic science teacher that tried very hard to get the school and community involved in recycling. This was a new concept for all of us and I remember volunteering at the recycle center thinking we were saving the world. On Saturdays we unloaded sacks of newspapers and bags of aluminum cans as people drove through the center. This was pretty progressive thinking for central Kansas in the early 70s, or so we thought.

A fun part of operating a local news website is the interesting and unique connections that can happen. We take for granted nowadays how easy it is to find information on the Internet, but it also makes connecting with others, near or far, as close as your fingertips.

A recent connection, for instance, started with a request from a reader to find someone that would treasure a wonderfully preserved 1937 photo of an Osage City second-grade class.

Has everyone tried all of their new Christmas presents yet? I found a new cookie cutter in my gifts this year and couldn’t wait to try it out.

My grandmother had me making sugar cookies with her from the time I could stand on a chair with an apron tied around my neck. We didn’t have a written recipe because these were the everyday cookies and they were made at least once a week. She had all shapes of metal cookie cutters from stars to trees to little Scotty dogs.  A sprinkle of sugar was all we ever put on them but we used tinted sugar for holidays. The recipe that was attached to the cookie cutter was almost the same as Grandma Williams’ recipe from the past.

The corn is ready.

These simple words bring delight and fear to the farm. Although our farm is very small and our crops are nominal, we want to run and hide when we hear those words. Everyone on the farm enjoys the bountiful harvest, but only those with thumbs fear the corn.

One of my favorite memories is Sunday dinner at grandma’s house. Every Sunday after church my grandparents’ table was filled with five rambunctious children eager to share their experiences from the past week. She always served a delicious dinner, all handmade with love.