A son-in-law’s grief
At approximately 5:15 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, my mother-in-law called me on my mobile phone as I was driving out of the parking garage at work in Midtown Atlanta. “Lanny has been in accident,” were the...
View ArticleLiving in the Nose South
What does your house smell like? Ours is a mixture of coffee, a hint of mildew wafting up from the basement (the dehumidifier is on the fritz), fabric softener, and bergamot. You heard me. Bergamot....
View ArticleSnowpocalypse 2014: A product of the New South
As I worked this week from home in my pajamas, I couldn’t help but join the millions of Atlantans and Birminghamians, among others, in contemplating just how Snowpocalypse 2014 happened. This will not...
View ArticleIt’s all downhill
These were two journeys I didn’t want to take. I was less than thrilled to be “voluntold” by my wife back before Christmas that I was chaperoning our son’s first snow skiing adventure in January with...
View ArticleNew tricks
Jack is an old dog. To you and me he’s 16, but according to the Pedigree Dog Calculator, he’s the equivalent of an 80-year-old man. Jack has outlived his brother, Joe, by about 10 years. He’s outlived...
View ArticleTruth in labeling
There comes a time in every parent’s life when they are faced with the sudden and shocking realization that their children are no longer children. Monday morning I pulled an undershirt out of the...
View ArticlePreserving the art of Southern storytelling
I had been to Arkansas only once in my life until a month ago. Now, I’m transported to the Starving Artist Café in the Argenta Arts District of North Little Rock once a week for an incredible...
View ArticleMercer pride
Suddenly, at about 2 p.m. Friday, this started popping up on people’s Facebook profile across my network. I had just wrapped up a conference call and had about 15 minutes until I needed to leave my...
View ArticleThoughts on Lanny
On Nov. 1, 2013, my father-in-law, Lanny Barron, was in an automobile accident on his way to his house in Sandersville from his family’s farm outside of town. He died on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28. Today’s...
View ArticleFour walls and a roof
I hate moving. Moving is one of my least favorite activities because when you’re married to Carla, moving means painting. I hate painting. Our new home, less than a mile from our current residence in...
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