Winter Musings

  “Sh*tter’s full.” Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation By Dr. Jim Ferguson These days, I have more time to reflect and write since I am no longer running to the hospital or to the office to see patients. Nor am I rushing to get home for...

Grateful List

Grateful List By Joe Rector I watched a movie the other night, and although I have no idea what the title was, it made me start thinking. I’m the same way with books. Most of the time, I have no idea who wrote the novel or what the title is. If either a movie or a...

Fall, Football and Friendships

Fall, Football and Friendships By Ralphine Major ralphine3@yahoo.com For years, it has taken place on the third Saturday in October—the highly anticipated football game between Tennessee and Alabama. It is almost impossible to watch a Tennessee-Alabama game...

Family histories can be confusing

Family histories can be confusing More Than A Day Away by Mike Steely I recently had a question from a reader, Fallin McCoy, about a mystery in his family history. McCoy was referring to a column I wrote about Rocky Top, Tennessee, which had been known as Lake City...

A Trip to Appalachian State… Ruined!

A Trip to Appalachian State… Ruined! By Mark Nagi Regular readers of my articles know that I’d rather be at a ballgame than watch them on TV.  There’s something about the buzz of the crowd, the sound of the sport and the smell of the concessions that make the...

The sideline of choice

The sideline of choice By Tom Mattingly Does it matter which side of the football field your favorite team stands on? It’s a tough question. The argument goes like this. If your bench is on the east side (opposite the press box), your team is in the sun, regardless of...