Category: Uncategorized
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Finding My Voice
Why is Patti Grumpy and why is she speaking out at public meetings? Check out my latest essay, below: At 62, I have finally – FINALLY – become a loudmouthed badass. And that’s Ms. Badass to you, my friend. In mid-June of this year, I found myself speaking during the public comment section of the…
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Every Day is Pride Day
This is just a friendly reminder: Just because Pride Month is over, it doesn’t mean we stop celebrating our friends in the LGBTQIA+ community. A few years ago, I met a new business owner who was in the process of opening up shop. As we chatted, in casual conversation, this person said to me something…
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Happy Father’s Day
“I bought a new pair of skates today,” Dad told me. “Good!” I was happy to hear that my then-60-something year old father was joyfully planning to continue playing ice hockey. “These will be the last ones…” he said with a chuckle. “Don’t say that, Dad,” I chided him. “Well, how much longer can I…
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Coming Full Circle
Robyn Limberg’s path to becoming a veterinarian started when she was a child and her family dog, Greta, got hit by a car. Luckily, Greta survived, but only thanks to the skill of a Marine City veterinarian. Limberg, now a doctor of veterinarian medicine, said: “She was really banged up. The vet spent three hours…
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Finding Purpose
When Sadie Russell walks into a classroom, she knows she is needed. For the past seven years, Russell has served as a volunteer through the Foster Grandparent Program administered by the Council on Aging, Serving St. Clair County (CoA). The federally funded AmeriCorps Seniors program places volunteers in supervised community settings where they work with…
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Celebrating Pride Month
I was in high school, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in 1978 when a friend first came out as being gay to my circle of friends. He was open about his attraction to other boys. To be fair, he also had girlfriends, and more often than “gay,” I think we referred to him as…
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Leaving a Legacy
“I think I want to see my name on the Stanley Legacy Wall someday.” So said the 14-year-old granddaughter of a community leader whose name already appears on the legacy wall that honors leaders in Port Huron’s Black community. I put my arm around her and said, “Then I’m sure we WILL see your name…
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“Old Age Ain’t No Place For Sissies”
It appears my life has finally reached the third act of a three-act play. Okay, so, no, I’m not announcing anything here. You’re still stuck with Patti Samar for, well, as long as I continue to climb out of bed every morning and remain in a vertical state. But dang. Nobody told me that, after…
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Conversations With Mom
Mothers Day, May 10, 2026 So, this might be the last time my mom remembers who I am on Mother’s Day. My relationship with my mom has always been, well, complicated. But now, as she approaches her upcoming 84th birthday, I just try to do what little I can, from 1,500 miles away, to make…
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Providing Public Health
As a young mother, at just 20 years old, Amy Bishop felt lost. No one had taught her about baby care or nutrition. The 1988 graduate of Armada High School felt like she was floundering as a parent. “I knew nothing about cooking and nothing about raising children,” she said. A friend observed that her…
