If circumstances have set out a path for you in life, sometimes your senses become dulled to the cherished moments that surround you. You might become busy with meeting the demands of the day – keeping a family fed or meeting the demands of one’s job. You may find yourself in a race to achieve […]
Today most folks don’t give a second thought if they get their clothes dirty to go and change into another outfit. In the valley below the Gravelly Spur, an abundance of clothes in the closet was not something that most folks experienced. The Woods boys, like everyone, were often faced with limited things to wear. […]
The leaf swayed hanging on to the lonely limb tightly. As if, to say to the world “I am not done and you are not going to make me fall down no matter what you throw at me.” All of its fellow leaves had given up the ghost blowing in whatever direction the wind desired […]
It is always heartwarming to me as the calendar turns to November! For me, my favorite holiday is always Thanksgiving. Perhaps it was all the great food that my late mother prepared while I was as a kid that solidified the experience at the top of my list. Perhaps, it was the neighbors who would […]
As I drove through the mountains of Arkansas looking at bright yellows, deep reds and variety of greens and browns, I felt a warmness coming over me beckoning back to my childhood riding in the back seat of my parents blue 1964 Chevy Malibu as we made our way through the mountains heading to who […]
I just got off the phone doing something that only a handful of folks get to do in life. I wished “Happy Birthday” to a friend – Violet Hensley – who was celebrating her 103rd birthday. There are moments just such as these which bring people together. Common experiences such as championship wins of athletes […]
As Rawel reared up, the buckboard came to an abrupt halt, tossing Pearl and the other children riding in its back to its bed. Rawel, a gentle-natured red mule, seldom became agitated, but in this instance he just couldn’t help but get his back up as a rattlesnake coiled up in front of him tried […]
Many across America recently sat watching PBS as Ken Burns walked us through his perspective of the history of country music. It was an amazing effort in taking a wide-ranging American experience that encompasses more than a century of talents who shaped music locally, regionally and ultimately those who shined nationally and internationally. He shaved […]
I remember as a boy, I always looked forward to Saturday when I was visiting with my grandparents. That meant we would be taking a trip to town. It could mean some time in the 5&10, the grocery store or a stroll around the Courthouse Square or visiting with folks at the farmer’s market. Going […]
It is the time of year when towns across America find political signs for local campaigns filling the right-of-ways and yards as fundraising barbeques and door-to-door canvassing is in full swing. For many years, I have had the pleasure of living in small town America, in a community that up until this decade enjoyed amiable […]
