As I rounded the corner at the Hardees drive-up on Saturday, I noticed the busy young lady handling the window. She looked very familiar. The line was long but moving well. The young lady had a determined and serious look on her face. When I got to the window to pay, I finally recognized her… Read more »

There are lots of “inconveniences” in life. Forgetting your lunch money. Oversleeping for an appointment. And the coup de grâce – the flat tire! Perhaps made worse by rain. You’ve been there.  Finding the jack. Figuring out how it works. Rusty lug nuts that take herculean efforts to get loose. Then praying that the spare… Read more »

As a kid, Saturdays were filled with cartoons – and slapstick. The Three Stooges primarily, but also the duo of Laurel & Hardy.  In many movies and movie shorts made between the 1920s and the 1950’s, Oliver Hardy was the pompous bully and Stan Laurel the clumsy childlike one. In one of my favorite episodes,… Read more »

Recently, we went to an exhibit at the Biltmore Art Gallery featuring Claude Monet and his contemporaries. The art was magnificent, but the story behind what we now view as an important part of art history was just as interesting to me. Until the time of Monet, Manet, Lautrec, Renoir, Morisot, and Cezanne Degas, painters were… Read more »

Fond memories and summer go together like peanut butter and jelly. For those in our region, summer often involves family.  Family trips and vacations. Family time. And family who had ventured away for jobs, coming back to the place they longed to be (the real world had other plans). Many of you, like me, recall… Read more »

Our region has become a destination for folks from around the country. Good climate. Close, but not too close, to big cities. Water (don’t laugh – a real asset). Lots of things to do, such as outdoor activities, arts and festivals. And pretty nice locals. So, it was not surprising when I got a phone… Read more »

They were beaming. Smiling ear to ear. As I went for my early morning walk at the beach, I approached a group of young Mennonite teenagers (boys and girls) in their standard attire.  They were heading to the beach, I suspect some for the first time, and they were absolutely happy – grinning like the… Read more »

Once upon a time, the UVA Wise Student Government Association (SGA) would sponsor concerts at the college. During my time, I saw the groups Atlanta Rhythm Section and The Raspberries (showing my age). Prior to my time at the school, the SGA lined up Rick(y) Nelson to play. Some of you may recall Rick Nelson… Read more »

Have you ever had someone ask you how far is it from here to there? Normally you can respond based on experience with a reasonable estimation. When we moved to Tidewater, peopled asked me that question, and I had no idea. I was out of my element. New to a world that was exciting yet uncomfortable.… Read more »