Columns
I think of myself as a compassionate person. It’s the reason why I find the idea of an abortion repugnant. So, how do I answer the pro-choice side’s call for compassion for a desperate mother who “exercises her right to choose?” How do I respond to intelligent women, many of whom are my...
In the first installment of this series, I made the argument that allowing women to buy into fear and doubt about whether they can effectively raise an unexpected child is an affront to what women can accomplish. It’s a sexist idea. A logical rebuttal is some women who choose not to have their...
As a conservative woman in my 30s, I sometimes feel like the proverbial Dutch boy with his finger in a dam, standing singly yet resolutely before a flood. Among those of my generation and younger, I hear a lot of talk about “being on the right side of history.” The idea is to believe and behave...
According to the persimmons, we are going to have snow this winter! My kids certainly hope this is the case. About this time every year, local conversations inevitably include references to persimmons—if they’re ripe, who has found a big crop, and what the seeds forecast about the impending...
This week’s edible is often considered just a nuisance weed, yet it’s more nutritious than kale, so it deserves a little consideration. It’s often called pigweed, but pigweed is a nickname given to a number of weeds. There are several varieties of amaranth, all edible, some that are cultivated...
Exodus 12:23-24 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an...
Amos 5:18-20 Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light. 19It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake...
Amanda Mendez is the publisher and editor-in-chief at Howell County News. She and her husband, Ron, have owned the newspaper since 2019. She is an enthusiast of all things Ozarks and old-fashioned.
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As we drove into town to start our day...
If you’ve lived in Missouri more than five minutes, I’m sure you already know something about our wild grapes: tiny, seedy, and often hard to reach. That’s if the wildlife don’t beat you to them! Despite these challenges, they remain one of the favorite wild edibles in our state. Their deeply...
Amanda Mendez is the publisher and editor-in-chief at Howell County News. She and her husband, Ron, have owned the newspaper since 2019. She is an enthusiast of all things Ozarks and old-fashioned.
Facebook friends of mine will recognize the first part of this story. At the risk of...