Small Town News

I’m writing this article about Thanksgiving traditions, and I’m dedicating it to my mother-in-law, Ottie Franklin. She had five children, multiple grandchildren, and even more multiples of great grandchildren. And she knew how to make...

You might recall my article on small town famous. I discussed how everybody knows everybody, and much like celebrities we don’t have a lot of privacy. But I’ve noticed a phenomenon lately, one I’ve named small town...

I was never going to own chickens. Too much work and too much mess. Oh, wait! Those were the same reasons I would never have three dogs. And yet here I am. I won’t go into politics or religion—we have multiple other avenues for those...

My dogs are spoiled—I won’t refute that fact. John and I should both do more to…well, do more. But we are who we are, and so are the dogs. John rehomed the alligators from the pond by the ranch house, so we decided to give our...

John was watching a television show the other evening, about a man grieving the loss of his father. His mother and brothers shared wonderful stories before the funeral, about the last words they’d had with the deceased. “Dad...

Our son Nathan and his fiancée Kat came to visit a few weeks ago. And their dog, Riley, of course. They all love going to the ranch, trekking in the woods and riding the side-by-side all over the property. Riley’s definitely a...

The definition of “messy” is “generating or involving mess or untidiness.” It can also mean, “confused and difficult to deal with.” But I love messy, in people anyway. Messy people make me more...

Do you remember John’s saying? “Anyone who has two dogs always has one sweet, gentle, kindhearted, old soul. And one crackhead.” You’ll want that reference for this story. Before we got the Labs, we knew how much the...

BC (Before Children) I dreamed of all the marvelous things I’d teach my unborn progeny. We’d share happy moments learning ABC’s, counting, skipping stones—all the storybook ideals every future parent has. Then reality...