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Pleasant Forest: A Tale of Two Cemeteries
Pleasant Forest Cemetery is a hard one to miss. Â It's enormous, for one thing, and it's on a well-traveled road. I've driven by it many times and it's been on my list to visit for awhile. Â Occasionally my graveyard trips are serendipitous and unplanned, but for a...
It's No Sacrifice
In thinking about what I could add to the discussion of sacrifice, having come late to the party and drawing the last spot of the month, I turned to one of my favorite sources for information: Â the dictionary. Quickly I found myself falling down an etymological rabbit...
Things I Like about ME
Five years ago, I participated in an exercise in which bloggers were challenged to post a list of what they liked about themselves. Â The premise was that most women are a lot better at self-criticism than self-praise, that we are always focused on the ways in which we...
My True Feelings about Confession
So today's post is brought to you courtesy of the Catholic Women's Blogger Network. Â It's part of our monthly blog hop and I totally would not be writing it if it weren't. Because here's where I peek out from under my somewhat ill-fitting Catholic blogger hat and...
Spring Fun in Chattanooga
We didn't go anywhere for Spring Break this year, except to the zoo. Â Today's planned trip to Dollywood was canceled due to illness. Â So I got to feeling nostalgic about last year's Spring Break trip, which I had never gotten around to sharing here. Because I've...
The Lent I Needed
My plans for Lent were modest as such things go, but Ash Wednesday wasn't even over before that old adage: "Man plans, God laughs," came into my head. Y'all, it's hard not to feel you are failing at Lent when you can't even make it to Ash Wednesday Mass to get ashes....
Gatlinburg Is in Business
To celebrate 30 years of couple-hood, John and I stole a weekend away in Gatlinburg.  Secure in the knowledge that Lorelei and William were in Emily's capable hands, we headed South on Saturday afternoon. We are so blessed to live so close to Gatlinburg, which feels...
How We Lent around Here
I'm grateful that I'm committed to contributing a post to the Catholic Women Bloggers Network bloghop today, because the truth is  our family has been needing to reevaluate "how we Lent."  What was once a pretty intense observance has in recent years become fairly...
ObamaCare Update: Good, Bad, and Ugly
Writing about our ObamaCare experiences with the future of the program so much in doubt seems almost pointless, but I did promise to keep honestly updating you so here's the latest. Learning that Blue Cross was pulling out of the Marketplace in our area was really...
When the Nightmare Is Real
I was having one of those dreams last night. Â You know the kind. Â They usually happen right before time to wake up, and are inspired by anxiety from the waking world leaking out of the subconscious. I've had variations on this one hundreds of times. but this one took...
John Grissom Returns: Review of The Egyptian Elixir
You might remember a little over a year ago when I reviewed--very favorably--Page Zaplendam's Order of the Blood. Â I encourage you to click over and read my first review, which also includes an interview with the author. I enjoyed this far from typical vampire novel...
This Is What Democracy Looks Like
Lorelei and I had the opportunity this week to join in a local march in support of refugees and immigrants. Â This peaceful and patriotic event began in Market Square--Knoxville's downtown gathering spot--with a silent vigil. Â Then all of us--over 1,100 people,...
When Did Liberals Start Quoting Scripture?
That's what a Facebook friend of mine asked the other day. It's no secret that there are lots of liberal Christians but in recent years they've been loath to use the Bible to make political points.  The reasons are many, ranging from a strong belief in the separation...
Can We Learn to Listen?
Flipping through the monthly missalette to pass the time, back in the days when I was a child and Mass seemed to last forever, I'd sing the songs in my head and read the prayers on the back. Â One prayer struck me so much that IÂ committed it to memory. I haven't...
My Catholic Uniform
We'd often run errands on the way home from school when I was a little girl. Â That meant we'd be spending the afternoon in red plaid jumpers. Â And if we got into mischief while our mother was shopping, she'd pull us aside and sternly remind us that we were wearing our...
Why I Blog
I thought about having a blog for years before I finally started one. Â My first attempt had exactly two entries. Â Nothing I thought of saying seemed important enough to share with the internet. Â I would stare at my screen, paralyzed, and the words would not come....
Protest is Patriotism
Protesting is as American as the Boston Tea Party. Â The First Amendment to our Constitution includes the rights to speak freely, to assemble, and to petition our government for redress of grievances. Â That sounds like a pretty good description of a protest march like...
