Archive By Section - Columns
Sticking up for the Pine tree
Nothing quite marks spring here in South Carolina like the blooming of daffodils and dogwoods, the fluttering of robins and the release of the pine pollen. Each spring as I walk my dog through the woods during the height of pine pollen release, my footsteps stir the airy spores and coat my shoes. Is it annoying? You betcha. But you know this is the natural order of things and one of Mother Nature's most basic processes, reproduction.
Got Putin, yet?
WASHINGTON -- The new "agreement" between Russia, the U.S. and our allies is exactly what the former KGB agent ordered.
Just keep walking
Sylvia Plath said, in her autobiographical novel The Bell Jar, "There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them." While I do fully agree with the literary force of genius that is Plath, if that had been my statement, I would have written it: "There must be quite a few things a hot bath or a long walk won't cure, but I don't know many of them."
Giving Back
Recently, I was listening to a talk radio host railing about how public schools "no longer teach values." This issue seems to be a mantra of sorts for some folks in the media, many of whom I suspect haven't been anywhere near a public school in years. As someone who is in public schools every day, I can't for the life of me figure out what this view is based on. I know it's not based on reality.
Easter Memories and Hope
It is each of the many Easters of my life that I remember more clearly than any other holiday. Christmases blur together with only a few standing out in my memory such as the one when it snowed all day, the year I lost my voice completely, and the two times that I wasn't home – one working in Washington, D.C. and another in London.
Noted and passed - April 21, 2014
** Thomas Ravenel, the former state treasurer who served prison time for cocaine distribution, now stars in a reality television show called "Southern Charm." Ravenel stumbles through the show in a haze of alcohol and bad judgment. He and his girlfriend, who's 30 years his junior, recently had a baby in Florida. Ravenel says he intends to revive his political career by running for the U. S. Senate from the Palmetto State. The guys in Vegas would probably lay some long odds on his chances for success.
Outrageous
You know what the most commonly used word in the English language seems to be?
“Robert Mills: Designs for Democracy”
Robert Mills was the first American born and trained architect. He called himself "Robert Mills, Architect of Public Buildings." Indeed, Mills established a new scale and standard for public buildings in Washington, D. C. when he designed the Treasury Building, the Patent Office, and the General Post Office in the 1830s and early 1840s. In other parts of the country, Mills designed buildings that were sensitive to regional values and local architectural traditions. Always his attention was on permanency and fireproofing for his public buildings.
I don’t ride anything that can make its own decisions
Camden is, without a doubt, a horse town. Kershaw County is a horse county and the love for horses extends throughout this great area of South Carolina. However, it stops at my door.
My preperation for Easter
Easter is a holiday of two extremes. On one side is a covert celebration of springtime with cute bunnies and pretty dresses and Easter egg hunts and chicks and flowers and lambs. On the other is a lamb being slaughtered on Passover. There is a bloodstained cross on which a Jewish man is dying who proclaimed that he was the Son of God, and that he had to be killed so that God's wrath against my sins could be carried out not against me but against him.
Erasing the race card
WASHINGTON -- One approaches the race fray with trepidation, but here we go, tippy-toe.
A scorned South Carolina hero
April 11, 2014 was a very important day in the history of South Carolina. Few people noticed that anything much happened – but I would argue that this was the day we as a state did two very important things.
The Colbert Report
WASHINGTON -- In selecting Stephen Colbert to replace David Letterman as host of the "Late Show," CBS has waged war on America's heartland -- or so proclaims that Palm Beach font of heartland mirth, Rush Limbaugh.
Diamonds are the ‘better gang’ now
Americans love their sports. We especially love baseball, basketball, football and hockey. We love the Super Bowl, March Madness, the Stanley Cup and World Series.
Focusing on finding the best healthcare outcomes
Recently, I attended the Congress on Healthcare Leadership presented by the American College of Healthcare Executives, and I was most impressed by one presentation: Building the New Healthcare Delivery System. In particular, I was struck by the fact that healthcare executives from across the country were focused almost exclusively on this new world of healthcare and its impact on how the organizations they lead are designed.
Articles by Section - Columns
Column: Legislature needs to obey own law
On today's front page, I have an article looking back at the Kershaw County school board's April 10 meeting and a presentation on ...
Column: Mark my words
The new book I've written about Mama is a compilation of past columns about her as well as new stories that give an insight ...
Column: Put out the word
An elected official in Camden never wants to hear: "How come there's no place for kids to hang out?" One answer that doesn't ...
Column: The history of Monument Square
Monument Square developed as a part of the 1798 "extended plan" of the town of Camden which is credited to Col. Joseph Kershaw. It was ...
Column: The dogs of war are howling
WASHINGTON -- As sabers rattle ever louder across fields, plains, oceans and deserts, President Trump's words from earlier this year haunt the stable mind:
Column: Mark my words
From time to time, as my writing career grew, Mama would say, "I built you, little girl. Don't ever forget that."
Column: Foreign chit-chat
The "last chance" dance was when the Australian gentleman spied the cute blonde lass and took a chance and asked her to dance and soon ...
Column: School safety always a priority
The recent school shooting tragedy in Florida has obviously brought school safety to the forefront. From the day this tragedy occurred, I have very clearly ...
Column: DSS claims it’s ‘making progress’
When we published my two-part "Orphaned and homeless" in-depth look at a teenager named "J.M." and how a jury found the S.C. Department ...
Column: My Atlanta angel
Writing amounts to solitary confinement. The hours alone reward you though when a book comes out: meeting folks who love books. When book events conclude ...
Column: Pride in city based on many aspects of life
The pride we feel for our city is based on many aspects of life. Chief among them -- loving people, generous businesses, dedicated community service organizations ...
Column: The downing of a president
WASHINGTON -- We've seen this movie before.
Column: And they’re off and running
Actually, they have been for some time, now.
Column: The graveled road
Several years before Tink and I married, I built a house that, eventually, would become our home together. This French Country cottage suits us very ...
Column: Kitchen remedy for stress
"How do I know what I want to eat on Wednesday?"
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