As I placed the log into the black cast-iron stove, I watched the orange sparks rise from the burning embers within its belly in Grandma’s parlor. I often stood at its front, hopeful that it would make me feel warmer. It usually did—at least on one side, until I turned and let the other warm. […]
As I entered adulthood, my late father had already passed away, leaving me as the man of the house. This meant that the various tasks he once handled now fell to me. Household repairs were suddenly my responsibility—either to tackle myself or to hire someone reliable at a reasonable cost. Yard work had been part […]
Amid the crisp autumn air of September 1777, Private Johan Frederick Emert huddled near a flickering campfire along the banks of Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania, his woolen coat—part of the standard Continental Army uniform, dyed a faded blue and frayed from months of marching—draped over his shoulders against the evening chill cleaning his musket. Around […]
Life presents us with countless crossroads—moments that can reshape our futures. Some offer greater wealth or a dream job. Others might be a romantic opportunity or even a simple choice: attend this party or that event? We don’t always handle these decisions wisely. Sometimes we act impulsively, on the spur of the moment. Other times, […]
We all carry baggage through life—emotional weights from things we’ve done or things done to us. No matter the source, this baggage slows our journey, making us slaves to it. We feel compelled to pick it up and haul it everywhere, in everything we do. I understand why we cling to it. For many, that […]
It was a blustery cold morning as Kitty and Pearl began their walk over to Maudie Pearson’s house. They carried tins full of green collards, black-eyed peas and ham hocks and some cornbread. “This seems like an odd meal to take Miss Maudie,” Pearl said. “It’s News Year’s Day fixin’s,” Kitty said. “If she eats […]
Every Christmas, hundreds of re-enactors gather on the Pennsylvania bank of the Delaware and push replica Durham boats into the black, ice-choked river. They are re-living the night of December 25–26, 1776 — the night George Washington’s ragged army made its desperate gamble to surprise the Hessians at Trenton and, in one audacious stroke, […]
As a five-year-old, I pressed my nose against the Western Auto window and fell in love. There it sat—the shiniest red Radio Flyer wagon I’d ever seen. Its chrome hubcaps practically winked at me, whispering, “Take me home.” At least that’s what my little-kid brain heard. Christmas was simpler then. My friends and I came […]
The Share America Foundation, Inc. recently announced its third 2025 Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship winner in LaFayette, Ga. The scholarship honors students excelling in the Appalachian musical arts. Pearl and Floyd Franks were the late parents and former entertainment managers of actor/entertainer Randall Franks, “Officer Randy Goode” from TV’s “In the Heat of the […]
Entertainer Randall Franks (second from right) receives the 2025 Georgia Gospel Country & Bluegrass Association Lifetime Achievement Award from (left) GGCBA Vice President Karen Franks, Co-President Brenda Sinard, and Co-President Wayne Sinard during a ceremony in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. (Photo: Randall Franks Media) The Georgia Gospel Country & Bluegrass Association (GGCBA) has named entertainer Randall […]
