Columns

When my Granny Jojo was alive, every Christmas morning there was the same small package under the tree for me. Every year I waited to open it – not because I was saving the best for last - but because every year it was the exact same thing: blank notecards for thank you letters...

Once upon a time there was a boy named Terry who moved to our small town of Hendersonville, NC, from a fast-paced southern city with a dangerous reputation for gang violence...

Raise your hand if you've ever received a diploma from the school of hard knocks.  Chances are, you're in good company ...

For the record, I make fabulous Texas Caviar.  A staple at gatherings in the Lone Star State, this dish is a vibrant combination of black-eyed peas, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno and onion.  But even the most devoted bean-eater will admit that a menu confined to legumes is tedious.  A man cannot live by beans alone.  ...

Father’s Day has come and gone.  Many families mark the occasion with ceremonial fanfare including a necktie or a cookout on the grill.  Many others, however, do not celebrate at all.  ...

At age eight, Rosa is like many other kids her age.  She is a smart, funny third-grader who loves to read.  Like many other kids her age, Rosa lives for computer games, adventure movies and pizza.  And like many other kids her age, Rosa is obese. ...

If you were to glance into my office right now, you might think two things about me: a) I am in dire need of an exterminator or b) I have the artistic leanings of a Vegas showgirl.  Neither is true. ...

We all know that there are countless items on the humdrum to-do list of life. Things for which we are responsible: changing our oil, paying our taxes, fixing the leaky roof or balancing the checkbook.  Admittedly important but usually insipid, these are our responsibilities.  ...