Woman Enough to March?
On November 2, 2016 I joined Pantsuit Nation, an online community of Hillary supporters. Â The group, now almost four million strong, comprised people of many different backgrounds and beliefs, united by our support of Hillary and fear of a Trump presidency. I posted...
KANGEAUX Helps You Go: Sponsored Review
Oh, y'all, I feel so bad about this. Â I received this product in exchange for my honest review, and somehow I did not get around to writing the review in a timely manner. Â Now it appears that the company may have suspended operations. And I hate that, because not only...
3DLIGHTFX 3D Deco Lights: Sponsored Review
So, y'all, I am WAY behind in my reviews for US Family Guide (I am always behind). Â I received this product in December in exchange for my honest review. Here is the company's description of their unique nightlights: Â 3DLIGHTFX 3D Deco Lights are the perfect gift....
Walk in Her Sandals: A Path to Greater Holiness
Don't laugh, but high up there on my list of personal goals is a desire for greater holiness. Â I've known a few holy people in my life--have you? Â They radiate peace and God's love and you feel blessed to be in their presence. Â I'd like to be one of those people, but...
Open Letter to My Friends Who Want to Repeal ObamaCare
Dear Facebook Friends: Next time you are tempted to gleefully post about how happy you are to see ObamaCare repealed, I want you to think about the people whose lives are going to be affected dramatically when that happens. Â I want you to think about people who are...
Let’s Get Healthy (But We Won’t Call It a Resolution!)
There's just something about a new year, isn't there? Â It feels fresh and new and full of possibilities. Â Hence the talk of resolutions and the increase in gym membership purchases! I am reluctant to commit to something so definite and portentous as resolutions any...
Crabpot Trees SPONSORED Review
Before I even give my usual disclaimer let me tell you that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my crabpot tree! Yes, I received said tree for free in exchange for my honest review of it here, in my capacity as a blogger for National Family Guide. Â But it's not even stretching the truth...
2016 in Review: Your Favorites, My Favorites
It's year three of this fun (well, I think it's fun) tradition, where I highlight the five posts that WordPress claims were my most viewed for the year, and then the five that were my own favorites. Â Which, for some reason, are never the same! None of the top five...
12 in 2016: A Year in Pictures
This is a little exercise I've been taking part in for three years now. Â It's always fun to look back over the year, and this year I am struck by two things: 1) How much Lorelei used my phone to take pictures of Webkinz this year and 2) How many adventures I had that...
Fear Fighting: When You’ve Gotta Have Control
Today I'm sharing a guest post by Kelly Balarie. Â More details on Kelly and her new book are at the end of the post. When I thought about fighting as a child, it was normally with my siblings. I'd sink my nails into them, they'd shriek. I'd see an injustice, like them...
Putting Christ in Christmas
When our first child was a baby, 25 years ago, I had very specific ideas about Christmas that went along with my ideas about being a perfect mother. From time to time when I was a child, my mother would suggest we should cut back on Christmas gift giving and...
More Than a Night Light: 3DLIGHTFX 3D Deco Lights (Sponsored)
Here's another product I will be getting free in exchange for reviewing it on behalf of U.S. Family Guide.  I was SO excited when I saw this product but I'm not going to tell you which one I ordered until it arrives. 🙂 As always, the company wants me to share some...
Photo Books from AdoramaPix (SPONSORED)
I'm here today to give my honest review of the AdoramaPix photobook I told you about several weeks ago.  I worry that you won't trust a review that is as glowing as the one I am about to write.  But I assure you that even though I received this product ($50 value!)...
FREE 12×8 Canvas Print: Sponsored
Just jumping off of politics for a minute to offer you a fun deal for Christmas. Â Obviously, this is a sponsored post and I will be receiving a free product in exchange for my participation which I will review honestly after I receive it. If you would like to take...
Good People?
My high school French teacher, Sister deLellis, had a favorite saying that popped into my head today: "Tell me who you go with and I'll tell you who you are." For the past year, many of my friends who termed themselves reluctant Trump supporters assured me repeatedly...
We Didn’t Start the Fire . . .
Tennessee is on fire and Donald Trump is the President-Elect.  The haze that hangs over Knoxville matches the haze in my head and my heart.  It's hard to think and hard to breathe. On Election Day  many of us headed off to the polls excited about a bright new...
