Category: Americana
-
The Dutch Code in Love and War
I have no idea what it is like to be separated from your wife during a time of war. My wife Kathryn Patrice and I have never spent more than three days apart. My late wife Mary and I never spent more than two weeks apart. Maybe that’s why I found a 1940’s note by…
-
Living Southern: Scattered, Smothered, and Covered
If you see a Southern Baptist Church on every street corner, a Dollar General every few blocks, and a Waffle House at every major intersection, fear not, you are not lost. You are probably cruising through the great state of Georgia. Down here, you can Eat, Pray, and Shop without leaving your neighborhood. In the…
-
Generational Thunder – The Tale of Two Women
Actions have consequences. More often than we may know, those consequences roll down like thunder across generations. For most of us, our parents have the most significant influence upon us. For others, it may be an uncle, an aunt, a close friend, a sports coach or a Sunday School teacher. Looking back over my formative…
-
Living Southern – In the Peach State of Happiness
No Georgian has to look at a calendar to know that it is now July in Georgia. There is ample evidence that sauna-time has hit the Southland. Just step outside and be greeted with the invisible monsoon. Summertime is defined in Georgia as “you gonna sweat a lot.” Well, at least, men will sweat. In…
-
View from a Pew
Author’s Note: Thirty years ago, I purchased a 60-year-old fourteen-foot long church pew during a fundraising program at my church. In time I had it cut down to seven feet, re-stained and polished to become a cherished family treasure. I have often pondered what that pew has seen and heard in the decades it spent…
-
Nails at Noon – Lessons from a Nail Parlor
Last week, our country celebrated its Independence Day. The 4th of July, for me, has always been filled with memories of fireworks, barbecues, and hot, sunny days at nearby Lake Oconee. In this land of the Free, we often forget the cost of that freedom or how cherished it is, especially for those who have…
-
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling….I Must Have Made Them Laugh
Visiting a foreign country, especially for the first time, is always an exciting adventure. You just hope it’s not too exciting, if you know what I mean. After all, learning about a new culture, interacting with locals, and experiencing first hand how things are different from the US of A adds a breadth and depth…
-
How the Irish Spell Hospitality
My wife decided I needed a heads-up. In an attempt to manage my expectations, she explained in precise terms, what I should expect on our two-week vacation to Ireland. “You need to understand,” she said, “that the Irish are some of the most hospitable people on earth.” Though welcome words to one visiting Ireland for…
-
Love Lifted Me
Soon after our wedding last year, I discovered an unexpected blessing from having married a woman who can sing. Patrice serves as one of the cantors who leads our church congregation in singing. She has perfect pitch and a musical range that few possess. Yes, I am not at all objective about this, but…
-
Living Southern – Blue Plate Wins
My recent post about “Bubba and the Masters” and “Biscuits or Cornbread?” reminded me how blest I am to be from the South. “Southern by the grace of God” is not a cliche in my family. Having grown up in the land of peaches, peanuts, pecans, and pine trees…and yes, yellow pollen too, I have…
