All in Columns
“Let’s celebrate!” I often look forward to gathering together with others to celebrate lived experiences. Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones are all reasons to rejoice. Parents have parties to celebrate children’s birthdays. Couples go out to dinner to celebrate wedding anniversaries. Families come together to applaud their high school and college graduates. Communities come together to celebrate holidays.
From nearby Duplin County, Rev. James D. Cavanaugh (1837-1904) was a Baptist minister who dabbled in politics. He lost his 1882 race for a seat in the N.C. House of Representatives. In October 1883, Hickory Grove chose him as pastor to succeed Rev. B. W. Nash:
We were supposed to be married on Friday the 13th on the rooftop of The O'Neil, but due to rain, we were married in front of an antique bank vault that fit our vibe just the same. Our first camping trip ended in a flash flood where we almost died. Our second cruise was rerouted due to civil unrest in Haiti. Our third cruise was held off port due to mutant fog, and then Tampa had a power outage at the port.
While many of us have been focused on America’s 250th anniversary as we celebrate the Declaration of Independence and remember the war that followed, we would be remiss to forget that this year also marks the 251st anniversary of one of our most important institutions.
I sat stunned after receiving a phone call letting me know that our cousin Jacques O'Keith Cobb had passed away the day before. I think I was in shock. Keith and I had just exchanged text messages about a week or so before. He had just read the Mother Jones Magazine article I was in on April 30th, and he said "Who is that pretty lady?" I texted back "You're so sweet." Had absolutely no clue of what was coming.
Onions are the perfect addition to so many dishes, including sauces, soups, stews, stir-fries, meat dishes and salads, or even alone. Onions are naturally polarizing due to their strong bite when fresh, but they can easily be transformed into a sweet, rich flavor.
I was not on the CSS Neuse Foundation Board when the first “Wings Over the Neuse” fundraiser took place. In 2009, board members decided to raise the funds needed to place a monument to Alton “Doc” Stapleford to recognize and honor all the work and supervision he provided during the construction of the CSS Neuse II.
In a story by Alfred Hitchcock, there came up a bitter thunderstorm. A driver's car stalled so he knocked on the door of a Monastery to seek shelter. He was allowed in out of the harsh rain but he was warned to leave as soon as the storm abated.
This week I was gifted some fresh local raspberries from our Horticulture Specialist and it prompted me to do a little raspberry research. Raspberries will give you a sweet, tangy burst of summer flavor. Raspberries are also packed with antioxidants, fiber and multiple essential vitamins.
Hickory Grove's Baptist years were well documented by journalist Samuel Ivey (S. I.) Sutton (1834-1904), a Bucklesberry resident and charter member of the Church. His local news column often reported Church happenings that were picked up and carried by other newspaper outlets.
I was reading through some of my old columns when I came upon one I had written in January 2011 – my last semester of teaching at Farmville Central High School. I wrote:
One day I sat in my recliner and hit replay on a video over and over. I'd had a difficult day at dialysis and didn't feel too good as usual. But when I read Mike Parker's column in the Neuse News newspaper, he had included a link that had music I used to sing in Sunday School as a child. Leaning on the everlasting arms. Are you washed in the soul-cleansing blood? There's wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb.
Extend the life of your favorite fresh summer produce by incorporating them into spreads, dips and butters. For years I have made apple butter in the fall, but it never occurs to me to use other fruits and vegetables that are ripening to make spreads and butters to enjoy. I have enjoyed homemade garlic butter and even made a strawberry butter. The fresh fruits and vegetables help to brighten many recipes from savory to sweet.
Tucked beside the Lenoir County Farmers Market sits a red building with a lot of promise.
Every major military holiday, I make it a habit to study something about our nation’s history, especially military-related topics. This Memorial Day was no different. I watched docuseries on Washington and Lincoln, back to back, and came away struck by the same thing each time: imperfect men, impossible circumstances, and a temperament that outlasted both.
That got me thinking about legacy in a way I hadn't expected.
The VFW post 2771and other volunteers help place American Flags upon our veterans’ graves. We place them on three graveyards in Kinston. We place about 2500 flags each year. We go on about a week before Memorial Day and pick them back up the weekend after Memorial Day.
Believe it or not, today is not Memorial Day. May 30 is the real Memorial Day. On a good calendar, you will see a notation that says of today, May 25, “Memorial Day observed.” Sadly, despite the calendar’s notation, few will observe the spirit of Memorial Day today.
Observing the Memorial Day Weekend has a somber purpose. It is set aside to honor the memory of those in military branches who died while in service to our country. It is a weekend to remember the cost of freedom for the United States of America.
I am a content creator, a connector, a beauty enthusiast, and someone who genuinely believes that young people have something powerful and impactful to say.
Bryant Jensen of Brigham Young University and Irvin L. Scott of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education collaborated on research that may seem strange. Both educators investigated the impact of students’, parents’, and teachers’ religious faith on students’ educational performance in public schools.
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