The English language is confusing. There’s no denying it. When you have nearly identical words like adverse and averse competing for space in your memory with nearly identical punctuation marks like the apostrophe and the single quotation mark, it’s no wonder people make mistakes. Even the ...
With Valentine’s Day on the radar, some may be looking for something different to do to celebrate love with their partner, family, friends or to even shower themselves with love and self-care. Whether you’re looking to enjoy some one-on-one connections by taking a class or going out to ...
Case 1: A sigh of relief Presenting complaint: An owner found his outdoor cat suddenly acting bizarrely — vocalizing, drooling, unable to lift her head, walking strangely, preferring not to move and not grooming, eating, or drinking for at least a day. All of these symptoms combined ...
Interested in learning about Facebook? Want to see pictures of your kids or grandkids and reconnect with old friends? Anyone can do it and it is easy once you know how. The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., will host a class for adults interested in learning more about Facebook. ...
This week and next I want to show you a beautiful poem of grief and loss by David Baker, from his new and selected poems, “Swift,” published in 2019 by W.W. Norton. Baker teaches at Denison University in Ohio and is the poetry editor of Kenyon Review, one of our most distinguished literary ...
Dear Annie: This has been bothering me for several years. I am 75 years old. I grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord’s Prayer and singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” every morning in elementary school. Those days are gone. I was slow to accept that the pledge and prayer ...
The sky was the limit as Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts reached for the stars at Lycoming College’s Detwiler Planetarium recently. Cub Scout Pack 88, of Montoursville, and the Girl Scout Service Unit 624, of the greater Williamsport area, both attended an educational and entertaining event, Sky ...
“If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras,” is an old adage most often attributed to Theodore Woodward, MD, a physician, researcher and instructor at the University of Maryland in the 1940s. Most of us who work in the medical fields have heard it and consider it sage advice when ...
The James V. Brown Library has several upcoming programs designed to offer the lifelong learning needs of adults in the community. From cooking, to creating, to chatting about books and learning about local history, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Programs include: Jan. 20 — ...
Reader Janice has noticed a trend involving the word “fraught.” “Things used to be fraught with something (danger, enmity, etc.),” she wrote. “But now they are just fraught.” To Janice, the result is both grating and a bit confusing: “Leaves me wondering just what is being ...
Dear Annie: About a year and a half ago, I met a woman whom I liked very much. She moved in with me after about six months. After living together some time, I’ve come to see that our relationship is impossible and I would like her to move out. The problem is that she has nowhere to go. She ...
When I was a kid in the early 1950s, living on Eldred Street in Williamsport, at least once a year my mother, Helen McMunn Sieminski, would lead me and other neighborhood kids on a hike to “The Cross.” Our destination was the 24-foot-high concrete and steel cross at the top of Grampian ...
Research shows that reading aloud to children every day puts them almost a year ahead of children who do not receive daily read alouds, regardless of parental income, education level or cultural background. That’s why the James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., is encouraging everyone to ...
Dear Annie: I’m a little chagrined to admit that we can’t come up with a solution to this situation by ourselves, but we are really stumped. We have a friend who has stayed over with us twice. The first time, he brought two others with him, which worked out OK. The second time, he stayed ...
With a new year, and a new decade, some people make the resolution to give back to their community to connect through fellowship. One way to get involved in the community is through volunteering. Many local organizations need volunteers throughout the year and by sharing your time with your ...
Russ in New Jersey had a question about hyphens: In “northwestern California landmark” should “northwestern California” be hyphenated? “I’m not sure if it’s simply a matter of preference or if the combination of a direction or geographic location and/or proper noun play into ...
The James V. Brown Library has “Got You Covered for Your Next Great Read.” That’s the slogan of the popular readers’ advisory service, which was designed to help readers fall in love with a new book. Library patrons seeking book recommendations will fill out an online questionnaire ...
Nobody enjoys going to the doctor. Unfortunately, high-tech, super-slick telemedicine and virtual consults will never compare to a face-to-face visit with the doctor. Dr. Google has no face. The physical examination is the cornerstone of good medicine for humans and animals alike. Since Dr. ...
Dear Annie: My former boyfriend has a wife in the Philippines. He used to sometimes say, “Oh, stay with me, and we can keep sleeping together even when she moves to this country.” Why would someone say something like that? I have a difficult time figuring out what he really meant. — ...
Dear Santa, The Salvation Army is known for helping those in need in many situations throughout their history. One of my favorite history facts is the story of the doughnut lassies. In 1917, The Salvation Army began a mission to provide spiritual and emotional support to U.S. soldiers ...