Tis the week before Christmas, we’re all going crazy;
 With so much to do, there’s no time to be lazy.
 Buy presents, hang tree lights, pop cards in the mail,
 Send gift packs, thread popcorn, find turkeys on sale.
Decorations need stringing up all through the house.
 And you haven’t a clue what to buy for your spouse.
 School concerts, receptions, open houses with friends,
 Long lineups, short tempers, tying up the loose ends.

If you were asked to describe the ideal holiday season, chances are you might include the company of loved ones, good food, fun and relaxation, and maybe an inch or two of snow.

It seems so simple, but for many of us, this couldn’t be farther from reality. Too often, the holidays seem to exhaust us rather than uplift us. Do you sometimes feel trapped by the shopping, spending and frenzied preparations?

I think the Grinch said it best, in How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess– “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more.’”

Unfortunately, too many of us get trapped in the chaos of shopping, cooking, and cleaning that we never really slow down and enjoy the season. The heart and soul of the holidays often get lost.

To begin to simplify the holidays, make a list of all the holiday-related tasks you are responsible for. Then, take a critical look at your list. Which activities could you scale back on? Where can you ask for help to make the tasks easier for you and more enjoyable for the family as a whole? Which activities could you cut out altogether? Which activities do you find particularly enriching and worthy of more time and effort?

Here are five things families should consider during the holiday season to simplify and reduce stress:

1. Explore your expectations. Most of us try to do too much during the holidays. Maybe we are striving to achieve the images of a “perfect holiday” that surround us. Or perhaps we are trying to recreate the childhood holiday celebrations of our non-working mothers while we hold down a full-time job. Instead, develop realistic expectations about what you can accomplish so you’ll be able to actually enjoy your holiday experiences.

2. Set your priorities. It can be stressful to accept every invitation, bake every cookie, and buy everything that the children ask for. Prioritizing speaks to quality over quantity.

3. Manage your time wisely. During this season, your time is as important as your finances. Plan ahead– you know from past experience how much time it takes to achieve long-held traditions. Keep a specific holiday “to-do” list and build a gift idea list all year long.

4. Delegate duties. Ask yourself, “who can help me with these tasks?” Enlist the help of family members or share work with friends to make the holidays easier on you. If no one is willing or able to do the extra tasks, maybe that will indicate how important (or not) they are to others.

5. Take time for yourself. Counter the holiday pressures by giving yourself some time for rest and renewal. Remember, this is your holiday, too. Even angels and elves deserve a time to relax! Allow yourself the freedom to receive as abundantly as you give to others.

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

Right-wing Republican lawmakers have operated under the radar to suspend all statutory limits on highway debt, and that unprecedented authority was recently used to issue record-breaking levels of long-term debt to pay for their reckless income tax cuts this year and next.

Six lines buried deep in a 700-page appropriation bill last spring gave the Kansas Department of Transportation unlimited authority to issue debt, and in early December without public disclosure the agency used that authority to issue $400 million in highway bonds.

State law requires those debt proceeds to be used for improving state highways but do not expect that to happen. Lawmakers directed that $400 million and more be swept from the highway fund to help pay for the $700 million dip in state revenues caused by income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013.

The $400 million in new highway debt represents the largest single highway bond in state history and bumps up outstanding highway debt to $2.1 billion, also a state record. The size of the bond issue was boosted 60 percent higher than planned last January in order to stabilize at least temporarily the precarious condition of state finances.

Never before in state history has a state agency been granted unlimited powers to issue debt. Prior to this extraordinary action state lawmakers had carefully placed specific limits on the state’s ability to borrow money. KDOT’s authority to issue unlimited debt continues through this fiscal year and next, so additional highway bonds could be issued at any time over the next 18 months.

The language suspending debt limits was inserted at the direction of Governor Sam Brownback with the clear intention of using debt to fill the gaping hole in state revenues. In the waning days of the legislative session last spring, when most attention was focused on tax increases, the governor and legislative leaders forced quick action on the appropriation bill, and the governor’s far-right collaborators passed the bill with a bare minimum of votes needed in both houses.

