PARIS -- Hassan N'Dam, former middleweight boxing champion of the world, wanted to repay the French hospital that cared for his father-in-law through his bout with COVID-19. Perhaps with Champagne? Or chocolate? No, N'Dam thought: "These are things that won't last. I wanted to leave something quite memorable."...

In the past few months, we’ve acquired a new vocabulary — COVID-19, self-quarantine, social-distancing, etc. But it’s not just new words we’ve discovered; we’ve also experienced a new way of life. I’ve learned from personal conversations and social media that many people have spent quite a bit of time pondering the typical pre-COVID American lifestyle and, more specifically, their own. ...

If you do an internet search, you will find a number of speculative articles about what a U.S. church may look like post-COVID-19. It may be a fool's errand to guess what worship will look like once the pandemic runs its course, but I can't help myself. My thinking, admittedly, is a bit dystopian. I predict several outcomes, and I very much hope I'm wrong about all of them...

Seems like this summer has kind of flown by, but at the same time kind of inched along. We have been busy, so one day kind of slides into the next and we lose track of which day it is. A week ago or so it was Memorial Day, which makes the week seem like it has another Sunday...

Memorial Day is over, but I have been thinking about the men and women who have lost their lives for the sake of others. John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." We do not know everyone's motives for joining the military, law enforcement, firefighting, EMS or other dangerous professions. Nowadays, civilian medical personnel are risking their lives to fight the pandemic. I believe love is the foundation of service...

I hope you are feeling joyful today. I certainly am, and I'm feeling appreciative, too. In spite of this state of unpleasant affairs, presently, one can still feel great. None of my family or friends have encountered Covid-19 in a personal level, except for one person. ...

Monday: Ground beef stroganoff or chicken Parmesan, buttered noodles, Lima beans, seasoned cauliflower, whole-grain bread slice and blushing pears or chilled creamy fruit. Tuesday: Meatballs in gravy or sweet and sour chicken, long-grain rice, California-blend vegetables, cucumber salad, whole-grain hot roll and Mandarin oranges or angel food cake...

I took this photo at the edge of a wood lot on May 24. The mayapple plant is one of the earliest native woodland wildflowers to appear in springtime. It grows quickly to a height of from about a foot to maybe 20 inches tall. A mayapple with only a single umbrella-like leaf will not bloom or produce a fruit...

All Cape Girardeau contra dances for 2020 have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dances may return after an effective vaccine or therapeutic drugs are widely available. The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department will participate in the coast-to-coast celebration which is designed fo runners to globally declare their passion for running. ...

Submitted by Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary This cute little guy is Tommy. He is 9 weeks old and has several litter mates all waiting for a loving home! If you are ready for a rewarding experience, come see us at Safe Harbor. Call (573) 243-9823.

In 1930, Robert Burett Oliver Sr. typed a memoir in which he discussed the history of his family and allied families. Several chapters mention life at the family home of Pleasant Gardens in Cape Girardeau County. The following is a brief look at his remembrances of his father...

Right now, I am fascinated by everything pickles. In fact, I dropped a pretty penny last week scooping up various pickle-flavored items to sample before realizing I had much research left to do. I've placed my pickle ideas on the back burner for the moment, but if you have a favorite dill pickle-flavored food obsession you think I should try, please leave a comment below telling me what you love about it and maybe I will share your discovery with the masses...

New Yorker staff writer Bill Buford recounts in a recent issue of that magazine his experience as an apprentice at a bakery in Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. At one point he asks his mentor for the secret to good bread. "Good bread comes from good flour," he replies. ...

Donna and John Telle are dairy farmers in Uniontown, Missouri, and I've known them for more than 25 years. They have raised their two sons, along with hogs and dairy cattle, on their beautiful farm. They are hard-working, all-around great people. Donna has been involved with FFA, Missouri Dairy Council and many, many other organizations and has held state offices all while helping to keep the farm functioning as smooth as possible. ...

NEW YORK -- If you add garlic to your guacamole, we have bad news: You're not doing it right. Do you mince the onion? That's also a no-no. And, please, leave the avocado lumpy. So says 97-year-old Diana Kennedy, a foremost authority on traditional Mexican cuisine. Over many decades, she has mastered, documented and become fiercely protective of the culinary styles of each region...

