Mt. Pleasant News

Two of my closest friends retired in 2017 ? one by choice, the other due to a disability.Since they retired, many of our conversations center on what is going on in their lives.Neither of the pair had hobbies, which I feel is a significant detriment to a happy and satisfying retirement.You hear many retirees proclaiming that they are busier now than when they were working, which in many cases is true. However, ...

If there's snow on the ground, our hens won't venture from the hen house. They come to the threshold, peck at the snow, but opt to stay indoors.That's fine with me. I leave the south door open for them during the day so that they get a little sunshine and vitamin D. Even in this bitterly cold weather, our lucky 13 hens are still pumping out a dozen eggs a day like clockwork. I have to gather the eggs more often ...

At the beginning of the calendar year, there is a great deal of talk and focus on time, and especially the gift of time. As the clock strikes midnight and the old year passes to the new, opportunities for new beginnings and fresh starts are recognized and enthusiastically embraced.The beginning of January seems ideal for casting aside the habits that have held us captive in the past and perfect for making ...

As a child, there was no sound sweeter than newscaster Chad Douglas saying ?Clark County R-1 School District will be closed today due to weather.?Yesterday, as the temperature dropped dramatically and rain began to freeze, then turn to snow, I attempted to calculate how long it might take me to drive home in the inclement weather or if I should attempt a stop at the grocery store for necessities. I realized how ...

To the editor:This is in regard to the story ?Palestinian Christians and Muslims unite against Trump Jerusalem call.?Fact: President Donald Trump carried out a promise our last three presidents failed to do ... recognize Jerusalem as the Jewish capital.So far, the Mt. Pleasant News has differed from other newspapers about producing many political news columns. If there is going to be a change, let's include ...

By Jean Thomson January is the quiet season for gardeners. While house plants require minimal maintenance, the gardener's best work can be done from an easy chair. As garden catalogs arrive, January offers time to browse.Many gardeners already have distinct favorites, but most of us are tempted to take a look at everything. Still, some will quickly be set aside while others are reserved for a more careful ...

By Curt Swarm Catastrophe nearly struck the Empty Nest Farm. One night, before all this cold weather hit, I stumbled out after dark to shut the hens up for the night. As I approached, my spot light picked up the startling revelation that the hen house door was closed. That was strange. Why would the door be closed to the hen house?Then the light picked up the next bit of news. There, on the ramp to the hen ...

Psalms 51:10-12: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.This is a prayer that, when prayed sincerely, God will answer every time. There is no greater need in life than to have a clean heart before God. Sin dirties up the soul. It ...

Everything has it's season ? sadly, sometimes even family traditions.Growing up, holidays revolved around spending time with my family and eating way too much food. Summers were spent at my grandparent's house at the lake where card games on the porch gave us a moment away from the glare of the hot Missouri sun during afternoons filled with swimming, kayaking and fishing.Thanksgiving was always held at my ...

About every third article I come across this week seems to be geared toward bettering oneself in the new year ? even subtly. From people showing off how they have conquered new diet trends to columns about how to love better in the next 365 days, this week is a time for people to reflect on what they have accomplished ? but more so, what they have not.Ever since I can remember, I have always craved a fresh ...

When Jens (pronounced ?Yens?) Carlsen drove down the hill for the first time on Highway 61, past the Iowa State Penitentiary, into Ft. Madison and saw the frozen Mississippi River, he wondered if he had made the right decision. Where were the hockey rinks?It wasn't until he walked into the Faeth Cigar Store and viewed fishing tackle on one side of the store and guns on the other that he decided America might be ...

Psalms 37:27-28a, ?Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever. For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly.Want to know the secret to a long life? Here it is. Turn away from sin and do what is good in God's eyes. The promise is that if we do this, we will live forever. But here is the catch; in order for us to do this, we must confess our sins to Christ and turn them ...