Retirement is not for me right now

RETIRED Not me! A number of the people my age retired when Covid hit. I can understand that! Now they are retiring due to age, health, and circumstances. My older brother, Alan, is retiring next month.

Blank, blanker, & blankest

If your mind is blank, check Facebook. You can end up blanker.Or can you? “Blanker” should not be a word — not even for taking potshots at oft-maligned Facebook. “Blanker” falls in the same category as “uniquer.” But if Spellcheck lets you spell whatever, then it’s a bona fide word.

We Like Our Rural Way of Life

Rural Texas is dying.I keep hearing some version of that statement as Texas debates data centers, economic development and the future of our rural communities.And frankly, I am tired of it. Rural Texas has challenges. Some communities are losing population. Schools are fighting for enrollment.

Simple budget tips to fit real life

If you’ve just started managing your own finances, recommitted to doing it well, or noticed your spending isn’t making you as happy as you’d hoped, a budget might be exactly what you need.

Okra-centric musings and recipe

Okra.The off-putting name sounds appropriately yucky for something that turns slimy when cooked.Don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-okra — which sounds a lot like Annie Oakley. I’m not her either.

Don’t Leave Rural Texas Behind

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I watched a documentary about President Theodore Roosevelt.

Tax plan must work for Rural Texas, too

Everyone wants lower property taxes. That is what makes the Texas Taxpayer Empowerment Plan powerful. It promises local spending limits, voter approval of tax increases, slower appraisal growth and elimination of school property taxes for homeowners.Texans should control their taxes.

Build confidence in 401(k) decisions

In its simplest form, saving can mean putting money into a jar, adding to it and letting it grow slowly. A 401(k), or other workplace retirement plan, is a step beyond that. It’s more like a garden than a jar.

Likeability helps you get ahead

No matter what line of work you are in, you are in the people business. And the more people like you, the better and easier life becomes.

Removing a senator

Two important stories from last week were the hospitalization of US Senator Mitch McConnell and the death of US Senator Lindsey Graham.