How to Celebrate Advent When Everyone Thinks It’s Already Christmas
No joke, y'all, I started seeing houses with their Christmas lights up just after Halloween.  Is it any wonder that there will be Christmas trees lying on the curb by Christmas night, tossed out by people who have celebrated themselves out before the guest of honor...
ObamaCare in Practice: An Update
The first year we had health insurance via the ACA, I updated y'all frequently and promised to keep doing so.  I realize that's a promise I didn't keep.  Now that the law's very existence is threatened, it seems like a good time to share how it's been going for us in...
Election Day! In (Mostly) Pictures
All I want to do right now is read the internet obsessively and get ready to watch election coverage. Â But it's NaBloPoMo, and I have to post something. Â So I'll do a quick Election Day photo essay! Even though there was no school today, I got up relatively early, and...
Why is This Election Different?
On the eve of the 2012 Presidential Election, I put up a post about how I would be voting, and why. Â By now, if you've been keeping up, you know whom I will be voting for tomorrow. Â And I've even explained how I approached making this decision, as a Catholic. What you...
Catholic Voting 101: A Guide for the Confused
It's come to my attention that many (maybe even most?) of my fellow Catholics are a bit confused on the issue of voting.  How do I know this?  Because FACEBOOK, mostly.  If any Catholic is on Facebook telling any other Catholic that he or she is in a state of mortal...
I’m a Pro-Life Catholic and I’m with Her
A few days ago I was invited to join a secret Facebook group. Â I posted what follows by way of introduction and was overwhelmed by the support, understanding, and acceptance I received, even from people whose beliefs are very different. Â Because so many people wanted...
VOTING: Not Toeing the Party Line
After I was recently accused of being a "Democrat down to my toes," my daughter bought me the socks in the picture above.  And while it's true that I call myself a "pro-life Democrat" in my Twitter bio, the reality is somewhat more complicated. My earliest political...
Crab Pot Trees: Beautiful and Convenient (Sponsored)
I know it's early, y'all but some folks do like to plan ahead. Â Here's an offer from US Family Guide: Crab Pot Christmas Trees are remarkable, perfectly shaped trees that are pre-lit, fold flat for storage, sparkle from EVERY angle and are easily set up. What makes...
Catholic to My Toes
Twelve years ago, dismayed at all the misunderstandings and hatefulness I was seeing among Catholics over the Presidential election, I decided to write a column about it for the East Tennessee Catholic. Â I thought I could dispel those misunderstandings and the...
NaBloPoMo and Countdown to Election Day!
It's November and you know what that means, right? No, not Election Day! 😉 It's time again for NaBloPoMo, when those of us who write blogs instead of books jump on the one-post-a-day bandwagon.  I've had varying success with this in the past, and I don't know how...
October Is Respect Life Month
I decided recently to update and re-release some of my pro-life posts in honor of Respect Life Month. Â In order to make them easier for new readers to find, I'm including links to them here. I hope to continue to add to this page so that it will eventually contain one...
Sunglasses by LotFancy: A Review (SPONSORED)
So, I've been told by at least one reader that y'all don't like it when I post reviews. Â And I get that I've posted more reviews lately and less non-branded content. Â That's because when someone provides a product for me, I really have to follow through and tell you...
Fall Fun at Oakes Farm: SPONSORED
As y'all know by now, I'm a US Family Guide blogger, which means occasionally I share offers for admission to attractions with you, then visit the attractions and honestly review them in this space. Â In return, I get free tickets for me and my family. Â Today I am...
September 11: Remember the Love
Everyone who's old enough to remember has a 9/11 story.  Mine is probably fairly typical of those of us with no personal connection to the events, and I've never written about it because it feels too much like trying to hop on the tragedy train in order to capitalize...
What Labor Day Means to Me
When I was a little girl, Labor Day meant watching Jerry Lewis, waiting to hear our names called out on the telethon for our donation.  It meant fried chicken and deviled eggs and buttermilk ice cream at my cousins' house.  Later it became the day that my cousin and I...
My Grandfather’s Chair
Growing up, I spent every Friday night at my grandparents' home, only a few blocks away from my own. Â And we were often in and out of their house during the week as well. Â Like as not, when I walked in, I'd find my grandfather sitting in the living room in his...
Adoramapix Offer (Sponsored)
Y'all may remember that not long ago I shared a review of some items I received from AdoramaPix. Â If you didn't read it, here's the summary: Â I loved them. Now I have another opportunity (because I'm a U.S. Family Guide Blogger) to sample another of their products and...
