Muzzle control

There once was a day when it was presumed that all Southern males intuitively knew how to handle a firearm. That day ended in Georgia when the state required everyone born after 1961 to take a hunter education course before applying for a hunting license. With the onset of deer season for firearms this weekend, … Continue reading Muzzle control →

A foot in two states

Heavy clouds and the threat of rain couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm for a trip on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway last Monday for Carlton’s third birthday. For weeks leading up to the big event, I felt pangs of sentimentality about my youngest son following the same journey as his brothers from toddlerhood to full blown … Continue reading A foot in two states →

Two nights in Texas

Mississippi-born singer songwriter Kate Campbell intruded into my awareness in the late ‘90s, and since then, each lyrical and patently Southern album she releases is a must-own in my limited collection. On Sept. 27, she released her latest, a live album called “Two Nights in Texas,” with recordings from back-to-back shows April 8-9, 2010, at … Continue reading Two nights in Texas →

Watching the Braves with Paw Paw

At 11:39 p.m. , Wednesday, – well past my bedtime – Braves rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman grounded into a double play, ending the Braves season. As I struggled to stay awake during the final two hours of the 13-inning marathon game, I couldn’t help but think of my grandfather as I watched the drama … Continue reading Watching the Braves with Paw Paw →

What’s your name?

After going through Cub Scouts all the way from Bobcat to Webelos with my oldest son, Barron, I’m now re-entering the cycle with Harris, my middle son. Only this time, I’ve put myself on the sacrificial altar of den leadership. Planning and executing meetings and outings with my co-leader, Kathy, isn’t the hard part. The … Continue reading What’s your name? →

Running on fumes

Glowing like a nightlight in my reflective vest, I barreled down the hill as a Parkview school bus chugged past. On the last leg of a four-mile pre-dawn run, my lungs filled with the noxious fumes the bus belched as it crawled up toward the intersection. In my 18 years as a runner, this scene … Continue reading Running on fumes →

An Afternoon with Clyde

“You’re dressed up,” Carla said from her chair in the playroom. She’s mocking me, but I don’t care. “If I get to meet the man, I don’t want to look like a hobo.” At a time when good, churchgoing people are sleeping off Sunday lunch, I head to the Decatur Book Festival to hear and … Continue reading An Afternoon with Clyde →

I Gotta Go … listen to Robert Earl Keen

I’m a writer, not a musician. That’s the best way to explain my fascination with country music – specifically, alternative country and the work of singer-songwriters. I’m not much of a fan of that over-produced, impure sound coming out of Nashville the last 10-20 years. A few years ago, my native-Texan friend, Bob, introduced me … Continue reading I Gotta Go … listen to Robert Earl Keen →

Making your mark

Before I met my wife, I don’t think I could spell “monogram.” Now, it is an oft-repeated word and an even more oft-repeated embellishment in my home. Pillow cases, hand towels, diaper bags, back packs, purses, framed prints – you name it and most likely there are interlocking initials on it somewhere. I may be … Continue reading Making your mark →

Helpers

By now you’ve heard about Kathryn Stockett’s novel and recently released film “The Help.” The story looks at the lives of African American maids and the white women they serve in Jackson, Miss., in 1960. Stockett has obviously hit a nerve. Her book is currently number one on the New York Times’ combined print and … Continue reading Helpers →