Our conversations and lives are filled with an alphabet soup. Abbreviations and acronyms sprinkle our conversation, text messages, and social media. Perhaps we can credit historians or the early church with B.C. and A.D. (now BCE and CE). Or, we can fast forward to the Great Depression with the New Deal acronyms of WPA, SSA, NRLA, AAA, FERA, CCC, NRA, TVA, and REA. ...

The right to vote is a privilege of United States citizenship. As the colonies fought the yoke of British rule, the battle cry was, “No taxation without representation.” This single phrase has set the ideal that citizens must not be responsible for taxes and laws created by a governing body that is not duly elected by those citizens. ...

“When you ask a child to draw a picture of a Zoo, they will inevitably draw a picture of animals behind bars. We need to get away from that image…” states Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny in the opening of “The Zoo.”...

It was the best of times… “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities...

Lives can be measured by the connections we make as we move through time and our world. Book in The Bluff is a vehicle we can use to make these connections. This year’s choice for our community read is perfect. It is a book about connections, how lives are intertwined, and the serendipitous nature of connections. ...

You know Shakespeare and are familiar with his plays. You have been exposed through media including “A Witch’s Tangled Hare” (1959) starring Bugs Bunny and Chancellor Gorkon in “Star Trek VI: Undiscovered Country” stating, “You’ve not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon.” While tongue-in-cheek, these examples illustrate the timelessness of this literature and how much it is a part of our culture. ...

To stay or not to stay? That is the question. For our children vacations centered upon travel to grandparents. One set lived close and we saw them regularly. The other grandparents were 900 plus miles away. Some trips consisted of jumping in the car with overnight bags and off we went. Sometimes we made a day trip to St. Louis for the zoo and other times we visited Southeast Missouri sights such as Johnson’s Shut-Ins and Elephant Rocks...

The library staff and I are excited about the growth and expansion of our services to teens. We are opening the Teen Nook on the main floor of the library. Keeping our teens engaged and involved in the library builds habits of reading, community participation, and personal growth...

Poplar Bluff was forever changed on May 9, 1927. A tornado hit the City at 3:13 p.m. and brought destruction, killing 86 persons and destroying much of the city from Park Avenue to across the river on the East Side. Many stories of those who survived and the sadness of those who left this town to never return are a part of our memories. ...

“Read me a story, tuck me in tight, say a sweet prayer, and kiss me goodnight.” The quote above is on a plaque given to me by my daughters and hangs by my headboard. It may be one of my favorite presents. I read it every night before I lay down. ...

My grandmother (Granny) told me bedtime stories. Not the stories of Red Riding Hood or the Gingerbread Man, but family stories. One of my favorites was the naming of my dad and my uncle, her two youngest children. Here is how she told it. On Christmas Eve 1929, my grandmother was due to bear her fourth child. ...

A few years ago, I was in Montreal sightseeing while my husband volunteered to work at a Formula One race. We rented dorm rooms at Magill University. Our stay included breakfast, cafeteria-style. Joe had to be at the track very early and I ate breakfast later. One of these mornings, I shared my table with some ladies from Ontario. They were in Montreal for sightseeing, also...