The new school year just started up in my area, and the traffic to go with it. I had forgotten, as I drove around town over the summer, just how crowded the roads get when parents drive their children to school. It makes me wonder, not for the first or last time: What’s wrong with […]

Do you like bagpipes, kilts, Celtic dancing, and brawny men throwing heavy objects?  If so, you need to attend the Highland games.  You can find highland games worldwide, but one of the largest clan gatherings takes place just a hop, skip, and a jump from my home. The Highland games are held at Grandfather Mountain […]

I’m not quite sure why I’m so embarrassed to admit this.  Well, I know that I’m a grown man that likes to watch cartoons, and some people think that’s weird, but I’m starting to get old enough that I don’t care.  To tell the truth, I’ve never truly cared about what other people think, but […]

How often should you write?  Everyone has a different writing process.  Some people write for a living and others squeeze in a half-hour of writing time during their lunch break.  My philosophy on writing is the same as it is for most other endeavors:  Make forward progress. Your idea of progress probably depends on your […]

It seems like I’ve been away from this blog forever.  I could blame my time away on the grammar class I recently finished, but it would be a lie.  To be truthful, I’ve been distracted by more than just trying to remember the proper use of a colon: to amplify what comes before it.  Well, […]

So I’m taking this grammar class. . . How’s that for an opening?  I imagine it would be the beginning of a horror story with grammar Nazi’s chasing you with red pens in hand.  Okay, I went to Catholic school, so it would be grammar Nazi nuns chasing me with a ruler in one hand and a […]

I ran across some old picture files from a trip I took to England and Ireland back in 2003.  One of the highlight of that trip was visiting Blarney Castle.  It is the first medieval castle that I ever visited and it was fascinating to me.  I remember climbing the stone spiral stairs and feeling […]

Now when someone tells me I have no class, I have an answer for them.  I start a copyediting certificate program tomorrow.  First class is a grammar lab, which I’m sure will be helpful. I’ve been thinking about getting into the editing side of the business for some time.  I’ve daydreamed about sponsoring an anthology, […]

My favorite garden season is spring.  I like working in the dirt and planting the veggies and flowers for the new season.  Of course it’s even easier when I don’t have to plant.  Here is my garden, pre-planting: You can see the onions and carrots that overwintered.  I need to thin the onions and let […]

I recently traveled to San Antonio for a business trip.  As much as I travel, I typically don’t look forward to any new trips being added to my schedule, but I was excited at the chance to visit the Alamo.  Anyone that has sat through a U.S. History class has heard of the Alamo.  Being […]