Contrite Catholic Giveaway
Y'all, isn't that just beautiful? Â The verse comes from one of my favorite passages in the Gospels, the one that ends: "Neither be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Â Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." Isn't that a...
Blessed are the Merciful
I didn't write anything about how awful people were when the little boy fell into the gorilla enclosure.  I didn't say anything about how quick people were to judge the poor parents whose child was killed by the alligator.  What finally put me over the edge were the...
You Can Go with Kangeaux: SPONSORED
OK, y'all, so you know how much I love to hike. Â There's a new batch of trails in Knoxville's Urban Wilderness that Emily and I just started exploring yesterday, as a matter of fact (and more on those later!). Â Now as a US Family Guide blogger I am going to receive a...
Adorama Pix: SPONSORED Review
Y'all, I am late doing this review and I feel really bad about it, because I LOVE this service and these products and I will definitely be spending my own money here in the future. So, yeah, to get business out of the way, this IS a sponsored review, which means that...
The Easy Way to Clean Your Car: e-auto by e-cloth (SPONSORED Giveaway)
I got a new car a few months ago--new to me anyway! Â In our family, you generally don't get rid of a paid-for car until it is more expensive to keep fixing it than to give in and buy another one (or unless, of course, it gets burned in a fire.). John surprised me with...
SPONSORED Offer from AdoramaPix
So no sooner do I finish all those reviews do I see another offer from US Family Guide that I am so excited about that I am jumping right back on the reviewing treadmill. Â Check this out, y'all: Does that look cool, or what? Now, y'all know I like to take pictures....
Lovely Tidbits #2
You'd think I could manage to find a few minutes a week to join in this easy and fun linkup hosted by my friend Cristina or Handmaid Embroidery. Â <Sigh> How wrong you would be! Â I am finding it more and more difficult to carve out any time to do what I want...
SPONSORED: Bulu Box Review
Surprise, surprise! It's another sponsored review post from me. Â I know these disclosures can get boring, but ethics require I let you know that I received the following product for free in return for my honest review. This time I am going to write about my experience...
HOT Sponsored Review of Monthly Pepper Box
Back again with another review for US Family Guide. Â Monthly Pepper Box (to which I was given a three-month subscription in exchange for my honest review) is NOT a box full of pepper shakers or a box full of jalapenos and habaneros! Â Rather each box contains three...
Lovely Tidbits: A Look at My Week
Linking up today with my friend Christina of Handmaid Embroidery to give anyone who is interested a peek into what's going on around here this week! Going: Â Just returned from an awesome trip to Notre Dame to visit middle child (and middle son!) Teddy/Theo for Junior...
A History-Filled Afternoon at Lebanon in the Fork Presbyterian Cemetery
Wow, y'all. Â If you are interested in history you really need to visit Lebanon in the Forks Presbyterian Cemetery. Â Honestly, my visit left me a little awestruck. But let me back up. Â Emily and I went walking Saturday, as we are wont to do. Â We picked our destination...
A Club for Tea Lovers: SPONSORED
So maybe coffee is not for you. (I suppose people like that exist, hard as it might be for me to understand it!) Â Well, I had the opportunity to enjoy a free three month subscription to a club for tea lovers recently. Â My honest review follows. We actually drink a...
SPONSORED: Single Cup Club Review
Y'all, I overbooked myself in a big way in December, and now it's time to start paying the piper. Â As a blogger for US Family Guide, I accepted several free gifts in exchange for my honest review. Â Well, I've enjoyed the gifts, but it's long past time I reviewed them!...
50 Years: A Birthday Story
So I haven't blogged for a long time. Â Because birthdays. Â Most specifically, this year was my husband's 50th birthday, which he had been anticipating for some time. Â We had a special party, and I thought I would share some pictures of the big event. [gallery...
All I Want for Christmas Is Books, Books, Books
Even when I was a little girl who still enjoyed getting toys for Christmas, I also looked forward to receiving books.  Then as a teenager I remember enjoying Christmas night, after all the festivities were finished, finally getting to lie on the sofa to read whichever...
SPONSORED: Coobie Bra Review
Awhile back I posted some info on Coobie Seamless Bras. Â As a blogger for US Family Guide I occasionally get free stuff in exchange for my honest opinion on said stuff. Usually my honest opinion ends up being more or less positive, but I'm not a fan of the Coobie Bra...
