Pandemic, unrest, anger, confusion, arguments: these are just a few of the highlights we see in our newspapers, online, on the nightly news and, frankly, it is enough to cause one to…
Category: Editorials
Emerald’s Gem Box: Happy Birthday Brooke
Thursday, Jan. 21, will be the 26th birthday of my daughter Brooke! Brooke is my second child, being born two years after Cheltsie. I think the second child seems to grow up…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Chaos in America
I have really struggled this week on what I wanted to write my column on. There has been so much happening: 1) Amen vs. A-woman; 2) the raid on the Capitol vs….
Christian Concepts: What is on your 2021 reading list?
Yesterday, I completed my fifty-fifth reading of the Scriptures. Today I began reading through them again. Some may wonder why I discipline myself to read through the Bible each year. Here are…
Around the banks
You’ve got to accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don’t mess with mister in-between You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum Bring gloom down to…
Emerald’s Gem Box: 2021 – Hit Refresh – New Year – New You!
2021 is here! It is time to press refresh – it is time to become the newest, most updated version of who you are! If you don’t have a dream this is…
Around the banks
Each year many people make one or more New Year’s Resolutions. Some are kept and some are not. I thought about the making of New Year’s resolutions. This year, the only one…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Happy New Year!
2021 is here! Hallelujah! I don’t think there has ever been another year in history that everyone in the entire world has wanted to see gone more than the year 2020! Usually,…
Artificial vs. real trees…how to decide
By Sylvia Willis Extension Agent Contributor Who doesn’t love decorating for the holiday season? I know as soon as Dec. 1 hits, it’s time to put up my decorations and set up the…
Around the banks of the Suwannee
Food preparation and regional food said a great deal more about a culture at one time than it does today. The reason – all kinds of foods are more prevalent. Who, in…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Merry Christmas
The countdown is finally over …… Christmas is here! Let the fun begin! Hundreds of glasses of milk and cookies will be left out, with only crumbs and an empty glass left…
Around the banks
Recently I heard the late William Faulkner, Nobel Prize winner for literature, at the height of his popularity was being paid $10 a word to write. One of his fans, for the…
Emerald’s Gem Box: I’m a Glamma (Again)
This past Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6:27 p.m., I became a Glamma – again! Logan Michael Riley entered into this world weighing seven pounds, five ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long. …
Free yourself from stress and social isolation
The year 2020 has given a new meaning to the word “stress.” As we continue to manage everyday stressors, many are doing this in isolation. For our safety and the safety of…
Around the Banks of the Suwannee
Sunday, Nov. 29, began the season of Advent. For those who may not be familiar with Advent and its tradition, I have included a brief description for you. The most common Advent…
Christian Concepts: Give Thanks
There are a host of Scriptures that enjoin us to give thanks to God. In the midst of prayer, when we are asking Him for things, we should always be mindful of…
Around The Banks
“Politicians compete for the highest offices. Business tycoons scramble for a bigger and bigger piece of the pie. Armies march and scientists study and philosophers philosophize and preachers preach and laborers sweat….