Beech Tree News Network

Throw-Away Girls Recently, I read SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, an historical novel based on Ireland’s Magdalen laundries, by Claire Keegan. Until I read this book, I had always seen the Irish people as being constantly victimized by outsiders like the British. It seems, however, that every country has an event in its past that is cause for national shame. The Magdalen laundries and the treatment of the girls housed there is Ireland’s event.These laundries represented more than just a place where people sent clothes to be cleaned.

We are very close to the end of the National Geographic ‘80’s top 10 fashion countdown so this week will be a bit longer.  Settle in as we pick up our countdown at #4.  Run DMC are the first hip-hop band to make it big on the charts and they were about to make streetwear history.  Yes, the first was technically The Sugarhill Gang with what is .  credited as the first rap song, “Rapper’s Delight” but this isn’t about those guys.  Darryl “DMC” McDaniels: “when we did our first album, Run’s brother Russell Simmons was like “y’all need stage wardrobe”.  We wanted to be authentic and real.  Our

I’ve figured out why I don’t mind loading the dishwasher, but I despise emptying the dishwasher.  I figured this out while taking down the Christmas decorations and locating the storage containers for each particular decoration.  When I load the dishwasher, everything goes into one big metal box.  When I empty the dishwasher, I have to move around the kitchen to return the clean dishes to various shelves and drawers.

This week, I’ll continue my ‘80’s streetwear fashion column.  In the 1980’s, Ray-bans was a brand on its way down.  They decided to get busy getting noticed.  A young Tom Cruise wore them in the movie Risky Business and sales shot up from 15,000 in 1980 to 1,500,000 in 1986.  Talk about capitalizing!

It seems like an odd thing to say, but music has always been a part of war.  Drums and fifes and songs show up in stories about war, as well as feature films about war.  Patriotic songs are written and sung during and after war.  War and music appear to be a strange juxtaposition, until you consider that music is an expression of the soul, and war does so much damage to the soul.

Investing in the Future of Kentucky: House budget filed

Plan continues commitment to education, human services, infrastructure, and public safety

Senate Bill 24 passes the Senate with bipartisan support

FRANKFORT, KY (January 16, 2024) — Today, the Kentucky state Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 24, a measure sponsored by Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield. This legislative initiative represents Sen. Meredith's ongoing commitment to addressing and streamlining the number of managed care organizations (MCOs) contracted by the Department for Medicaid Services, capping them at a maximum of three.

We’ve come a long way since the decade of the ‘80’s.  I’ve been watching a series on the ‘80’s that I recorded from Nat Geo called The ‘80’s Top Ten.  There were six episodes in the series.  The first was on ‘80’s fashion.

When really cold winter weather comes along, I look for comfort foods. Some, like vegetable soup, may be good for me, but many are not low-carb or low-calorie foods. Most of my favorites should be consumed in moderation, definitely not while looking out at a cold –and sometimes messy – winter landscape.

Thinking along this line, I asked friends and family, “When the winter weather is really cold or messy, what snacks, foods, or drinks do you crave?” Their answers are listed below.

-Potato soup, vegetable soup, and fudge!

Friday afternoon, as my granddaughter and I were getting ready to make noodles with her new pasta machine, I questioned the consistency of the dough she was kneading.

“I don’t know, Sabria,” I said, “It look like it’s too dry.  Maybe I should add a little water.”

“Trust the process, Gee” Sabria said.