The Coshocton County Beacon January 13, 2022 | Page 6

6 • The Beacon January 13 , 2022

We Can . We Shall . We Will . Overcome all of this .

My former English teachers , along with a few others , are probably cringing at my word usage in the headline of this Mark ’ s Musings column . I also realize the words are cliché , but I believe they are appropriate for where we are — and perhaps where we are headed .
One way or another , we will manage to defeat
Mark Fortune
Mark ’ s Musings
the COVID-19 virus — and all the variants seen and yet unseen . There will be more because , if any of my research is accurate , viruses mutate
WE ARE PROUD TO BE ONE OF

AMERICA ’ S

SAFEST

HOSPITALS

to survive . But I believe either through herd immunity , continued increases in the number of vaccinated people or more likely a combination of both , we will slowly but surely wrestle this beast to the ground .
We are only 10 weeks away from spring as I write this column . Sure , we will have some cold
Coshocton Regional Medical Center is committed to the highest standards of patient safety .
days , some snowy days and perhaps a food shortage here and there , but just like the sun rises every day , it will arrive .
What was this over the holidays ? No cream cheese or a very limited supply ? And did I hear correctly that Kraft was paying $ 20 so people would not make cheesecake ? Kraft is , of course ,
That ’ s why we earned an “ A ” Grade for Safety Excellence and ranked in the
Top 10 % in the Nation for Patient Safety .
the parent company of Philadelphia Cream Cheese . Yes , they did that . I wish TNT and TBS paid me for each episode of “ A Christmas Story ” I didn ’ t watch . I would have some extra coin to spend this month . Well , any extra money is chewed up anyway due to inflation .
Yes , many of the things we consume daily are increasing in cost . When I look at our grocery bill , I shudder to think what a large family spends per week . Being frugal , planting a garden and making wise choices in the aisles — or on your smart phone — are , I imagine , key . Now I know why we ate a lot of green beans and potatoes with some ham mixed in during the winter months . Vegetable soup or chili was a staple with a peanut butter or grilledcheese sandwich . Mom used to can tomatoes by the wheelbarrow full . Yep , we have a picture of Dad with a wheelbarrow full of tomatoes . And talk about a great way to teach the younger ones
some responsibility . A garden can do that .
I can still hear Dad saying , “ Get out there and hoe the tomatoes and around the corn . Be careful and not damage the stalks or stems .” Or something like that . There may have been some other words mixed in too .
It took a quarter or so , but the Buckeyes showed up for the Rose Bowl — those that played . What ’ s your opinion on the now popular “ opting out ”? In talking with people around the community , folks are in one camp or the other — many agree with the players . Why take a chance and damage your standing in the draft and what could be a lucrative NFL career ? Others feel if you wear the uniform and are a scholarship player , you owe it to the school and your teammates to play .
Playoff predictions anyone ? Can “ Big Ben ” pull off a win in Kansas City ? The Chiefs are tough to beat at home as everyone knows . Baker Mayfield will be back in Cleveland this fall .

Personal Injury & Civil Litigation

Don Dal Ponte
Miles Fries
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