Reading someone else's family history, especially when you are not remotely acquainted with that family and its various members, can be...

Like many other boys of my generation, I enjoyed building models as I was growing up. At first, it didn't matter what the kits were,...

If you're a follower of this blog, you've come to expect a new post every Friday. You also no doubt noticed that this past week that post...

In the study and writing of history of any sort, there is no substitute for an eyewitness. Granted, eyewitness accounts of any event...

Many people think of it as a waste of time, as doing nothing productive. They prefer to engage in constant motion, in endless action and...

The same problem confronts me every spring just before the mowing season begins: sweetgum balls, thousands, maybe even millions of them,...

A good writer must cultivate acute observational skills, and that not only of the eyes, although that certainly is important, but also of...

Rummaging through stored boxes in search of something can be time consuming, especially when one gets sidetracked along the way to...

For readers of this blog who are interested in learning more about the Travelers Rest Historical Society and the Spring Park Inn...

It seems that the most interesting discoveries are made when and where you least expect them. When Nell Gibson passed away a few months...

Some of my grandchildren made their first trip to the dentist .the other day Their experience made me recall my own similar experiences...

A newspaper article characterized Harvey Dolphus Graybeal as "one of North Knox County's most colorful old-timers." I knew him as Poppa,...

As a teacher, I always insisted to my students that the study of history was about much more than dates and elections and battles; it is...

Although I do not read much fiction and write even less of it, I am interested in learning what has made certain famous writers (even...

In last week's blog post (see https://www.dennislpeterson.com/post/new-year-slower-pace), I discussed the benefits of "slow writing."...

I'm so excited to be a guest today @SouthrnWritrMag. Read about lessons I learned from doing genealogical research for my book "A Goodly...

It's hard to fathom the fact that another year is behind us and a new year is before us. It's a blank slate, clean, unsullied, unmarred....

On this day, Christmas Day 2020, my mind has been reviewing Christmases past, from my childhood through adulthood and into...

It's that time of year again. It's time to reassess and evaluate the goals we set for ourselves at the first of the year and to set goals...

I lost a dear friend and neighbor over the Thanksgiving holidays. Rob and I had talked just the week before, making arrangements for him...