Columns

Talking shop: A catch-22 is what’s in store

I have a love/hate relationship with shopping. Naturally, that revelation comes shortly after Black Friday and prior to buying Christmas presents. Every year around this time, I undergo a personality split that would feel at home in a Batman comic.

Trio of new movies deliver a mixed bag

While patiently awaiting two of the holidays’ most promising films — Hamnet and The Testament of Ann Lee — I have made do with a few other movies.

Nonprofits make Nassau County a better place to live

Inserted into today’s edition of the Fernandina Beach News-Leader, you will find The Giving Guide. This guide is intended to showcase some of our community’s wonderful nonprofits who participated in the magazine.

Grateful to serve Thanksgiving lunch for NCCOA

Thanksgiving involves many different things for different people.

Diner dreams 

Diners are one of the greatest parts of American culture in my opinion.  There’s something about the rugged leather seats and coffee-stained tables that just feel like home to me.

Confessions of a pet-less animal lover  

I am a non-owner of pets.  Although I will stop my car or swerve to avoid creatures in the road, most of my home looks like it was decorated by a monk who’s allergic to fur.  Some friends and colleagues assume I’m lying about my fondness for animals. “Prove it,” they challenge me.

Music serves as reminder of important times

It’s been said that music provides the soundtrack to our lives. Songs can be powerful waypoints throughout our life, reminding us of both the beautiful and joyful times as well the sad and difficult moments.

A penny for my thoughts? Good riddance, 1 cent

That's all, folks: The U.S. Mint has struck its last penny.  As of Wednesday, those small copper-plated discs with Honest Abe's gaze are no longer being churned out. The Treasury swung a ceremonial hammer at the Philadelphia Mint for nostalgia's sake.

A kayaker’s odyssey: 130 miles of determination

I kayaked the St. Marys River, from the Okefenokee swamp to the Atlantic Ocean, for 130 miles. The summer winds were relentless this year. That’s important to note, since I enjoy solo circumnavigating barrier islands in my 13.6 foot kayak.

A salute to my late father, no average Joe

On the verge of Veterans Day, I feel compelled to write about my late father, Joseph.  He was a veteran of World War II — having served in the Marine Corps — who passed away in mid-November five years ago.