Out and About Blog by Norm Stutesman

In past columns, I’ve mentioned a few household hints. I even listed other uses for coffee filters other than the normal use of filtering the coffee in your coffee maker. Dryer sheets also have other uses than making your clothes smell nice after removing them from your dryer. If you normally throw away those dryer sheets after each load, you …

As of this writing, we are experiencing sloppy roads and temperatures in the thirties. Looking out at the lake we can see one lone fisherman. We check on him every few minutes to make sure he hasn’t fallen through a crack in the ice. I’m not a fisherman, and if I was I wouldn’t be out on the ice today. …

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.” ~ Plato Soap has more uses than cleaning our bodies and removing bad words …

You don’t need to travel far to find a “Pot Shop”. It’s legal to use cannabis here in Michigan and several other states, although the Federal Government doesn’t agree. The state feels that it is another way of gathering taxes. As a result, our schools and roads will benefit. Smoking cannabis, like regular smoking is not good for us. How …

Living near a lake is a wonderful way to spend your golden years, although those golden years might at times seem more bronze than gold. Being physically fit is a big plus, because one is able to participate in more activities than someone with a few aches and pains. Back in the seventies, I took up the sport of SCUBA …

Welcome to 2024. May your worst day this year outshine your best day of 2023. May we all have more love for each other and care more about each others feelings than we ever have before. My doctor has told me many times that I should drink more water. By doing so, I would be a healthier person. It’s no …

This is the final column for 2023, so because this year has been filled with so much stress and worry, I’d like to have the column dedicated to items of a less serious note. We are all getting Out and About with family, so I won’t remind you of any special events that might be happening during this holiday season, …

Winter officially begins this Thursday, December 21. This is my favorite day of the year, because on this date, the days start getting a little longer. Rumor has it that the chances of us having a white Christmas are slim. This does not break my heart, but I do have sympathy to those of you with children and grandchildren who …

One hundred years ago, everyone owned a horse and only the rich had cars. Today, everyone has a car and only the rich have horses. If you are planning on sending Christmas gifts to family and friends via the U.S. Postal Service, now would be a great time to start taking those packages to the post office. The long lines …

This first week of December is filled with several historical dates to remember. December 5. The Somalia Campaign began in 1992. December 7. In 1941, the Japanese attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was a day that went down in infamy. The very next day, December 8, 1941, the United States declared war on the empire of …