By Teraesa Bruce Our washing machine broke down. I swear if it’s not one thing, it’s another! I had started a load of laundry and came upstairs for something and noticed the smell of burnt rubber. The smell was coming from the basement, and at fir...

I am sitting in a parking lot at Fort Riley in front of my son’s barracks writing this. Robert tried his best to get the brakes on his truck fixed but was still having issues, and there is only so much George could do over the phone and video chat. R...

The perfect gift By Teraesa Bruce We have all been there, searching the stores for the perfect gift. We are often left disappointed and settling on something at the last minute that’s not quite as rewarding as what we were hoping for. Sometimes, n...

It’s raining! Usually, I would be down in the dumps because of the gloomy weather, but I am thankful for the warmer temperatures. It seems odd to me that it is raining in December and 50 degrees, but I’ll take it. The politicians would say it...

For the last two weeks, the house has been a chaotic mess of various piles of Christmas ornaments, garlands and wreaths. Over the years, I have accumulated tons of holiday decorations, the problem being that many of them are worn out from years of...

Here I am, last minute, sitting down to write about this week’s Crazy Life. Tuesday morning when George told me goodbye, he said, if you go anywhere today, please be careful. I took one look outside, and my decision to stay home held firm. The o...

Have you ever been so anxious you felt claustrophobic in your skin? It sounds strange, I know, but that’s how I feel right now. I’m a stressed mess! This is why I hate traveling. In case you missed it last week, we are flying to San Diego to see Jaco...

In a week, I’ll be in San Diego! It seems crazy to me this is really happening! I can’t believe we actually pulled it off. Jacob, here we come! Man, I miss that kid! Robert called today. He is packing and getting ready to move to his new duty sta...

Another crazy week for the books! Robert headed back to base on Saturday, and the house is back to that weird quiet again. During his visit home, Robert bought a fog machine for our Halloween decorations. It sounded cool, but I don’t think he was i...

It’s been a busy week. Robert rolled in Thursday evening. He is on leave, and I get to keep him for a whole week. I’m so happy to have him home. We picked up Jack and Nicholas on Friday, and it was a nice change to have the house alive over the wee...

By Teraesa Bruce I’m so excited we were able to purchase our airline tickets to go to San Diego for Jacobs’s graduation. I honestly didn’t think it would happen, but it is. Speaking of Jacob, he is doing well, with no more accidents or illne...

It’s been yet another crazy week, hence the title. We no longer have holes in our front porch, and the priming of the house has begun. I’m running out of days to paint, but I am hopeful the front porch area will be completed by the end of the mon...

What a week, or weekend I should say. I forgot my age again and volunteered for a project that took twice as long as I’d expected. If you remember, awhile back, I wrote an article about Lowell Tuma, who was renovating a house here in Nelson on F...

I left a window open and woke up in a chilly house; it was a brisk 53º downstairs. No wonder I’m still feeling under the weather; this time of year always gets me. With harvest starting, my sinuses will surely be full through the new year. I got a su...

I got a letter from Jacob Friday, who has an ear infection and pneumonia. I hope he is all better now since I have not heard otherwise. Monday was the beginning of Swim Week for his company. All I can say is he better do well with this one. After...

I got letters from Jacob yesterday, not the standard letters, but actual letters! He wrote across the top of one in giant print, “I LOVE YOU!” That made my day! I thought the days of the kids’ scribbles on the refrigerator were over for now, but m...

The enviable truth of being a parent is that someday the last one will leave the nest. No matter how exciting it might sound, it still pulls on the heartstrings a bit. Everyone jokes and says, “It’s going to be hard when your baby leaves,” but it’s...

I’ve been having lots of “feelings” lately, and I don’t like it one bit! Feeling number one, sadness. Today I pulled the plug on summer. I don’t know why, but that’s how I feel every time I drain the pool. This year felt different, though, may...

The two hottest days of the year are the Nuckolls County Horse Show and Oregon Trail Day. Saturday was no different, yet hundreds of people turned out to take the tour in Oak and enjoy a day of history. More than 200 carloads braved the heat and the...

I have such great neighbors. I had a pile of tree limbs sitting out by the road. It seemed every chance we had to haul them off, it would rain, and we were unable to. One day, after work, I looked out, and the pile was gone. I asked Jacob if he had...

The last couple of weeks are finally catching up to me, and I feel as if I could sleep for a month. I drove to Fort Riley with a friend yesterday to pick up Robert’s vehicle. He flew out on Sunday for another six-week training and wanted me to b...

By Teraesa Bruce I am writingfrom the pump area of the Nelson swimming pool. It seems my office changes weekly, if not daily. I tried to sit in the office and type, but between the guards coming in and out and my pool rats, I couldn’t keep a t...

I read this on Facebook today, “Dear, whatever doesn’t kill me, I’m strong enough now. Thanks.” That hit home this past week and I’m pooped! It’s been one dramatic crisis after another. I’ve started answering the phone with “Now what?” instead...

Roe v Wade is all anyone seems to be talking about right now. There seems to be no blurred line on this topic; you are either for or against abortion. It is my understanding that the decision to allow or not allow abortion will now be left to the...