It’s official: the government has found more artificial coloring in our beloved Southern Red Velvet Cake than in the entire soprano section of the Methodist church choir. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy has vowed to rid American food of toxic ingredients, which is noble, but it seems Southerners may have to…
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It rained the day of my second-grade Easter egg hunt, so our room mothers hid all the eggs inside the classroom. This was back in the day when we called it an “Easter Egg Hunt,” not a “Spring Fling” or other such nonsense. Only one child won a prize for finding the Golden Egg, and…
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I wrote this story in 2016 for AL.com newspapers. Happy Easter! The Easter Quilt It was Christmas day 1998 when I took the scissors and cut my grandmother’s quilt into pieces, but looking at one of the remaining scraps now, always brings to mind the beauty of Easter. The quilt was originally started by my…
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(And a Fairhope House Tour!) My hot entertainment for the moment is the YouTube decorating fix, Homeworthy. It’s a runaway success that has surpassed the likes of old-guard design shows on HGTV and PBS. Airing on social media platforms instead of traditional television, it provides a format for everyday people to give tours of their…
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I think it’s all fun and games, except when “trusted” news sources try to trick us. I think there has to be some small source of reliability in the world. But then again, this April 1st trickery has been going on a very long time. Click to watch this video I worked on with NY…
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A new television commercial seems to make men uncomfortable. A handsome man has an arrow pointing to the area around his eyes as the camera zooms in for a horrific close-up view. The voice-over declares, “Most men over 40 look in the mirror and see this.” It pauses dramatically, then triumphantly announces, “when they could…
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Above, you’ll see author, editor and publisher, Sonny Brewer, and his little friend Bobby, along with singer/songwriter Grayson Capps and the 2025 Truman Capote Award winner, Suzanne Hudson. And yes, they are all from Fairhope. I’m not sure who took this photo – I found it on Suzanne’s facebook page. My pictures weren’t so great…
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The latest status symbol amongst mature men is a black arm sling. It signifies a life of daring action, with rotator cuff surgery proclaiming to the world that they are, quite literally, movers and shakers. Our list of injured friends includes former football players, tennis champs, golf pros—and now, my husband. His claim to fame?…
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If there was ever a publication that speaks my language, it’s the Scenic 98 Coastal website. Founding editor Zeb Hargett and his staff highlight stories that celebrate the Gulf Coast region of South Alabama and North West Florida — or in otherwords, my home. Since my latest book also covers this area, Zeb was kind…
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Capitol Hill is abuzz with as many new programs as fire ants in Alabama. Each politician scurries to make a statement, promising to fix all the problems, but I think they’re forgetting a few basics. If we truly want to improve the country, let’s aim for something the people in our district actually need—like a…
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