All posts of flourish

meet along the way:

By Amanda Flinn This story was first published in the January 2023 issue of “The Best Years” with the title “Living Sustainably: Jim and Mary Maginel steward the land.” For many, sustainable farming is a pipe dream, or a fancy idea on the internet, but for Jim and Mary Maginel of Cape Girardeau, it is […]
2 days ago

meet along the way: Linda and Leon Wiggs

By Jasmine Jones This story was first published in the August 2022 issue of “The Best Years” as ‘Let’s Travel the World:’ Couple travels abroad and across America for 14 years.” Leon and Linda Wiggs glance at the cabinet in their living room and see England, China, Alaska, Spain and Scotland; each destination lives in […]
4 days ago

meet along the way: Dolly Jewel

By Molly Phegley This story was first published as “Faces of Southeast Missouri: Dolly Jewel” in the October 2022 issue of The Best Years. Dolly Jewel is a long-standing citizen of Cape Girardeau who has taught in all levels of education, as well as served as an election judge for the past 25 years. Jewel […]
2 weeks ago

New year = new titles to explore

Curated by: Kayla Thompson, Adult Services, Cape Girardeau Public Library A new month means new things to read, new bookish goals, and new titles to explore. If you need any suggestions, swing by the library and see what we have on display. Here are some newer debut titles to get you started: Sistersong by Lucy […]
3 weeks ago

meet along the way: Phyllis Johnson

By Jasmine Jones This story was first published in the September 2022 issue of The Best Years with the title “Community Cookbook: Goulash, by Phyllis Johnson from the Golden Angels in Cape Girardeau.” Phyllis Johnson was raised by her father on a farm in Caruthersville, Mo. She remembers picking and chopping cotton, pulling corn and […]
4 weeks ago

Meet Along the Way: Joann Lester

By Jasmine Jones This story was first published in the December 2022 issue of The Best Years with the title “Faces of Southeast Missouri: Joann Lester.” When Joann Lester walks into the dining room of Chick-fil-A in Cape Girardeau, she instantly begins serving people: grabbing their trays and trash, rushing to open doors, chatting with […]
1 month ago

Meet Along the Way: Sharon Tuschhoff

Words By Jasmine Jones  Bird photo by Sharon Tuschhoff This story was first published in the Winter 2022 issue of mind + body. Sharon Tuschhoff goes out to notice the natural world, bringing nothing but herself and a camera to capture all she sees. She snaps photos of owls and hummingbirds, big cats and bears, […]
1 month ago

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Curated by: Kayla Thompson, Adult Services, Cape Girardeau Public Library Ghosts of Christmas Past: Join us on a Dickensian adventure this holiday season as we read A Christmas Carol and other titles involving Dickens, ghosts, and haunting memories. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol is of course a Christmas Classic! And for […]
2 months ago

meet along the way: Fran Scholl

At 12 years old, Fran Scholl knew she wanted to be in the military. What she didn’t know was how unusual that was for a young girl in 1968. As the oldest girl in a family with 11 kids, she grew up feeding and rocking her younger siblings. Mothering and nurturing were second nature to […]
2 months ago

Make Art (It’s easy not to)

By Seraphina McAteer Just a couple of months ago, I graduated with a degree in fine arts, and already, I am struggling to keep creating a priority when so many other things now require my attention. We get busy, and life gets stressful. It is easy to not create, but it shouldn’t be that way.  […]
3 months ago