Appalachian Mountain Dreams

 I am sure once upon a time every newspaper had a Leon Hale. Now I doubt there are many like him left. He has been a columnist in the Houston papers since before I was born. He now blogs in addition to his regular writing duties. Do yourself a favor and see what I grew up reading. In 1946 I

Another page turns in the local history books… It’s reputed to be the world’s first drive-through restaurant chain and the place where the onion ring was invented, the result of a cooking accident. In 82 years at the corner of Washington and Sawyer, the last remaining Houston location has been a hut, a collection of stalls served by carhops and

OK, I don’t know how these might work out but the premise is right with me so I’ll “Bite”. I’ll let you know what I think…Or jump on over and try them yourself… We know that you would just love to “do the right thing” for yourself and the planet if it were convenient, fun, inexpensive, and made you feel good.

Being weight challenged these days this article caught my eye since it says something I tend to think is probably true in a number of ways.  The idea that we’re too fat because we eat too much and exercise too little is based largely on “circumstantial evidence,” according to a recent report in the International Journal of Obesity. Investigators from

A person could definitely get used to greeting the sun every morning. The frost was even heavier on the ground this morning before sunup. Each step had that crunch of frozen grass. Each breath was an even thicker cloud than the ones from yesterday. Other than the “keeer-r-r” of the hawks greeting the suns warmth as it caressed the tops

 Another sustainable living piece. In case anyone notices, these stories catch my interest and go into the mental filing cabinet as I plan for that move to the mountains in a few years… Eating locally in New Hampshire, though — let’s think about the specifics of that quest. For one, you’ll need to adjust your diet (I may be presumptuous

One of the carry overs from when our children were all in school is my vacation schedule. Ever since my employer switched from sick days and vacation days to PTO which combined the two, I’ve tried to save a couple of weeks worth of days till the end of the year…Just in case. That means that I’ve usually scheduled the

 On Friday the 17th Fred posted the following; Leonids: Time in the Dark This is a timely selection from Slow Road Home. Tonight you can begin to look for the Leonids to zip past, a few or many, depending on which experts you listen to. But maybe it is more about just going outdoors. At night. With expectations. Happy hunting!I

By now, the wind has emptied the milkweed pods. The goldenrod has gone mousy. All the leaves are down, except for a few tenacious oaks and beeches and an ornamental dogwood that is a reprise of the entire season. Each tree looks more singular — and the woods more intimate — in this bare month than in the thickness of

 If you are of an age like I am, loved the rock music of the late 60’s and later, you really need to check out Wolfgang’s Vault and Vault Radio. This morning I have been listening to live concerts by CSN&Y, Judy Collins (right now she’s singing “The City of New Orleans”), Credence and on and on. They are showing