Saying Thank You
As the holiday season approaches, it is a time when we think of gifts -- gifts we give and those we receive. Not all gifts are exchanged at Christmas or for sp…
Stories by Jan Burgess
-
-
Let's pretend ... welcome to my house
Many years ago on Saturday morning, there was a radio program called "Let's Pretend." While it ran from 1891 to 1953 and was sponsored by Cream of Wheat, I lis…
-
Play a game just for fun and be a friend
For those of us who live in Bella Vista, table games are a huge part of our daily life.
-
Food for thought: God is the nourishment for the soul
Food is familiar to all of us. We eat it on a regular basis. We feed our families, our friends and for many of us, members of a group we belong to at a pot luc…
-
When the grass grows
There are some things summer brings to mind and I think of them every time it rolls around. When I lived in Wisconsin just about every house had a grass lawn w…
-
The Celebration of Life gone by
It is interesting to drive past the cemetery on Walnut Street in Rogers. Since I bowl on a regular basis at the Rogers Bowling Center, I make multiple trips pa…
-
Did you get your mail today?
Today, mailboxes are everywhere. However, that was not always the case. Mailboxes were not used until around the 1850's when postage stamps were introduced. Up…
-
The glory of God's world from my back porch
It's the beginning of another week, and I am sitting on my porch enjoying the peace and quiet of an early spring morning. The windows are wide open for the fir…
-
The sound of sirens
Because the office where I worked was located directly across the street from the Bella Vista Police and Fire departments, the sound of sirens was not uncommon.
-
The Celebration of Life gone by
It is interesting to drive past the cemetery on Walnut Boulevard in Rogers. Since I bowl on a regular basis at the Rogers Bowling Center, I make multiple trips…
-
The greatest gift to mankind
As the Christmas season approaches, we think about giving presents to those who have a special meaning for us. Usually that includes family and friends who we …
-
Morning mist reminds us to get closer to God
Bella Vista is home to several lakes, and I happen to live on Loch Lomond. There is something special about living on the water, even though we only actually s…
-
What makes today special?
I am always amazed at the variety of information that is available on the Internet. Some of it is interesting, some of it is who cares, and probably there is n…
-
Change can be a good thing
For many, if not most of us, September brings to mind going back to school. For students, this can be a positive thing because often summer vacation can get bo…
-
Rotary Club doing good for others in community
Life is interesting and offers us multiple opportunities to participate in activities or events that benefit others. As the wife of a member of the Sunrise Rot…
-
Jesus spent His life helping us grow in our understanding of who God is
It sometimes amazes me where thoughts come from and I often wonder what my next column will be about. What also amazes me is how differently it may turn out fr…
-
Keep it between the lines
I am a lover of country music and often play it on my car radio as I drive to and from various destinations. A great part of my enjoyment is in listening to th…
-
The Gift of Love
Thinking back to a Sunday morning when those of us who were up and about early were privileged to see one of the truly marvelous messages of our Lord -- His el…
-
Time to tank up
Thinking back over several years, I remember when I decided I needed to take some time off. I had tried several times to compose a new column and seemed to be …
-
The blessings of opportunity
Sometimes we are blessed with unexpected opportunities. Each Christmas season the Bella Vista Community Church has an English Tea to which the public is invite…
-
Holiday traditions
When the Christmas holidays roll around, I am caught up in the colors that represent this time of year ... green, red and gold, but mostly green. There are sev…
-
Coping with stress!
It seems that hardly a week goes by without the word "stress" popping up in print, in conversation, or in our thoughts. I hear it being discussed as a force to…
-
What do we say when times are tough?
Life is a journey that travels down lots of different roads. Different because people are different, but also different for the same individual at different ti…
-
Does it fit?
Sometimes something happens and it makes me think ... could this be a Simple Faith column? It happened recently when I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner…
-
Pizza was for Peasants
The history of how and where pizza began is fuzzy to say the least, especially when you include the history of flat breads with stuff on them. In the preserved…
-
Pass it on
Whatever happened to lazy days of summer when the bees buzzed overhead, the lemonade flowed, ceiling fans stirred the air overhead, hammocks rocked in an easy …
-
Message from dead trees
It seems every year we make at least one trip to Wisconsin to connect with family. As we get in the car and head north, I always look around and see what might…
-
![]()
Animal crackers have been around for more than a century
The product we know today as Animal Crackers came to America around 1902 but had existed in a similar form since the late 1800s. Food historians generally agre…
-
How wired are you?
It is always amazing to me how things that have been around my entire lifetime suddenly pop up as something with a new meaning, something to think about in a d…
-
Vanilla comes to mind, but plenty of V words exist
As I come to the end of another alphabetical series, the letter V has several different terms that caught my interest.
-
What's on my list
Spring is such a fantastic time. We can respond to the new life that rises from the earth, smile at the blue skies and let our energy soar.
-
How automatic is your faith?
Thinking back to a morning when I was getting ready to leave for work this past spring, my husband warned me to be careful when driving. I was puzzled at his c…
-
Cooking terms with letter 'T' abound
Lots of the cooking terms/processes that begin with the letter "t" are familiar, which is a refreshing change of pace from some of the previous ones in former …
-
The battery that powers our life
Not too long ago I turned on my cell phone, which I seldom use, and was greeted with the message -- "out of battery." I have a simple trac phone that is pretty…
-
How do we view our world?
For those of us who live in Bella Vista or the surrounding area, when winter comes we are all familiar with the amazing ice formations that hang from the rock …
-
The letter S
Some letters of the alphabet have lots of information and S would be one that covers many cooking processes and products. A few of the products I have heard of…
-
New year brings renewal of faith
What a season of blessings we have just had.
-
Simple Faith
Seeing is believing, or so the saying goes. This is the holiday season, and it is not possible to get through it without thinking about or seeing Santa Claus -…
-
More Than a Kitchen
As Christmas approaches, it becomes a busy time in Bella Vista. Folks entertain their friends, families gather and food becomes an integral part of everything …
-
Simple Faith
In years past, Thanksgiving was a holiday to be shared with family. The smell of a turkey cooking in the old Nesco roaster floated throughout the house, and al…
-
More Than a Kitchen
My last column about the cookie pizza for Halloween was written with kids in mind. This one appeals to the kid in me and can be created by kids or adults.
-
![]()
More Than a Kitchen
As the Halloween holiday approaches, I have to admit I have kids on my mind. While adults find many ways to celebrate this special time of year, it is the kids…
-
Simple faith
It was just a few days ago I had an experience unlike any I have had before and hopefully will not ever have again.
-
More than a kitchen
This month I have moved ahead to the letter M, and while it is not a column all about meat, there are several references that apply.
-
Simple Faith
Not long ago, I ran across a cartoon in the daily paper featuring a sign across a business entitled "Cat Obedience School." The sign read, "Out of Business." T…
-
Simple faith
My husband would tell you I am my father's daughter. My dad loved sports, and at the ripe old age of 95 could tell you who was winning in almost every sport on…
-
More than a kitchen
While it is always fun to research a new topic, sometimes there is more information than space allows and other times there isn't enough to fill a paragraph. S…
-
The joy of surprise
What delight can be found in the unexpected! It was the week of July 4 when my husband, Bruce, and I visited my folks' summer home in northern Wisconsin. I use…
-
Coming to terms with cooking: The letter F
By using the alphabet to move through cooking terms, some letters result in lots of terms and others not so many. The letter "F" has more than space allows, so…
-
The fun of being creative
As we traveled north to Wisconsin once again to help our daughter celebrate her May 4 birthday, it was too early in the season for trees or flowers to be in bl…
