Rich: The joy of the rain

It was in the gloaming of a hot, July evening. I was dressed in jeans, an Elvis tee shirt, and farm boots, cleaning weeds near the stream that runs under our driveway.A bristling wind suddenly lifted the leaves, and I saw the skies darkening further. I called to the dogs.“Y’all c’mon.

Rich: My cousin

It was a simple gesture.Probably meaningless to anyone but me.We were at the funeral home, celebrating the well-lived, godly life of our Aunt Kathleen. Tink and I were seated on the sofa near her beautiful casket when my cousin, Wanda, plopped down in my lap and threw her arm around me.

Rich: The wedding gift

It was a wedding gift. We never knew from whom it came, even after all these years.I just opened the front door, and a quart jar of clear liquid sat there. My first thought was that it was water.Then I saw the note. “Congratulations on your marriage. Have a toast, from a friend.

Rich: Fried baloney sandwiches

It happened in Kentucky a while back.Perhaps 13 years. The name of the small town in which we stopped escapes me completely, but that does not matter in the story.I was on a three-day, three-town speaking tour with Kentucky’s first female governor, Martha Layne Collins.

Rich: Tim Flock was one of a kind

It was such a sweet moment at the time and thrilling, too. Now, when I think about it, I’m sentimentally sad.I’ve seen Richard Petty a few times lately, and I guess that’s what brought back my memory. Petty is one of the great storytellers.

Rich: Sad happenings in a small town

Hemingway, South Carolina, is a tiny town of less than 500 people.There, one of my favorite people was born. She called Hemingway her hometown until college beckoned, followed by the state capitol and other glorious adventures.The joyous Mary Eaddy has the merriest of laughs.

Rich: Memories of mistletoe and more

I remember and cherish the Christmases of my childhood. They were simple and humble, with no fancy frills or garland.I often stood in the windows of the stores downtown, longingly dreaming of a Christmas tree with expensive decorations and huge bows made of red velvet ribbon.And the angel on top?

Rich: The flag

When my husband makes up his mind that he wants something, he is like young Ralphie in A Christmas Story. He does not give up. Remember when Ralphie wanted the Red Rider BB gun?He had all kinds of tricks up his sleeve to get what he wanted. And, just like Ralphie, Tink’s relentless.

Rich: The good publisher

In today’s newspaper world, one person works for two or three.They sleep less, drink much coffee, and rarely have time to fellowship with co-workers.I used to say that I believed one of the hardest jobs is that of a manicurist -- slumping over a small, white table and working relentlessly.

Rich: A Thanksgiving review

Something someone said about all the Thanksgiving that her eyes have seen made me think about a couple of holidays.In the mountains, it was always the tradition to kill a fattened hog after the first hard freeze so people could store the meat cold in their smoke houses.