Out and About Blog by Norm Stutesman

This Thursday is Thanksgiving, a day when we should all reflect on the many things for which we are thankful for. It’s also a time for families to get together and enjoy each other’s company and share a little love. We should all do this more than just once a year. The family unit is not what it used to …

Thanksgiving is a week from Thursday, yet the stores are already getting ready for Christmas. It would be nice if we could appreciate these special days at a slower pace. It’s unfortunate that, when we think of Thanksgiving, we think more about Black Friday than about the day when we should be reflecting on things for which we are thankful. …

We recently attended a play which featured grade school and junior-high students. The audience was made up mostly of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other fans of all ages. The play was clever and well produced. The talent exhibited was more than exceptional. It was downright good. I’ve appeared in quite a few plays put on by community theatre groups, …

Welcome to November! This is a very busy month for all of us, beginning with a week from today, Tuesday, November 8. November 8 is Election Day, a day when only the foolish will stay home and not cast a ballot. I don’t care if you vote for a write-in candidate named Bugs Bunny, as long as you vote. You …

I recently realized that I don’t really have a lot of buddies anymore. Oh, I have a buddy that I have lunch with once a week and I have a buddy that I might go with to the Conservation Club every so often, but I don’t have anyone that I feel comfortable with going to their house and asking if …

Visiting Honolulu is nice, but it doesn’t mean that you have really been to the true Hawaii. There is so much more to see and do. The same can be said for Michigan. Kalamazoo and the Three Rivers area are also very nice, but to experience the true Michigan, I feel you should venture north of Grand Rapids. As a …

I’ll start this week’s column by trying to get myself out of the dog house. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote on the subject of Living Wills. If I came across suggesting that a Living Will is the way to go, I apologize. I did some reading on the subject, and it seemed like a good idea. I do …

As promised, I’ll share our return trip back to Pure Michigan from Omaha. It’s great to get away from the everyday grind and enjoy some downtime, but for me, it’s even better to get back home to your own bed and the daily routine. Call me crazy, but I’ve never enjoyed being away from home for more than one week. …

Once again I’m taking you along as we really get Out and About. On September 12, we left Three Rivers for Omaha, Nebraska, where we would join a couple thousand other Lions for three days of breakout sessions, celebration, camaraderie, and, of course, food. This annual gathering is known as the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum. Last year it was held …

I’m not an expert on dining out, but my wife and I probably dine out more than we dine in. This doesn’t mean that our refrigerator is empty; as a matter of fact, it is filled with everything you could possibly want when it comes to snacking, and I can put together one heck of a Dagwood Sandwich at a …