(This is the latest installment in an occasional series about my career’s twists and turns. If you’re a completionist like me and would like to go back to the beginning before seeing how this latest chapter unfolds, I encourage you to read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Now, for the latest … Continue reading Even better than expected – part 5
You can tell a lot about people by what you find lying around in their home. As was well documented in last week’s installment on lighting, (if you did not read that hilarious post, do yourself a favor and go back and do so now before proceeding. It’s OK, we’ll wait…) the gradual influx of … Continue reading Books, lip balm, reading glasses and toothpicks
The division of labor in our household opened my eyes to the undeniable truth that we own a lot of lamps. Like a 19th Century London lamplighter, I make the rounds of our main floor each morning in the predawn hours turning on our lamps. They create a warm, Thomas Kinkade glow that gives our … Continue reading So many lamps
If your algorithms are anything like mine, they have been serving you a steady diet of Mother’s Day gift guides, jokes and memes for the last few weeks. I am into it. I need all the help I can get to plan and execute a meaningful Mother’s Day for my mom and the mother of … Continue reading The best Mother’s Day gift
In a time before memory, decisions were made that caused the first weekend in May to fill to overflowing each year. It’s particularly acute this year as we try to squeeze in our 28th wedding anniversary, our middle child’s 20th birthday, moving said child back home for the summer from college and working commencement for … Continue reading Celebrating all the things all at once
A coffee bean’s life ends violently. The ripened coffee cherry is plucked from a tree. Its remains are processed either with a fermented liquid or in the sun. The outer layers of peel and parchment are stripped away, baring its inner bean. That bean is roasted (over roasted if it's sold by Starbucks) and ultimately … Continue reading Special delivery
Since our middle son, Harris, began matriculating at Mercer University in our old stomping grounds of Macon, Ga., Carla and I have made several pilgrimages back to the scene of our courtship, marriage and early days as a family. Last Saturday, we made such a trip in the spring sunshine, enjoying a leisurely drive from … Continue reading Taking backroads
On April 3, 2025, I enticed Carla and our friend Heather to join me in violating the no. 1 rule of our influencer-driven, celebrity-obsessed culture: Never meet your heroes. Landon Bryant and his lovely wife, Kate, are the rare exception. We were among the first to arrive at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur that night … Continue reading Landon talks… to me
Can there be such a thing as too many spring breaks? If this is a malady, I have it. If it is a blessing, I am looking for a way to appreciate it. This week is spring break for Gwinnett County schools, which typically falls the first full week of April. It is relevant to … Continue reading Too many spring breaks
Way back in the 1900s when I worked in a business that printed ink on dead trees, we had a competition of sorts in the newsroom. Each year when March rolled around, the reporters were tempted no matter the context to use the phrase “Ah, spring,” as a lead to a story. The first person … Continue reading Welcome to indoor winter
New South Essays 