NEW YORK -- Between technical glitches and food worries, retail therapy and sheer amnesia, something has happened to shopping during the pandemic that can be summed up thusly: rubber chickens. Melissa Jean Footlick bought some while sheltering at home in San Diego with her husband and three dogs. She's a kidney transplant patient, so she's been taking extra care. She's among millions who have helped online retail sales surge as consumer spending fell off rapidly when businesses shut down...

When I was growing up, my parents took me to a lot of campgrounds in and out of Missouri. We visited or camped at most of the Missouri state parks at the time, so it’s no wonder I still visit different state parks today. Now, though, I’m doing it to include hiking. And hiking with dogs...

We've been working in our garden, so that's what has been on my mind. Planted the sweet bell peppers the other day so all we have left is the spicy or hot peppers. There are some ancho, Alma paprika and jalapeño peppers and then some little spicy peppers Marge uses when she does a beef roast in the insta pot. These pepperoncini peppers are barely up, so it will be awhile. Bought three really nice eggplants over in Chaffee, so got them out. Zucchini are looking good as are the cole crops...

Cape Central's Air Force JROTC was recognized with the 2019-2020 Outstanding Organization Award for their outstanding performance and community service, as well as meeting standards of the JROTC citizen development mission. This is the second year the program has been available at Cape Central High School, and is open to students in ninth through 12th grades. The JROTC also formed an Air Rifle Marksmanship Team this year...

I dropped a neutral washed-out background into this photo to accentuate the beautiful colors and intricate details of this flower. At lower right is a spent flower on the same stem. It is already going to seed. This is a native wild iris known as the Missouri blue flag. It is also called the southern blue flag. I took this photo the morning of May 16. This iris will bloom for a short time during May and June. Individual flowers will bloom for one or two days and then begin to wither...

Monday: Center closed for Memorial Day. Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo pasta or meatballs in marinara with pasta, steamed broccoli, garden salad, whole-grain garlic bread and citrus fruit dessert or cherry dump cake. Wednesday: Fiesta taco bake or patty melt, black beans and corn, zucchini and tomatoes, whole-grain bread and tropical fruit or cheesecake...

The following students were named to the President's List for the Spring semester. To qualify for this list an undergraduate student must attain a semester 4.0 grade point average and must complete at least 12 credit hours. Cape Girardeau: Colton Borders, Emily Buerck...

Submitted by Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary Jangles is a sweet 2-year-old female looking for a loving home! If you are ready for a rewarding experience, come see us at Safe Harbor. Call (573) 243-9823.

Do you remember the song "I will survive?" As soon as you hear pianist cascading their fingers across the keyboard, followed by the driving bass line and the drums, you cannot help but move to the sound. (I'm a Baptist, we don't dance. We move. It's different). Then the lyrics "As long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive"; certainly more in-depth significant than I am aware of. the timeless tune sung by Gloria Gainer is one of the many songs that uplift you in times of hardships...

Tuesday morning, we learned that the world-renowned apologist and evangelist Ravi Zacharias died. It was not long ago, about two months, when Ravi was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer within his spine. The other day I had read that there was nothing more the doctors could do for him. We knew then that it was only a matter of time before another of God's great pastors would no longer be with us...

Sometimes it can be difficult to know how much of guiding my life is up to me and how much is up to God. How does my own free will and effort factor into receiving God's grace and allowing God to guide my life? We are shaping this together; who does what?...

An advertisement proclaimed "A Thrill Every Minute" when the circus came to Cape Girardeau on June 6 and 7, 1925. This was no ordinary circus, however. This was the Harry H. Perkins Flying Circus featuring dare-devil pilots performing aerial stunts and taking passengers on joy rides...

LAS VEGAS -- The bride wore a white beaded dress and a white cloth face mask that said "Mrs." in curly black letters. Her new husband, dressed in black, wore one that said "Mr." Vaughan Chambers and Alicia Funk put the face coverings on shortly after they exchanged vows and kissed in front of a neon-lit sign in a Las Vegas wedding chapel and posed for photos with an Elvis impersonator who officiated at their wedding...

This week, I started thinking about what we can grill outdoors and maybe a couple of side dishes to accompany the entree. Then I saw a few dessert ideas that I couldn't pass up, and even an interesting breakfast coffeecake that I find interesting. In a nutshell, this column today is a little of this and a little bit of that all put together to challenge you to try them all...

This is a weird time to be writing about eating out. There is no way to share the atmosphere of a place with you, because I am unable (or, as of now, unwilling) to experience said atmosphere in a restaurant. Good eateries have souls, given life by the people who create their passion and imagine new flavors to delight. ...