The governor and legislative leaders went to extraordinary lengths to hide their suspension of debt limits from public scrutiny. The governor’s budget report made no mention of the suspension. Republicans who controlled the appropriations conference committee never raised the issue. The state house press corps missed it as well.

Further, neither the governor nor KDOT disclosed to the public that KDOT had issued $400 million in new, record-breaking debt. Only after press inquiries this week, two weeks after the fact, did KDOT acknowledge that new bonds had been issued.

Brownback and Republican legislative leaders have elevated the practice of confiscating highway funds to pay for other state obligations to a new level. In this year alone $436 million will be swept from the highway fund—the single largest transfer ever. That amount plus prior transfers during Brownback’s term bring their displacement of highway funds to a breathtaking total of $1.6 billion.

Prior to the election of Brownback and his radical-right legislators in 2010, 2012, and 2014, the Republican hallmark in public finance was caution in the use of debt. That brand was well established by Kansas Republican icons like Landon, Eisenhower, and Dole, as well Republican governors Bennett, Hayden, and Graves.

Beginning in 2011 the Republicans running state government have played fast and loose with debt. Coupled with the billion-dollar pension bonds issued last August they have jumped total tax-supported debt to a whopping $4.5 billion, a boost of 50 percent in five short months.

When will these Republican lawmakers fess up and defend publicly the legacy of debt they are unloading on future generations of Kansans?

H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.

This title is an actual response from a boat salesman I dealt with recently. His website was so full of misspelled words and poor grammar that I couldn’t resist asking one simple question. “If you can’t take the time to use proper English (or find someone who can assist you) in your communication to your prospective consumers, are you cutting corners in other areas, like the actual production of your product?”

The fact that the “k” and “m” key are close in proximity on a keyboard is no excuse. And in this case, even with our wonderful technology, a spell check would not have helped, simply because “boom” and “book” are both legitimate words.

As a consumer, is there ever a time a spark of doubt exists when you are shopping for something and the website, manual, or directions are using less than acceptable English? (The ones from Japan or China seem to be the worst). And you sense that very little time was spent on any communication materials related to this product. It’s hard to believe a product for instance, in China, can be constructed with all the care in the world, only to hire some cheap translator that would not pass first grade English class to write the manual or prepare their website.

I once read a dog training book that had 367 mistakes that I found. When I approached the author of the book with my concerns, she simply said, “I’m a dog trainer, not an English teacher.” The University of Iowa P.H.D. who edited the book had other unacceptable excuses. The most constant error was the use of the words “loose” and “lose.” I loose my mind every time I read a chapter in this book.  Although the author is one of the most recognized dog trainers in the nation, do we, as consumers accept this poor use of the English language, and trust that this is the only area that cutting corners has taken place?

More often than not, a spell check will help in correcting many of the errors. Although proof-reading would certainly go a lot further. Many times when proof-reading a document, additional errors may pop up that went un-detected the first time around.

A doctor (not from Western Kansas) once sent me a “Permission for Surgery” form and there were 7 misspelled words in the text. My first thought was, if the good doctor could not take time to properly prepare this form, was he also going to cut corners during the surgery?  I imagined him calling weeks after the surgery to let me know he had left a scalpel somewhere in my body.

Certainly, the use of cell phones have had an effect on communication, as it is much easier to say “R U sleeping” than to actually spell out each word. And as long as we can understand what’s being communicated is there any harm in this? Probably not.  It’s certainly easier to do. But an informal text to a friend or loved one is a far cry from a company formally advertising a product.

So, as part of our “Buyer Beware” philosophy do we demand, as consumers, that proper English and spelling take place before considering a product, or do we just let the English language continue its degradation?

