mason minute

A Button (MM #4959)

I grew up in a world where we didn’t have a remote control to change our TV channels. Can you imagine that today? I was the human remote. If I were playing in another room, I’d often hear my father yell my name. When I came in to see what he wanted, he asked me…

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Candy Aisle (MM #4958)

As a child, my parents never went down the candy aisle at the grocery store. They didn’t want to tempt me. But like nearly every kid, I loved candy. Today, I still try to avoid the candy aisles at the grocery store or big box store. Even though it’s been decades since I went door-to-door…

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Every Corner (MM #4957)

Growing up, it felt like a drugstore was on every corner. There were the big chains and the small mom-and-pop pharmacies. I realize it only seemed to be that many. But in the 80s and 90s, a new store was under construction every time you turned around. I even lived in a few towns with…

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What Happened (MM #4956)

My wife and I went out for dinner the other night, and everything seemed off. The service was slow, the food wasn’t up to its usual standards, and the limited staff wasn’t good. I’ve noticed this a lot recently. What happened? Many want to blame the COVID-19 pandemic. And while that could be part of…

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Wind Chill Warning (MM #4955)

As warm as it’s been this month, it isn’t easy to think about Winter weather. It may not happen soon, but it will get colder. The National Weather Service is already making plans for when the weather turns. We think about three things during Winter: ice, snow, and severe cold. And they’ve made a significant…

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Punched (MM #4954)

I’ve been under the weather for the last two days. I’m achy and feel like I got punched in the shoulder. My wife and I got our flu shot and COVID booster on Saturday afternoon. We’ve gotten both this time of year for the last few years. Sometimes the shots don’t bother me. Other times,…

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Double Space (MM #4953)

It’s tough being a baby boomer these days. We see it when you roll your eyes at us. Yes, we’re stuck in our ways, but so was the generation before us. That’s just the way the world works. And while some ‘rules’ change throughout our lifetime, it’s sometimes difficult to adapt. For example, when did…

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Northern Lights (MM #4952)

The Northern Lights have been all over social media the last few days. Pictures of the fantastic light show are filling my Facebook and Instagram feeds. Usually, most of us have to travel to faraway places like Greenland, Norway, or Iceland to see them. Here in the U.S., you can sometimes see them in Alaska….

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Not So Smart (MM #4951)

I love my smart devices. I have a wide variety of smart speakers. Amazon produces some, and some come from Google. I even have a few TV sticks that connect to either system. But over the last few years, I’ve noticed they’re not so smart. When they work, they’re great. But when they don’t, they…

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Life Span (MM #4950)

For years we’ve heard that Americans are living longer. Since 1960, the average life span has increased by seven and a half years. But experts say living longer shouldn’t be where we focus. We need to think about our health span. Our health span is the number of years that we spend in good health….

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