The anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks is upon us. It’s hard to believe it’s been nine years, but at the same time, I was a teenager when the attacks occurred, so it’s sometimes hard to remember a...
I haven’t reached 50, but my body is falling apart It’s still hard for me to believe I turned 47 years old last Thursday. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long since I thought 25 was old. However, in only three years, I’ll be twice that much. I...
Maybe this will be your time to quit If you want to get an idea of how powerful an addiction to cigarettes can be, take a look at the last few episodes of last season’s Discovery Channel series “Deadliest Catch.” One of the fleets’ C...
This grown man is not going to wear baby pajamas I’ll be 47 years old next week and, my wife, bless her soul, got me a set of one-piece pajamas for my birthday. If you’re not familiar with this type of sleepwear, they are footed-pajamas similar ...
My Southern Expressions Part Two A week later, the old man adjusted himself on the bench, as he looked up, he noticed a very good looking, and fashionably dressed young couple walking his way. The man was very neat looki...
The most interesting of all? Who is the most interesting North Carolina political figure yet to be the subject of a major biography? Former Governor Jim Hunt, you say. Good guess, but Gary Pearce’s biography of Hunt will hit ...
Ask Duke Duke is a sweet Chihuahua mix who has no advanced degrees but a lot of life experience and a big heart. He is one of those dogs that everyone goes to for advice on just about any topic, pets and...
What is North Carolina’s favorite sport? For lots of North Carolinians it is stock car racing—the NASCAR variety. Even those of us who are not NASCAR fans take pride in a sport that we think got...
Dear Duke, I just moved and my neighbor has a big German Shepherd. The dog is about a year old and plays with the two little boys who live there with no problem. What worries me is that every tim...
Dear Duke, The hot weather is making me so cranky! I moved here to get away from the snow up north, but these North Carolina summers are too hot for me. I don’t feel like I can complain because ...
I’m not sure how my wife convinced me to take her and our dog, Hershey, to a movie. Actually, it was a drive-in picture show in Henderson. Somehow, she even talked me into driving my brand new car ...
Last week, I was flipping through the channel’s when I happened upon a show featuring country music star, Alan Jackson, performing a series of old gospel hymns. Jackson sang several of my favorite...
What if you had to choose just ten books to last you the rest of your life? It is a question I ask sometimes when I look around my room and see so many unsorted books stacked up everywhere. The...