Several weeks ago as I was traveling to an aunt’s 90th birthday celebration in Luverne, I had a phone call from Clarke County Democrat Publisher Jim Cox telling me of the news of several state newspapers changing their publication days to only three days a week.

At first I thought he was joking with me, and then when he said, “I just had to talk to someone else about what I just heard,” I knew he was serious.

I simply did not want to believe it then and I, to this moment, can’t fathom not being able to read about the area and state’s news in the Press-Register on a daily basis. I don’t want to go online; I want a black and white newspaper in my hands.

I am like a lot of other addicted longtime newspaper people who want to smell the ink and see my dirty fingers from reading the newspaper. I want to pick up that newspaper again and again to find and read a particular advertisement or news story. I don’t want to get on the computer to do it.

There is just something “sacred” about reading a real hand-held newspaper or book.

Speaking of books, I received a Kindle for Christmas two years ago. At first I ordered books on a regular basis, but in the last year I have begun to purchase used books at various outlets. It gives me pleasure to pass them on to someone else or contribute them back to a library or another bookstore who sells used.

Not everyone who reads a newspaper or a book has a computer or even has access to a computer.

I keep hoping the management and owners of Press-Register along with the other newspapers will change their minds about publishing just three days a week.

I just hope the decisionmakers are not being premature in making these changes.

Since I have long worked for a weekly newspaper (1966), I can assure the readers of this newspaper and the other weekly county papers, we plan on being around for years to come.

We ask for your continued support in reading our newspapers, and we thank all of our advertisers for placing their ads with us. We highly value our readers and advertisers.

This and that

If you are not shopping at the Farmers Market, located at the Jackson Nutrition Center, on Tuesday afternoons, you are certainly missing out on some delicious vegetables and fruits.

My last purchase of tomatoes from Buddy Garrick was outstanding. As Buddy and I were talking we are already thinking about how we are going to miss the summer tomatoes when they are all gone. I need to encourage him to plant some fall tomatoes.

I like tomatoes so much I have been known to eat them for breakfast and as a mid-morning snack.

Ants are problem

My spouse and I have had ants in our vehicles for several weeks. Now, I am killing them on the countertops in the kitchen.

I tried spraying Windex on the countertops but that didn’t help. While reading a promotion in the “Kitchen Table Book”, I saw an article where mixing water with peppermint oil would get rid of ants. If I can find peppermint oil, I am willing to try it.

Favorite recipe
Gulf Coast Hot Crab Dip
Reader’s Digest “Eat to
Beat High Blood
Pressure”
Cookbook
12 ounces fresh lump
crabmeat or 2 cans (6
ounces each) crabmeat,
drained
8 ounces fat-free cream
cheese, softened
1 cup nonfat sour cream
1 small onion, finely
chopped
1 tablespoon prepared
horseradish
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot red
pepper sauce
3 tablespoons plain

dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat gratin dish or
deep-dish pie plate with
nonstick cooking spray.
Pick through crabmeat; discard any shells and cartilage. Rinse crabmeat and
drain.
Stir cream cheese in
medium bowl until smooth.
Blend in sour cream, onion,
horseradish, Worcestershire
and hot pepper sauce. Gently fold in crabmeat. Spoon
into baking dish; smooth
out top.
Combine bread crumbs
and paprika and sprinkle
evenly over crabmeat mixture. Bake until bubbly,
about 20 minutes. Serve
piping hot with crackers.
Blueberry Muffins
With Lemon Glaze
“Eat to Beat High
Blood Pressure”
Cookbook
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup reduced-fat (2%)
milk
1/2 cup fat-free egg
substitute
4 tablespoons
margarine, melted
1/3 cup reduced-fat

sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups fresh
blueberries
Glaze
1 cup confectioner’s
sugar
1 tablespoon grated
lemon zest
2 tablespoons reduced-fat
(2%) milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin
pan with paper liners.
Whisk flour and sugar in
large bowl. Whisk milk, egg
substitute, margarine, sour
cream and vanilla in
medium bowl until blended.
Make well in center of
the flour mixture. Pour in
milk mixture and stir with
fork just until blended. Fold
in 1 cup blue berries.
Spoon batter into muffin
cups and sprinkle evenly
with remaining blueberries.
Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean, about 20 minutes.
Cool muffins on wire rack
10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix confectioner’s sugar, lemon zest
and enough milk in small
bowl to make a pourable
glaze. Drizzle glaze over
muffins after they have