RICH: When Mama made up her mind
With Mother's Day here again, my thoughts drift back to Mama and how she put me through college.
RICH: Speaking the truth
The truth isn't always pretty. Or easy. But it certainly gives respect to those who tell it.
RICH: The importance of the chipped bowl
At a garage sale, that bowl would bring no more than a nickel or a dime, bought by someone who would use it for dog food or fertilizer or such. But from me, you couldn't buy it for a million dollars.
RICH: A loss of decency
Though I come from hardscrabble folks where education was a luxury, they had enough learning to know that others should be treated with decency and respect.
RICH: Old-fashion harmony
In churches like ours, the men gather on one side and the women on the other so they can sing parts and blend deliciously together. To me, it is simply beautiful to hear songs like "I'll Fly Away" or "When We All Get To Heaven" sung with such gusto, almost always ending with a soprano refrain.
RICH: Remembering Mr. Bobo
Mr. Gene Bobo was special. There's no denying nor disputing that. He was a courtly Southern gentleman, his manners impeccable and his vocabulary belonging to a genteel past.
RICH: A memorable bio
Honesty isn't always pretty, but sometimes it gains respect, no matter how unpleasant.
RICH: The 'Rocky' method
I love dreamers who have courage. That's even better than an Academy Award.
RICH: In the South, everyone is (sort of) kin
It's six degrees of separation. Southern style when it comes to knowing people in your neck of the woods.
RICH: The rusty truck
Now I understand all the other folks who have quoted such high prices -- returning calls and showing up makes a person valuable so they can charge more.
RICH: Uncle Jesse's truth
Twain once said, "A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read." When it comes to writing, I'll spin that a bit: The writer who won't invest thought in the lives of others has no advantage over those who can't.
RICH: Best wishes for a happy new year
I'll probably be repeating these resolutions again next year. Just like all my previous resolutions.
RICH: Mama loved a long story
"Have you ever told a short story in your life?" I asked one day during one of marathon length. She twisted her mouth tightly as oft she did when annoyed. "If it's too short, it ain't worth tellin'. Why waste the time?"
RICH: Coming home
As Truman Capote, the Alabama-raised writer, often said, "Every Southerner goes home sooner or later, even if in a pine box."
RICH: Giving thanks for Christmas traditions
As you reflect on your many blessings and celebrate them for Thanksgiving, please think of how you can share those blessings during Christmas. A card, a casserole or a Christmas tree could be the most important gift you give. I guess what it boils down to is this: A merry Christmas starts with a happy, blessed Thanksgiving.
RICH: Charlie's diaries
The second installment of my husband's great-great-grandfather, Charlie Tinker, a White House telegrapher who had been friends with President Abraham Lincoln.
RICH: Soaking up knowledge
The future belongs to both those in age and those in youth. May we all be wise enough to know when to teach and when to learn, for to each, there is a season.
RICH: An introduction to Charlie Tinker
Charlie Tinker, great-great-grandfather of my beloved, was close friends with the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The pair had met when they both lived in Illinois and Lincoln had become fascinated by a new-fangled invention that Charlie had become an expert at the telegraph.
RICH: To the rescue
Who man or woman wouldn't want to be rescued? Life is hard. Who of us would turn down the chance to have life easier? Who would put a foot down and say, "No! Don't do something for me that takes worry away!
RICH: Gate installation leads to a difference in opinion between spouses
Putting up a gate in front of our house was more difficult than I imagined. What wasn't a surprise, is that my idea for the design won out.
RICH: Flirting with success
You can be a good storyteller without being a good flirt. But you cannot be a great flirt without being a terrific storyteller.
RICH: A lack of empathy
I am most saddened by the lack of empathy that some folks have. I lacked it, too, in my ignorant youth. But you grow up and your thoughts on things like that change.
RICH: The art of grooming and the artless way of pointing it out
I have decided that it isn't grooming that I or any typical Southern woman have, it is more appropriately termed as "polish."
RICH: The bet
When it comes to knowing affairs of the heart, it's not a good idea to bet against me.
RICH: The book cases
When it comes to the many books stacked around my house, don't call them clutter. They are treasures.
RICH: Coming to terms with a 'Gone With the Wind' novice
It's hard to believe that a person who teaches literature would not have read the Southern classic.
RICH: The baby calf
It was a sweet sight, no doubt. My heart is always drawn to God's animal creatures, especially those who have found themselves abandoned young.
RICH: Rotten parents, or not?
Making me learn how to succeed on my own was a lesson my mother an father taught me that wasn't very "rotten" at al.l
RICH: Catching up with Miss Loretta
Several years ago, I befriended a woman in Cincinnati but then you know that, don't you? I've told you all about Miss Loretta.. If you're new to this column, I'll fill you in. She is the widow of a Cincinnati policeman. She did not marry until she was 37 because
RICH: My daddy's poor childhood
Learning of my daddy's rough times growing up made me appreciate my childhood days all that much more.
RICH: Remembering a man of the people
Even though he came from California, my old friend Jim had a way of connecting to and understanding Southern folks.
RICH: Karen the actor
My friend got the role of a lifetime -- a small part in a movie starring Dolly Parton -- but I don't mind taking some credit for pushing her in that direction.
RICH: Crying and cussing
Sometimes this old world gets crazy enough that it drives the sane insane and the easy-going folks to swear.
RICH: Looks aren't the main thing when it comes to biscuit pans
When it comes to Southern cooking, your biscuit pan says a lot about you.
RICH: Dixie Dew's big news
It's me. Dixie Dew, again. Y'all who read this column regularly know that I am Ronda's adorable and svelte (though she writes differently) dachshund. This is the third time I've guest-written this column but since it's Mother's Day, I'm giving her the day off. This is my gift to
RICH: The useless opinions of others
By not listening to what everyone else thought, my friend found a love of a lifetime.
RICH: Reflecting on what makes an obituary writer a great one
A friend of mine who has a penchant for sending along lovely, thoughtful gifts out did himself a while back.
RICH: The end of a great debate
After 30 years, Debbie and I finally settled our disagreement.
RICH: Don't call me Granny
My grand kids can call me anything but.
RICH: The perfect Christmas day
Sometimes it can be just like the movies.
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