Sano Almanac

Wow! What a word? What does it mean? Paraprosdokians are figures of speech that have been twisted both to obtain a new meaning and a good laugh. People who play with them are called ‘wits.’ How many times have you heard, “Not my fault. I didn’t do it?” Now I’m going to doctor the statement.…

If bread is the staff of life then beans are the foundation that holds it in place. Every culture on Earth has its revered bean that holds first place in the legends of the survival of the tribe or civilization. The bean is celebrated in story and song. Two favorites of mine come from Broadway…

More than half a century ago, a man walked on the moon and changed our perspective of this brilliant object of the night sky forever. We became blase about our closest heavenly neighbor. We banished many of the ideas our ancestors held about the moon to the realm of folklore and myth. Lee Pennington, Louisville…

For many of us it is no longer necessary to be concerned with the basics of life – food, clothing and shelter. We’ve reached a point in our history where we can afford to indulge ourselves in aspirations to be a better person. No matter how we protest, in the back of our minds, we…

The big day will open in a very short time, next Sunday to be exact. It seems like forever depending on if you’re young or old. ‘Christmas in July’ is really pushing the button – kids don’t understand it and others are bewildered. In essence, Christmas is about four things: 1. light – the winter…

Apple Cake   Fruits are an integral part of the holiday season. At one time a treasure of an orange, in a stocking, was the essence of seasonal glory for young hearts. Oranges were rare, they had to traveled a great distances to a find a home above the fireplace. Today, of course, they are…

How many of you remember taking an ax and either going out to the back woodlot or a farmer’s fence row and cutting a cedar tree to bring home for the holidays? Where and when did this delightful custom begin? The Internet is overwhelmed with answers which do not agree with each other. The earliest…

Timely Baking Tips Noone ever spent less time in the kitchen than me though from somewhere back in the dark ages I have a degree in Home Economics. In my day a girl went to college for two certificates: teaching and marriage. One can safely assume I flunked both courses.            These helpful cooking tips came…

I’m a storyteller and don’t pretend to be anything else. The following is the story of one Thanksgiving dinner and people I will never forget. A bit of background: I was teaching sixth grade in Ohio and my sister was living with me. She was the Director of Nursing at the local hospital. She was…

Days are shorter and nights are longer as winter, the dark season, fast approaches. We’ve had our first spot of snow and breathe a sigh of relief that it was a pittance compared to what fell north of us. Now we race toward the holidays as Black Friday sales gear up to claim our attention.…