Christmas is finally gone and I’m a couple hundred dollars short in my bank account. It’d be feasible to say St. Nicholas marched his jolly self to the bank and withdrew himself…
Category: Editorials
Learning As I Go: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas, the kids were asleep, The parents wrapped presents without even a peep. Assembled new bikes, located the dolls, Rediscovered the gifts stashed away since the fall. Filled…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Merry Christmas
The countdown is finally over …… Christmas is here! Let the fun begin! Hundreds of glasses of milk and cookies will be/have been left out, with only crumbs and an empty glass…
From the sunny side… Christmas trees
I readily admit that I am a big sucker for Christmas traditions. This time of year has always been my favorite time of year. Even at a somewhat advanced age, I can…
Learning As I Go: A refuge
As my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this weekend, I found myself traveling down memory lane. I have so many good memories from my childhood and I know that is because…
Learning As I Go: Bring the Light in the Door
I am sitting here in the oncologist’s office for my husband’s first infusion. We are surrounded by people who are in different stages of cancer treatments. Many are walking in for the…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Congratulations Cowboys – 3-Peat Champions
I had the pleasure of attending the State Championship game this past weekend. Of course, I attend the games with the intention of covering them for the newspaper, thus it is work,…
From the sunny side: Lessons learned
I have always enjoyed learning. Even in my days as a younger person, when I was not exactly the best “student” in the schoolhouse, I have enjoyed learning new things. I hope…
Lillie Arrington Huddleston
Mrs. Lillie Arrington Huddleston, age 91, of LaGrange, Ga. passed away on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, at the WellStar West Georgia Hospice. Mrs. Huddleston was born on Sept. 29, 1928, in Meigs,…
Learning As I Go: The advents of our lives
When I was a kid, families signed up each week of December to light the Advent candle and read a special passage of scripture in front of the church. During week one,…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Your local newspapers…
I love the newspaper business. I was raised in it, and know of nothing else but this business. It has become my life, and I wake up every morning and truly enjoy…
From the sunny side: Christmas movies
One of the side-effects of being confined to my “remote recliner” while my fractured ankle mends is that I have seen a copious number of Christmas movies. I’m not talking about the…
Learning As I Go: This IS our story
As many of you know, we are entering into new territory as my husband begins treatments for cancer. I hope that my emotional processing in this column will help you with your…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Happy Birthday Cheltsie
Today (November 27) marks the 27th birthday of my oldest daughter, Cheltsie. To say the least, my life changed dramatically 27 years ago. At the young age of 23, I became a…
From the sunny side: Thanksgiving
Somehow, it seems that the pages on the calendar are flipping by at a faster and faster pace. Here we are, almost at Thanksgiving Day. I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving Day. The…
Learning As I Go: Juanita Ragans, a life well lived
My mom called Saturday with the news that Mrs. Juanita Ragans passed away. Immediately a flood of memories washed over me as tears ran down my cheeks. Mrs. Juanita loved us kids….
Emerald’s Gem Box: Trump’s impeachment – 3 years ongoing and counting
Impeachment is something that is supposed to be exceptionally unusual. It is supposed to be bipartisan and it is supposed to be fair. None of these statements hold true to the last…
From the sunny side: Life is good
This morning I was taking a “stroll” and saw something that made me pause and think. It was a shopping bag filled with underwear, t-shirts and lounge pants. It wasn’t really the…
Learning As I Go: Missing Mickey
Our long-time neighbor, Mickey McFarland, passed away a few weeks ago. When we first moved in at the end of the road, Mickey’s parents, Carlos and Haddie Lee still lived in the…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Veterans Day – In honor of those who have served
Veterans Day came and went this past Monday. With it came a three-day weekend for some, special family gatherings for others, or just another day at work (depending on what your job…