The Essential Rural Places

Without any remaining wilderness we are committed wholly, without chance for even momentary reflection and rest, to a headlong drive into our technological termite-life, the Brave New World of a completely mancontrolled environment.

Some spotlights of Jefferson

Jefferson was once one of the largest inland ports in the United States. Riverboats brought merchandise and people to town. “They came from New Orleans up through Shreveport and they would hit Caddo Lake off the Red River and come on in. We still have the wharf there, or remnants of it.

These are a few of my non-favorite things

After reading a Washington Post editorial today about the new dress code for women in the Missouri State Legislature, I feel my head starting to explode. This could get both problematic and messy. Before I lose my ever-lovin’ mind, let me rant.

Faces &a Places

“I had done everything I knew how to do to draw as near to the heart of God as I could, only to find myself out of gas on a lonely road, filled with bitterness & self-pity. To suppose that I had ended up in such a place by the grace of God required a significant leap of faith.

The Nonsense of Inevitability

“It’ll never work…it’s just too hard…it’s a different world now…the system is rigged against us...people just don’t care enough.” Have you ever heard a statement like that in the context of improving rural communities or revitalizing rural economies?

Why’d you do it?

The days that follow the publishing of a controversial editorial are fascinating, physiologically. Readers often run the gambit of how they are affected by what was shared, how those opinions compared to their own, possible conflicts resulting from water-cooler debates with colleagues, etc.

2 Cents Worth

Grab your hats and forget combing your hair, the wind is blowing every day seems like in Aspermont. We had to go to Lubbock Wednesday and what a a nightmare that was.

The sweetest Labrador

This week my daughter Emily and her family will say goodbye to their 15-year-old Labrador, Abbey. With two children who have not known life without their dog, the loss will be especially hard. It was the classic tale of college love how Abbey came to be Emily’s.

The origin of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla

“It’s the happiest food in the world,” says Howard Kruse, former President and CEO of Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham, “because when you’re eating ice cream you’re feeling good.” He developed the homemade vanilla flavor of Blue Bell Ice Cream.

Faces & Places

“God put us here, on this carnival ride. We close our eyes never knowing where it'll take us next.” ~ Carrie Underwood It happened at Wally World, believe it or not, but that shouldn't be a shocker. I can find a story about any day of the week in a Walmart Anywhere USA.