The other day while reading an essay by Mark Twain, I was reminded of something from my neolithic (or was it paleolithic?) ages in Mrs....

The next two days are days in which we all should express a great big, much-deserved thank you to a large group of too often overlooked...

Recently, I picked up a copy of the "oldest continuously published periodical in North America." We buy one every year. Although I'm not...

The year's not quite over, but here's my list of my three favorite reads during the year, as reported by Shepherd's:...

She's done it again! Only this time it's even better! I refer to the latest book by Joy Neal Kidney, the keeper of her family's history....

I dreamed the other night about Daddy, who has been gone now for nigh onto 28 years. Featuring prominently in that dream were Daddy's...

Many writers get discouraged by any number and variety of factors, and they stop writing. What are some of those factors, and how can...

It's hard to overstate the importance of a good book title. The sales of a book often hinge on that critical element of authorship....

One of the highlights of our recent trip West was the plethora of wildlife we encountered along the way. Our experiences often reminded...

The test of your character is what it takes to stop you. (Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.) Success guru Napoleon Hill often recounted the unfortunate...

Although it's the middle of September and Christmas 2023 is only 94 days away, my wife and I in just the last two weeks opened a present...

Sometimes some of the best words of wisdom come from surprising sources. Such are the following quotations that set me to thinking. Maybe...

As readers of this blog know, my reading, though generally focused primarily on history- or writing-related topics, can often be quite...

Several months ago, one of my daughters called me. "Dad, do you still have that old camera? The one that used actual film?" "You mean my...

Digging through those old photos several weeks ago not only revived memories (see my previous post) but also unearthed some real finds,...

While searching through some old photos recently, I ran across several that made me reminisce about "firsts" in my life as a husband and...

There are many similarities between teaching and writing. With my own writing activities being daily before me and being in the process...

The reopening of school for another year is just weeks away. In fact, some public schools in my neck of the woods have already begun. The...

I recently read an essay by Mark Twain in which he recounted how a certain magazine had asked several prominent writers of the day,...

I once asked my father how he got started as a brick mason. He responded by telling me the whole story, one I had never heard until that...