All in Columns
The Holidays are a terrific time to say a big thanks and, of course, Merry Christmas to friends, family, teachers, and co-workers. What better way than to give the gift of food! Here are several ideas—some you may have seen before, but they are still great!
At the November meeting of the Raleigh Civil War Roundtable, the organization recognized and honored the efforts of the Save Wyse Fork Battlefield Commission with the annual T. Harry Gatton Award.
Have you ever been asked to do something that you felt you were not qualified to do or something way outside your comfort zone? Maybe you were asked to give a speech to a large group of people, or presented with a job or task you felt you were not qualified to do.
Did your turkey outlast your Thanksgiving lunch? Are you on dressing and mashed potato overload? No problem, try a new gourmet turkey sandwich, a healthy turkey salad or stir your turkey with some vegetables! There are so many ways to use leftovers; never let them go to waste. You certainly have free rein over the recipe ingredients to change or make additions according to your leftovers!
Mental illness has a way of warping even the mundane into something darkly comedic.
I have spent my entire life planning to survive. That’s it, to survive. At first, I survived on instinct, then anger, and finally out of spite. When stress is a comfort zone and anxiety is a security blanket, normalcy becomes subjective. Apparently, I can now turn happiness into abject terror.
When I was growing up, certain wealthy families were always in the news. People who were on the cutting edge of the next new thing were able to amass wealth. It was a common thing to say a person was living like the Rockefellers or Vanderbilts when they bought a lot of things.
Challenges and risks awaited early eighteenth century settlers who arrived in the unsettled Bucklesberry Pocosin of then old Craven County. According to historian and author Dr. Lindley S. Butler, PhD, "The backcountry was the last area of the State to be settled and, consequently, the most volatile region of North Carolina society for many years."
What I most love about this season of the year, second only to the Christmas story itself, is the music. We are blessed in our area to have an abundance of musical talent, and many of those talented people will use their gifts to share the sounds and songs of Christmas.
What is brown butter, where did it come from all of a sudden, and where do I find it? To some brown butter is not new, years ago I had brown butter oysters on the half shell at Chef and the Farmer and they were so delicious, I set out to try to replicate, which of course, I could not, but I did learn all about brown butter in the process.
As 2024 winds down, I find myself reflecting on the people who make our Magic Mile Media and Neuse News family so special. This year has been filled with challenges, triumphs, and countless moments of growth, both as individuals and as a team. Today, I want to share some of our collective gratitude—a peek into the hearts of the people I am lucky to work alongside every day.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I am reminded of how blessed we are to have a family. This week I heard from various people who are staying in during the holiday, some due to traffic, others due to weather. But with some, their relatives live far away, and they are flying solo not by choice.
Like most holidays, the foundation of the faith underlying our observance of Thanksgiving lies buried under the flash and glitter of secularism.
Neuse Regional Libraries are very fortunate to serve communities that clearly place a high value on their libraries and the access they provide to many invaluable programs, services, and materials. One of the ways our community supports our Libraries in Lenoir County is through the Kinston-Lenoir County Friends of the Library.
Yep, Friendsgiving, the word is a mix up of “friends” and “Thanksgiving” and the idea is to spend an evening near the Thanksgiving Holiday with your best buds. Apparently the “younger” generation has been celebrating this for several years, but my more “tenured” generation has finally caught up.
Kinston has a way of providing me what I need. My love for this town is a little strange, even to me, but I’ve never lived anywhere that has done so much for me and my family. This year has been surreal in ways I never expected. Usually, when the holidays roll around, the stress of everything I can’t do steals the joy of the season.
I had not seen him for a good while. One Sunday, he entered King’s Restaurant and took a seat in a booth. I had to go speak to him. He smiled at me, and we chatted for a few minutes. Buddy made a deep impression on me from the time I first met him. He seemed filled with positive vibes and energy. To me, he represented what is best in Kinston and Lenoir County.
I remember seeing Mayor Ritch on the campus of Kinston High School and by his presence alone one could tell someone special, someone important was in this place. Understanding his impact on me, helped shape my own approach to speaking with students when I became mayor.
It’s is a constant Holiday debate, same menu as last year or how about we try something new? No doubt about it, I fall on the “same as last year” side, I see it as one of the few days a year that you get to eat all the calories that bring back all the memories.
Welcome to the final chapter of our series, "Journey to a Purposeful Life." We've walked together through self-discovery, finding purpose, building self-confidence, resilience, and the power of meaningful relationships.
