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Nicole and I were working out together one day and for some reason, she brought up a self-help, faith-related book we had both read. The thesis, basically, is how men are born with wild hearts, which should be admired, not restrained, by women. Read More
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Seven-year-old Abbey Brannen didn’t mind at all that she didn’t win this year’s Kiss-A-Pig competition. Read More
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Mama was stubborn. “Set in her ways” is what country folks call it and, boy, was she. When she made up her mind, nothing stopped her. Especially when she set her jaw and punctuated her declaration with a firm nod of her head. If she also threw that crooked forefinger in your direction, you knew that it was set in stone. Destined to be. Read More
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There I was, sitting at my desk, writing away, bothering no one when my phone rang. It was Hollywood calling. Read More
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It all started with a break-in, then continued to a breaking point when a crazy woman showed up at my door, ranting about aliens who had landed at her house. She needed me to write an article to warn their commander not to send them back to her house. Read More
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It’s a funny thing about us Southerners. If a Yankee criticizes us, we haughtily disregard it, muttering over their ignorance. Read More
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One night while out to dinner, I noticed an elegant elderly lady at the next table over who was dining alone. I was drawn to her because sorrow clouded her eyes and she smiled sadly, the kind we all force when we do not feel happy. Read More
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Not long ago, I was in Los Angeles and visiting Tink on the set of a television show that he was executive producing. We sat side-by-side in director chairs, watching as the scene was set up and actors took their place. I looked across Tink to see a woman studying me carefully. I smiled. Read More
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If Tink had any hesitation about coming into a traditional Southern family, there was only one: our happy, colorful Easter parade. The one we have every year — rain or shine — when we return to Louise’s and Rodney’s house after church and before the ridiculously big meal we have. Read More
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When I was growing up — probably well into my college years — Mama’s last words as I walked out the door were always the same. Read More
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Rincon United Methodist Church held a special Girl Scout Sunday service March 10. Twenty girls participated in the service, which gave them an opportunity to think about their faith and remember the beginning of Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts began March 12, 1912, when Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization’s first 18 members in Savannah. Read More
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One evening I was sorting through clothes in the bedroom while Tink, settled in a comfortable chair, was (as usual) fiddling with his phone. A message he read triggered a story. Read More
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In this house of wood and stones that I call home, there are books scattered and stacked hither and yon. Read More
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The search is on for Georgia’s outstanding senior volunteer. Read More
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When I breezed into the beauty shop amidst the chatter of voices and clatter of hair dryers and curling irons, I noticed the thick book dropped casually in a chair and it struck me as a bit strange. It’s rare to see anyone reading that book these days. It was probably the first time in decades that a copy of it has seen the inside of a beauty shop. Read More
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It was a sweet sight, no doubt. My heart is always drawn to God’s animal creatures, especially those who have found themselves abandoned young. Read More
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One day I asked a friend how her son was doing in college. She smiled then began a discourse on how he was enjoying his field of study and what he could do with his degree when he graduated. Read More
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Several years ago, I befriended a woman in Cincinnati, Ohio, but then you know that, don’t you? I’ve told you all about Miss Loretta. Read More
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Possibly more so than any other previous year, the Historic Effingham Society enjoyed celebrating its annual banquet Saturday night at the New Ebenezer Retreat Center. Read More
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Author and humorist Ronda Rich held a book signing Thursday at the Effingham Chamber of Commerce offices. Read More
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A picture — even one old that has faded from black and white to soft gray — can a tell a story, long and true. That one certainly did. Read More
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There is a friend of mine — one of the heroes I have known and loved — who is fascinating in the life lessons he shares and the accumulation of wisdom that seems to come so easily to him. Read More
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It was all my idea. As immodest as that might sound, it’s true. Now that my friend Karen has made it to the big time, she should be reminded that it all started with one of my hair-brained schemes. Read More
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It would never have occurred to me that it would mean as much as it has, never cross my mind that I would cherish it as I have. I suppose that’s what makes it even more meaningful. Read More
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This is how bad times are getting — Claudette has taken to crying and Grace Ann has taken up cussing. It’s like living in a science fiction film. It’s like visiting a foreign country. Read More
