Cumberland Times-News Maude McDaniel - Living

History of chopsticks and related subjects

2012-02-11T17:45:20-05:00

Now there are some big questions in life, like where did we come from, and even bigger questions in life, like where are we going? Today, however, I prefer to talk about chopsticks.

Wondering? Here’s how cards began

2012-01-28T18:58:46-05:00

Just in the last few years, I have become quite the cardplayer .My father would be amazed, because he would not allow me or my brothers to play cards (with the regular cardfaces) when we were growing up. We were, however, allowed to play other games that had cards of their own, like Touring and Flinch.

By now, we should know all the answers

2012-01-14T21:08:37-05:00

Here I had expected that, by the time I reached this advanced age, I would know all the answers there were to know, or maybe even more. But apparently it was not to be, for, lo and behold, I seem to have still more questions lining up, like all those thousands of blackbirds on the lines in front of the M&T Bank on Industrial Boulevard.

Here are a few laughs to start the new year

2012-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

Nothing’s better to start out a new year with than jokes! Even if they are other people’s jokes. And some of these are not so much laugh out loud, as just wry observations on the world. But then that’s what the best humor is often about!

Many happy holiday returns — or remains

2011-12-17T18:52:36-05:00

There are a lot of things in this world one wouldn’t mind living over again. You know, the standard stuff, the day you got your absolute favorite Christmas gift.

Hobbies are often other people’s ideas

2011-12-03T18:51:17-05:00

Sometimes collections just happen.

Those are the ones that owe their existence to the kindness of others.

An admiring ode to the wonders of dirt

2011-11-19T20:50:57-05:00

Let us all praise — dirt.Yes, that’s what I said, dirt.
The most common stuff in the world, right?
What we wash off ourselves, morning and night. Over and over again. What whole companies make huge profits getting rid of.
I want you to praise dirt?

The older she gets, the less tolerant she is

2011-11-05T18:42:14-04:00

You probably haven’t noticed this, but I seem to be getting less tolerant with age. Sort of like the mellowing of fine wine, but in the other direction.

By these standards, they were everything

2011-10-22T18:20:49-04:00

Back in the day, as we were preparing for a golf tournament at Maplehurst, a fellow on my team observed, “Whaddya know. I’m playing with three columnists: Jack Anderson, Jim Bishop and Jim Goldsworthy.”

Idea of man caves resurrects memories

2011-10-08T18:35:50-04:00

One of the things that annoy me most about one of my favorite TV shows (House Hunters), is not just the irrational need to “upgrade” everything in sight, though that really is pretty awful. Here are these kids, often in their early 20s, who think their first house should have everything from the start.