Only you can answer that question. But, in the meantime, I would like to thank all the readers of this financial column, as I have enjoyed putting this together each month. I hope it has helped you in some small ways to improve your own financial picture. I also hope yu ahl hav a Mery Christmus and a Hapy Nu Yeer!

Tim Schumacher, [email protected], is a Hays financial adviser.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

Peanut clusters. Coconut bon bons. Peanut brittle. Chocolate cream fudge. Those delicious old-fashioned candies used to be a hallmark of the Christmas season. They still are, at a remarkable store in rural Kansas. This store offers those candies and much, much more as a special holiday edition of Kansas Profile.

Loren and Regena Lance are the owners of the Mildred Store in Mildred, Kansas. Mildred is in Allen County. The post office in Mildred has closed, so the mailing address is the nearby town of Moran.

Regena grew up here at Mildred, and Loren grew up 30 miles south. He is a self-taught musician and farmer. He was trained as a diesel mechanic and now has played country music all over southeast Kansas. Regena is a teacher and administrator. After earning her master’s degree online, she is dean of instruction at Fort Scott Community College.

Lance and Regena live near the community of Mildred. Brown’s Grocery, owned by a man named Charles Brown, was a mainstay in the community for many years. His wife’s name, by the way, was Lucille – sounds like Peanuts.

The store had a deli which produced an item called the Charlie Brown sandwich which was well-known in the region. Passing trains would even stop so the engineers could get a sandwich. But after Mr. Brown passed away, the store eventually closed.

In 2014, Loren and Regena Lance purchased the building and re-opened it as the Mildred Store.  “We added new lighting and a point-of-sale system, but we kept the nostalgia,” Loren said.  “There’s a hundred years of antiques in that store.” In addition to old furniture stored in the back, some of which is now being sold, there’s everything from old pop bottles to photos of school basketball teams to sales records from the 1930s.

The store offers general grocery items, and Loren and Regena re-established the deli and meat market. “We have fresh cut steaks and we cut our own pork chops,” Loren said. The deli is once again offering the Charlie Brown sandwich. “We brought the Brown family back, and they were so appreciative,” Regena said.

“We had T-shirts made saying ‘Mildred Store, home of the famous Charlie Brown Sandwich,’” Regena said. “They were so popular that we had to re-order.”

The Mildred Store now offers deli trays and vegetable and fruit trays for special orders. Seating has been expanded in the store as well. “One of our tables is Charlie Brown’s old butcher block which we found stored in the back,” Loren said.

Another innovation is the live music which the store hosts on each month’s third Saturday night.  In the summer, they block off the main street and play outside. Of course, this is dear to Loren’s heart as a musician. “We’ll play country, gospel and bluegrass,” he said. “Anybody can come in and play. Nobody gets paid and it’s free to the public,” Loren said. “We’ll keep the store and deli open late.”

All this has revitalized the store and community. “The best part is the people who are so appreciative to have this open again,” Regena said.

“The reason we opened this up again is for the community,” Loren said. “There is an organization here called Allen County Thrive which focuses on small business, and they have been so supportive.”

Service to the community is a top priority for Lance and Regena. “Our cell phone numbers are on that door,” Loren said. “If somebody needs something after hours, we’ll open up for them.” The store is even exploring a home delivery service. During the holidays, the store orders old-time Christmas candies.

It’s part of the personal service one can find in a rural community – in this case, the town of Mildred, population 483 people. Now, that’s rural. For more information, go to www.mildredstore.com.

Peanut clusters. Coconut bon bons. Peanut brittle. Chocolate cream fudge. Those are some of the old-time Christmas candies which the Mildred Store has ordered for its patrons. We commend Loren and Regena Lance for making a difference with innovative service to the community. The results are sweet.

Wishing you happy holidays, for the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development – Ron Wilson with Kansas Profile.

No doubt it’s the holiday season because my thoughts turn to food and all of the wonderful homemade dishes of this time of year. I do enjoy the great fellowship with family and friends, but alas, what would the holidays be without something good to eat?

