Benning Printing & Publishing

This month’s book club selection was Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson. As far as thrillers and murder mysteries go, this book had a very unique premise. Jet lives with her wealthy family in Woodstock, Vermont. After spending an evening at the town’s Halloween festival, she returns home hoping to enjoy some peace and quiet. Instead, she is brutally attacked. Jet wakes up in the hospital and learns she suffered a serious head injury that required surgery. The bad news is th

I learned about an interesting folktale from the Old Farmer’s Almanac. August 17 marks the start of “Cat Nights,” a tradition rooted in an old Irish legend about witches and cats. According to this legend, a witch could change into a cat eight times, but on her ninth try, she would be stuck as a cat forever. This story is often linked to the saying that cats have nine lives. The Cat Nights folklore may be related to legends of the Cait Sidhe in Ireland and the Cait Sith in

Grief is contagious. To say this has been a busy and stressful summer would be an understatement. Mom’s battle with cancer has been only half of it. Recently, my boyfriend lost his older brother to cancer. After spending his entire life in and out of hospitals for medical conditions he was born with, and for countless surgeries, and also living with a tracheostomy, he made the difficult decision not to pursue treatment. He was only 41 years old. From what little time I kn

A conversation at a gas station this morning got me thinking. I walked in and spotted a wad of dollar bills on the floor. Another customer said it wasn’t his and handed it to the cashier to hold in case someone came looking for it. Most of us have come across random money at some point—a $20 in a parking lot or a dollar bill blowing down the sidewalk. Depending on the amount and the circumstances, you either pocket it or turn it in to the police or a nearby business and hop

As someone with Crohn’s Disease, I often experience random and frustrating side effects, one of the main ones being mouth sores. It doesn’t take much to trigger them; I can wake up with a sore inside my mouth or a small section of inflamed gums for absolutely no reason. Most of the time, these sores go away on their own, though sometimes I need to swish a little peroxide. Fortunately, it has never been debilitating before. However, this entire week, my mouth has been extreme

This month’s Book Club book was “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. The story takes place in a changing Afghanistan and explores themes of friendship, betrayal, and the journey to find redemption. It looks at decades of conflict before, during, and after the Russian invasion and the rise of the Taliban, talking about the experiences of the Afghan people. The main characters, Amir and Hassan, share a complicated friendship. They start as loyal friends in childhood, but the

A recent jury verdict against Meta (Facebook) and YouTube is quite ironic. These platforms, which are central to a lot of our daily communication, are now facing criticism for creating features that make it hard for people to stop using their apps. The case focused on the idea that social media companies designed their apps to keep users’ attention for as long as possible. Features like infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, constant notifications, and personalized recommendat

March 17 is more than just St. Patrick’s Day; it’s also St. Gertrude Day, a feast day dedicated to Gertrude of Nivelles, a remarkable 7th-century abbess in what is now Belgium. This day is an opportunity to remember her legacy of hospitality, care for the earth, and protection of animals—especially our beloved cats. Gertrude’s fame as the patron saint of travelers stems from her deep commitment to helping those on the move. Her monastery, located along key travel routes, bec

Is anyone else feeling a sense of déjà vu, or is it just me? The U.S. is once again involved in conflict in the Middle East. I often catch myself saying “Iraq” instead of “Iran” because the events in Iraq are still fresh in my mind, just like for many of you. The U.S. and Israel have teamed up to carry out strikes on Iran. They say this is due to ongoing worries about Iran’s nuclear program, missile development, and military influence in the region, which they see as direct

The Department of Justice’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case continues to fail the very people it should protect—the survivors. On January 30, thousands of documents related to Epstein were released, once again bringing attention to one of the most horrible sex-trafficking cases in history. But as these documents came out, survivors were harmed by the Justice Department’s actions and silence. Important details identifying survivors were not properly redacted in the rele