2015 in Review: Your Favorites, My Favorites
As I did last year, I'm going to do a little recap here, showcasing the five posts YOU, the readers, liked the most this year (according to my WordPress stats), as well as the five posts I, the writer, liked the most. Â Please feel free to check out any posts you...
12 in 2015: A Year in Pictures
At the end of 2013 and again last year I participated in a linkup in which participants shared one picture for each month of the year.  I'm not sure that the linkup is taking place but I think it's a fun way to recap the year so I am going to do it anyway! January:...
That Time I Did Not Advent Right
Time to get real here, folks. Â All last week I posted about Advent: Advent memories, Advent crafts, Advent Workshops, complete with Pinterest-ready graphics. Â Yay me! But the truth is, I'm failing at Advent this year, and it's not the first time. I wanted to buy all...
Signs of the Season: An Advent Workshop
Since it first launched in 2001, my family has attended the Signs of the Season Advent Workshop at our parish every year--even when Lorelei was only ten days old!  This annual event, founded and conducted by Dorothy Romines, has always been an integral part of our...
Tragedy and Traditions
The following was written in Advent 2011 and posted at my friend Lacy's blog.  That first post-fire Christmas still seems very close and this time of year still is a little painful for me. Traditions.  We all have them.  Children demand them—“We did that last year—we...
Celebrating Advent with a Jesse Tree
When most people are getting excited about Christmas, I am usually getting excited about Advent. And outside of church, you don’t hear much about this special season, as people are so eager to rush straight into Christmas. When I was growing up my family always had...
Advent Memories
I’m a Catholic school veteran—16 years all told.   I sent my three oldest children to the same parochial grade school I attended. Catholic schools have Religion class every day along with Math, English, and Social Studies, and that’s great—but what’s even better are...
SPONSORED: Single Cup Club
My love for coffee is well-documented! And I love to try new kinds. Â Now I have been offered a three-month subscription to the Single Cup Club, and I get to pass along some savings to you as well! The perfect friend in the pursuit of amazing coffee, Single Cup Club is...
SPONSORED: Simple Loose Leaf
We drink a lot of tea around here. Â Southern super-sweet tea, of course, although unlike my childhood when there was always a pitcher in the fridge, we limit it to holidays--and an assortment of herbal teas which are consumed on a daily basis by almost everyone. Â We...
SPONSORED: Monthly Pepper Box
I wouldn't go out on Black Friday if everything were free. Â I'm much more a cyber-Monday girl! And in that spirit I'm going to be offering you a few deals from US Family Guide (for which I will be compensated with free products, which I will honestly review in the...
SPONSORED: Coobie Bra Offer
Y'all remember that from time to time I do sponsored posts for US Family Guide. Â Today I'm going to share some information and an offer to save on Coobie seamless bras. Â Here's what they've asked me to share: Coobie Seamless Bras are ultra comfortable and versatile...
Love and Fear
Unless all your Facebook friends think exactly like you, your newsfeed is probably like mine right now--completely polarized on the issue of admitting Syrian refugees to the United States. On one side are those who believe that terrorists will take advantage of the...
Giving Thanks in All Circumstances
In the fifth grade, we were assigned to present short plays adapted from books we had read.  My best friend asked me to appear in her scene from Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place. Corrie and her family were members of the resistance in Holland during World War I, and...
Fond Farewell to Autumn
I know that Fall won't end officially for another month. Â But let's face it, the best part of it is over. Â There are no more beautiful leaves on the trees and everyone is thinking about Christmas. Every day (almost) since the first day of Autumn, I've made a picture...
Back on the (Literal) Treadmill
Y'all know I've made some serious efforts to get in shape to improve my health over the past couple of years. Â And like most people, I've had ups and downs in the journey! Â I haven't fallen off the wagon completely, but we haven't walked as often, I've eaten more...
What I Didn’t Know about ISIS
Like everyone, I was horrified by the terrorist attacks in Paris last week, for which the Islamic State is claiming responsibility. When things like this happen, the Internet predictably divides itself into camps. Â I'm part of the camp that doesn't want to see...
My Sunday Photo: Autumn Sky
I took this photo looking down the hill from my front porch.  We live about halfway up the hill.  The original plan for our neighborhood was that the houses would get bigger and bigger going progressing up the hill so there would be ginormous houses at the top where...
