One thing we all have in common is as we go through life we have to make behavior modifications, which is really complex way of saying we have to change or habits or in some cases, break bad habits.

I won’t say I watched with horror, but I did watch in amazement as the story surrounding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump developed Saturday evening.

As odd as it may sound, I am glad the holiday is over and we can get somewhat back to normal. I love July 4, which is immediately preceded by the anniversary of my occupation of the earth as it makes its annual trek around the sun.

Thinking about growing up, one of my favorite holiday treats always came on July 4, which is homemade ice cream.

For the second time this year, I took a special trip to see a baseball game where I did a bunch of stuff, except see a baseball game.

Happy Summer everybody. June 20 is the day we can officially declare the summer has begun.

I’m sure you’ve seen those TV commercials mocking “young homeowners turning into their parents.” Mostly they are good for a chuckle, but it does serve as a reminder of how much of what we learn and act are based on what we learn from those who raise us.

As I prepare to turn another year older this week, I keep battling how to keep myself youthful. Or at least attempt to do so. Or at least attempt to feel youthful at times, especially physically.

If you were playing “Jeopardy” would you know the answer to the following question: “Ina Garten’s show was called this, also an Ava Gardner title role?” I sure didn’t and that really annoys me.

I am not exactly sure where the line is between fandom and geekdom, but apparently, I have managed to cross it.

School is out, summer is on the horizon and I ponder the fact we are just seven months away from Christmas. While reflecting on that reality, some other assorted thoughts come to mind.

The delight right now is the greening of the grass and trees, the flowers out in bloom and one of my personal favorite parts of spring – bird watching.

There are a lot of things I don’t do well, however, there is one skill which I think I am better than the average bear in performing: buying gifts.

We got our first taste of tornado season over the weekend. Reports were one or more funnels may have blown by or touched down in Bates County, but fortunately, there didn’t appear to be any major damage or injuries.

The great debate seems unending: what is your favorite season? No, I’m not trying to choose between baseball or football season nor duck or deer hunting; no, I refer to spring, summer, fall and winter.

I sometimes think there should be a narrator making commentary on my life. I watch TV shows like “The Wonder Years” and “The Goldbergs” and there is that voice opening and closing episodes summarizing the points of life learned during the previous half hour.

As “Field of Dreams” taught us, if you build it, he will come. The often misquoted line of “If you build it, they will come,” makes more sense when it comes to girls or women’s sports.

It is our birthday. This week’s paper marks our 365th issue, which means it marks our seventh anniversary.

As I have shared upon occasion, I do occasionally get sucked down rabbit holes while online. Sometimes it is by design and sometimes not, but as my mind and fingers wander, I find myself researching all kinds of deep, interesting topics.

It has been many months, if not years, since I last spoke with Mark Dunmire. But, despite the passage of time, word of his death last week was somewhat of a shock because he was just 53 years old, but also because every time I saw him he was full of vitality and energy.

I contemplated whether everyone in the world has simply gone crazy or modern culture has evolved to the point that I no longer understand the basic principles of kindness and decency. Plus, I was hungry.

We decided this was the year we would take another father-son trip to Arizona to catch some Royals’ spring training games.

I shared a little last week about how we come up with names for our children, which actually got me to thinking about my name. Growing up in the 50s and 60s with the name Dennis was like walking around with a monkey on your back.

I was filling out some forms the other day and one specified I had to use my name “exactly as it appears on your driver’s license.” Kind of like trying to keep track of assorted passwords, I couldn’t remember, so I had to dig out my wallet to see how I am listed on my official ID.

It is way too early to get into a “spring” frame of mind. After moderately tepid winters in the past, late surges of cold and snow have been known to abruptly halt winter’s departure.