Betcha didn’t know

If you have read stacks of western novels or watched years of cowboy movies, you may have heard a few of the following phrases without any idea of their origination. Shall we get started?A shot of whiskey — In the old west, a .45 cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents, so did a glass of whiskey.

Help your graduate use credit, debit cards wisely

As your new graduate prepares to step into the next chapter of life – whether that’s more education or starting a career – one of the best things you can do is help them understand how to use credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards wisely.

A water hose against the wind

My best friend’s father lost his home this week.The entire house – gone in a few minutes. A spark, 40-mile-an-hour winds, drought-cured grass, and that was it. They tried to fight it with a garden hose. They escaped with the clothes on their backs. The barn survived, where their RV was parked.

A proposal for the 28th Ammendment

As the biggest headlines in the news continues to be political gerrymandering, I have decided the best solution is a new constitutional amendment. While Congress will doubtfully support it, it may be the only solution that the majority can get behind.

To or to? Plus, Orangeburg

More than you wanted to know.Sounds like a good title for my next book. Capitalize everything but the “to.” Or should it be capitalized too because it’s part of an infinitive? An infinitive “to” deserves more than a lower-case “t.” My opinion. I could be wrong.Bored so soon? Hang on.

Saving for retirement

Let’s say you dream of spending your retirement mornings on a warm beach, coffee in hand, waves rolling in. To get there, you had a simple plan: save $1 million and buy the beach house you always wanted.But when retirement arrives, reality hits.

WWI Dodsonville soldier remembered

The long Memorial Day weekend is always an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, whether cooking out, celebrating the start of summer or just kicking back and relaxing.

Estate planning myths that could cost your family

Consider this scenario: A teacher of 30 years and mother of three passes away at age 58. She leaves behind a modest home, a retirement account and cherished family heirlooms – but no estate plan.

S’more fun than a phone

How many seconds in a microwave does it take for a marshmallow to ignite?I’m asking. It’s a wonder I haven’t found out. I’ve been trying to microwave s’mores. There’s a reason microwave ovens don’t have a s’more’s setting.Lessons learned: Refrigerated chocolate takes longer to melt than you’d think.

Don’t let hatred cloud your judgement

Like an old barn sitting somewhere in the Panhandle, many of us have been around a long time. We have withstood life’s storms, bad weather and hard times, and we are still standing, even though we sometimes find ourselves leaning to one side or the other.