Home To Me
I'm excited to be participating in the Home to Me blog hop hosted by These Walls. Â You can find a link to each participant's blog and the dates they are posting right here. I hope you will follow along!
My Forever Home
You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it’s all right. - Maya Angelou You can't go home again isn't just metaphorical for many people.  The first home I ever knew--the married student housing apartments where I lived with my...
Book Review and Author Interview: The Order of the Blood by Page Zaplendam
When a vampire’s abilities and defects never fully develop, taking on the head of England’s biggest vampire sect could be a bad idea. Ever since he was turned, John Grissom, bacteriologist, has worked to find a cure for the disease. A powerful peer of the realm...
The Hardest Part about Being a Woman: There’s No One Answer
Poor Caitlyn Jenner. Â How quickly the accolades change to attacks, all because of a few poorly chosen words. In case you haven't heard, Jenner was honored last night at the 25th Annual Glamour Women of the Year Awards. Â In a Buzzfeed interview, Jenner stated: "The...
Staying Home: Unpacking the Concepts of Privilege, Luxury, and Sacrifice
It was always my plan to stay home with my children, not just when they were babies, but always. Â But Emily was born when John was just starting law school, so I worked 20 hours a week from the time she was four months old until she was three-and-a-half. Â There were a...
Autumn Gardening
You may have noticed my more regular posting schedule lately, because it's November and I am once again participating in NaBloPoMo. Â That means a post per day. Â And it's hard, VERY hard, for me to find the time. So today I'm posting a few pictures, and writing a...
Birthday Girl
Tomorrow Lorelei, our baby, will turn 11. Â True to her birth order, she's very much still the "baby" of the family, although she is surprisingly capable if no one is around to baby her. Lorelei is homeschooled, and thus somewhat sheltered from a culture that pressures...
My Sunday Photo
This photo is special to me for a couple of reasons. Â The icon was a Christmas gift from my daughter. Â I suppose it's meant as a Christmas decoration but I love it too much so I keep it out all year. Â The candle holder is a new one meant to fit the peacock theme we...
Too Much Stuff: An All-American Problem
Americans have a lot of stuff.  Let's take a look at some of these statistics excerpted from Joshua Becker's article in his blog, Becoming Minimalist, shall we? There are 300,000 items in the average American home (LA Times). I have no intention of counting, but I...
#LoveYourLawyerDay: Why I Love My Lawyer (and It’s Not Just Because I Am Married to Him)
So today is Love Your Lawyer Day, which you can read about here. Y'all, this is not a joke. Â Now, we are not a hyper-sensitive bunch here, and we can laugh at a good lawyer joke now and again, but the constant vilification of the members of the legal profession can...
The Gift of Siblings
This summer I read an article in the online version of Elle Magazine, which read in part: Sometimes, I can see us living in a smaller, older home somewhere, selling this one, and adjusting to accommodate life with a third child in a home that is definitely anything...
After Three It Just Gets Louder
When it comes to kids, three is the magic number... for stress. Mothers of three children stress more than moms of one or two, while mothers of four or more children actually report lower stress levels At least that's what a survey from Today.Com claims, about which...
What Not to Say to the Parent of a Picky Eater
You know, I'm not really a big fan of all those "what not to say" posts. Â Because I think that most of the time people mean well, and the people who don't mean well are going to keep right on saying whatever they want to anyway. But hey! There's a first time for...
Bulu Box: SPONSORED
OK, y'all, let me start by saying that this is a sponsored post, which I get to do because I am a US Family Guide Blogger. Â I will be compensated for this post with a free subscription to this product, which I will then (HONESTLY, I PROMISE!) review. Â As of right now,...
Graveyards Can Be Happy Places: A Visit to Hickory Creek
What better day than the Feast of All Souls to write about a cemetery? I may seem a little strange the rest of the year but today I am on topic and I have a beautiful graveyard to write about. You may remember that my last graveyard story was very sad, about a...
My Sunday Photo: Downtown Knoxville
My daughter and I were hiking on Saturday along the Tennessee River when I snapped this iPhone photo of downtown Knoxville. Â It was one of those pictures that I knew would be good before I even took it. The greenway we were on is about two miles from downtown, and...
ATTACK of the Yellow Jackets!
Let me start by issuing a warning: Â if you ever see a hole in the ground, don't stick your foot in to see how deep it is. Just don't. It started off well--a family birthday party at my mother's house. Â My little niece wanted me to take her out into the back yard,...