I love it all – turkey with dressing, ham and cranberries, mashed potatoes, green beans, wonderful cheeses and probably my favorite, freshly baked breads hot out of the oven. And who could forget all the wonderful pies, tarts, cookies, butter brickle and other desserts.

I can smell them now. If only I could eat some. I especially enjoy the crunchy crust of the heel.

You’ll never convince me bread isn’t the staff of life, healthy for you and so good. Some physicians, diet conscious individuals and health fanatics, however, have stopped eating bread. They contend it is fattening and unhealthy.

Quite the opposite is true if you visit with some nutritionists, bakers, physicians and those associated with culinary delights – you know the cooks and people who spend hours in the kitchen cooking, baking or outside grilling wonderful food.

Bread is good for us. Bread is low in calories, high in fiber and starches, an excellent source of protein and it contains vitamins and minerals our bodies need.

Bread belongs in our diets. Always has. Always will.

Two slices of bread contain only 140 to 150 calories. In today’s health conscious society, many individuals foresee bread only as a source of carbohydrates, but bread is much, much more.

Most nutritionists and health professionals believe our current dietary practices need this bread and other cereal grain products. Complex carbohydrates appear to be a valuable supplement in the management of disease. They can also improve physical endurance and mental alertness.

For decades, the United States has shown a tremendous decline in per capita use of flour. At one time, Americans consumed approximately 200 pounds per person. That figure has dropped to approximately 100 pounds.

If the American public would realize bread and other cereal grains are healthy they might increase the use of these products in their diets. Such a change could help increase the sales of wheat-based foods that in turn would help Kansas and American farmers.

By the way, please pass me another hot roll along with the butter and jam.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.

I like magic. Oh I know in my head there is no such thing as pure magic; that all magic tricks involve some sort of deception and trickery, but I like it just the same.

Years ago, there was a TV program that actually showed how great magicians like David Copperfield make things appear to disappear, like an elephant for example. It went behind the scenes to show the hidden gates, props and whatever else it took to make it look to the audience as though the elephant had actually disappeared.

I watched a couple segments of the show, thinking it would be pretty cool to know how that all worked, but after that, those magic tricks weren’t nearly as much fun to watch anymore.

Now fast forward to this year’s firearms deer season. I’ve hunted deer during firearms season both here and in my home state of Ohio off-and-on now for fifty years, and after the first few days of season, the deer magically seem to disappear, and I don’t just mean into someone’s freezer. The surviving deer, bucks and does alike just seem to vanish into thin air.

The stress of being hunted either sends them to hole-up in little out-of-the-way haunts that aren’t hunted, or they suddenly turn completely nocturnal. Either way, unless you stumble onto one of those never-hunted honey holes, they are gone.

I recently retired so I thought this phenomenon would finally not be a problem this year, because I’d have all the time in the world to find them and/or wait them out.

Wrong again! My wife harvested hers the second day of season, I saw deer the next two days and then the tap once again dried up. We have permission on several properties, none with a shortage of deer, and today I saw deer for the first time in six days.

Today before the thunderstorms the deer seemed to be moving in anticipation of foul weather, but that didn’t seem to help me a bit. I talked to a friend at noon that had seen upwards of fifteen deer in several different groups just a mile-and-a-half from where I was.

He was done for the season and told me to go check out his spot. After three-and-a-half cold, wet hours I was still venison-less. Now that makes me sound like a pretty pathetic deer hunter, but it is what it is.

Some things never change, and for me the case of the missing deer during firearms season is one of them. You would think that by this time in my life I would’ve learned to take this defeat a little better, but I haven’t yet. My deer hunting buddies and I in Ohio used to ask each other periodically during deer season “Well, are you eating venison or bologna,” and I guess if not for my wife’s (humbling) success I would be lookin’ at a lot of bologna sandwiches.

I wish a group of really successful deer hunters would get together to produce some TV segments showing how the deer magically disappear like they do; now there’s a show I would watch! Continue to Explore Kansas outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].