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Of course, I’ll be having black-eyed peas and collard greens for New Year’s Day. It has become more than a tradition. It’s almost downright superstition, though I hate to admit that. Read More
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Seated in a chair at Effingham Care Center, Betty Brinson looked up at Gail Browning and expressed her heartfelt gratitude. Read More
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When Mama was a small girl growing up in the Nimblewill Valley in the Appalachian foothills, it was the midst of the Great Depression. As she often said, “Times were hard but it’s all we knew, so we didn’t know how poor we were.” Read More
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Whenever I take out my biscuit pan — and every Southern cook worth her salt and grease has one — I can’t help but shake my head. Read More
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One day at lunch, I ran into a beautiful older woman, a friend from years past, whom I hadn’t seen in quite a while. She had changed very little since I first met her when I was in college. Read More
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orma Jean Morgan doesn’t mince words about the plight of the Effingham Museum and Living History Site. Read More
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A couple of years ago when I deemed it absolutely necessary to cross the big pond and investigate my heritage that had been seeded in Northern Ireland, I had the good fortune of being introduced to a renowned historian who, through greater good fortune, has become a friend. Read More
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This isn’t really a Thanksgiving column. It’s more of a Christmas column. Well, actually, it is a Thanksgiving column, because it’s about being thankful enough for your blessings that you share them at Christmas. Read More
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When Nix, the unpredictable, funniest kid in our family, was 4 years old, he found himself in some bit of trouble, though we’ve now all forgotten what it was. Only the punch line lingers in our minds. Read More
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ATLANTA—Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens urges Georgians to use caution with holiday cooking, and when they heat up leftovers on the stove after the holidays. Read More
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The American Cancer Society’s annual memorial ceremony paid homage to those who lost their fight against cancer, their families, and to someone who pushed to eradicate the disease. Read More
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Dr. Sally Freeman sees her philanthropic partnership with the Lions Club as an ideal fit. Read More
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Several years ago, I was in Talladega for the NASCAR race and had stopped by the Number 3 truck to see Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt, as usual, was picking and poking at me over one thing or the other. I threw back a quick quip over something and he chuckled merrily, characteristically lifting one corner of his lip and mustache as he snickered. Read More
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McKenna Thompson was crowned Miss Effingham County Fair 2012 in Saturday night’s pageant at the fairgrounds. Read More
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We all need to be worried about the health of the postal service and, as good neighbors, we all need to pitch in and do what we can to keep the mail comin’. Read More
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Under clear blue skies and almost perfect weather, the annual Effingham Fair Parade made its way through downtown Springfield before another massive crowd. Read More
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Someone wrote to complain about my grammar. This isn’t new, though it doesn’t particularly irritate me. This gentleman was especially kind in his admonishments, noting first and foremost how much he enjoys my writings. Read More
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A friend of mine who has a penchant for sending along lovely, thoughtful gifts outdid himself a while back. The contents of the package quickly became one of my favorite gifts ever. Read More
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It’s just funny, I guess, the way I get caught up in the lives of other people, folks I don’t even know. Yet I share their sorrow or rejoice with their successes. And they feel like friends, though most of them I have never met and suppose I never will. Read More
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Perhaps you’ve heard. It’s been the source of newspaper, magazine and television stories as they all pay tribute to the anniversary of the King James Bible. It’s a sprightly 400 years old. Read More
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The third annual Oktoberfest is only a week away, and Effingham Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rick Lott can’t wait. Read More
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Effingham Care Center residents took part in the Pink Glove Dance. Read More
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Scott Southwick of Georgia Pacific-Savannah River Mill won the week 2 drawing from the 2012 United Way weekly prize giveaway. Read More
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According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, nearly 700,000 patients in the U.S. will suffer from a spinal fracture called vertebral compression fracture. This type of fracture is almost twice as common as others typically linked to osteoporosis such as broken hips and wrists. When women (and men) age, their bones thin and bone strength can decrease. Read More
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For a long time, I’ve driven past that house and thought how happy it looked. Isn’t it funny how you can look at a house and know that laughter rings within its walls? Read More
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