By Emily Schilling One of my favorite quotes about Christmas comes from anunlikely source: our country’s 30th president, Calvin Coolidge.He said, “Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.” I perpetually plan for Christmas. As soon as Dec. 26 rolls around each year, I’m already thinking about the following Christmas… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling It’s fitting that in this issue before Thanksgiving we provide an update on Project Indiana. Through this initiative, created by Indiana’s electric cooperatives to empower underdeveloped countries, we can change lives in so many ways. In the last six years, linemen from electric cooperatives throughout Indiana have traveled to remote impoverished areas… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Regular readers of my column won’t be surprised by this revelation: I like to dress up for Halloween. If I’m confident enough to show 274,000 readers what I look like in clown makeup (see August issue), of course I’m game to wear a silly costume to work! For years, the Electric Consumer… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Some shop because they have to — their shopping list rarely strays from just “the necessities.” For others, shopping is a hobby — something to do to while away a free Saturday.  I, though, shop for the thrill of a bargain. Show me a 70 percent off sign, and I’m off and… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Looking back, I’ve done some pretty interesting things so far in my life. I’ve judged a cooking competition and a scholarship pageant. Not only have I flown the friendly transcontinental skies in a 747, I’ve been sky high in a hot air balloon. I’ve buzzed around the Charlotte Motor Speedway in a… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Summertime and the songs heard endlessly on the radio then go together like burgers on a barbecue grill. The right catchy melody can put you in a summer vacation mood even in the dead of winter. For me, the early 1970s oldie “I Saw the Light” conjures up a lazy summer vibe… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling It’s fitting that in this issue — which celebrates the Best of Indiana — I acknowledge the 40th birthday of a true Hoosier icon: Garfield the Cat. The original “grumpy cat,” who loves lasagna and lounging around as much as he loves terrorizing Odie the dog, was created by Indiana’s own Jim… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling In less than 30 days, 33 drivers in 33 cars will be attempting 200 laps on a 2.5 mile track in the hopes of winning the 102nd Indianapolis 500.  Those familiar with this uniquely Hoosier tradition know that the Indy 500 is so much more than a one-day sporting event. The drivers… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling I never tire of playing dress up. And donning duds to help me empathize with electric industry superheroes? Now that was fun! I imagined myself to be a real-life Wonder Woman after slipping on my hero gear: a lineworker’s hard hat, safety glasses and rubber gloves. But, proving clothes don’t make the… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling A couple of months ago, I shared that I enjoy curling up with a good book when the weather outside is frightful. This winter, those frightful conditions were quite common so I’ve been able to make quite a dent in my “to be read” pile. Several of you wrote to offer recommendations… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling It’s amazing what you can accumulate when you’ve spent a career in one building for one employer. Although during my work day I’m usually buried under piles of files and paper, and lists of things left to do, I must admit I didn’t realize what I had stored in my office and… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling This bookworm wants to hibernate with a good read. Though we’re focusing on winter activities in this issue, I must admit: if I had my druthers, I’d hibernate for the next three months, only to emerge when I’d be assured springtime weather had really returned. I don’t like walking in a winter… Continue reading.