Cox began making instruments when he was 15.

Are you liberal?

Originally, according to “The Oxford English Dictionary,” “liberal” was coined to contrast with “servile.” Its usage evolved with the freedom that humans gained to study widely.  We often hear the term associated with colleges that shy away from strict pre-professional training and instead introduce students to a wide range of majors deemed to make persons well rounded as they prepare for careers or additional studies.

I read in last Sunday’s Herald Courier that they are reintroducing buffalo to Indian reservations in Montana.  Scientists are testing existing herds near Yellowstone Park to be sure that they are healthy and won’t spread disease among cattle.  The effort is born of nostalgia for the millions of buffalo that used to roam the West.
I think this effort is laudatory.  And I think we ought to do the same here in Southwest Virginia--but not with buffalo.  The animal that was native to Southwest Virginia is the woolly mammoth, and I think there is tremendous potential in bringing it back.

Greetings from Hickory Ridge. I went to my niece’s baby shower over the weekend. Each and every guest brought a book, or books, to start a library for the baby who is expected in just five weeks.
What a neat idea! In addition to all of the receiving blankets, onesies, monitors, bath supplies and all the other hundred and one necessary items for the new baby, this baby will have wonderful books to read from the very beginning. This is an idea whose time has come. Note to everyone who is planning a baby shower.

As a small child, I can remember watching The Golden Girls on television.  Even though I did not understand the dialogue of the show at that time, I still laughed out loud at the way it was delivered.  My favorite character was Sophia Petrillo, the show’s matriarch.  Played by Estelle Getty, I identified most with her character from even my earliest days, probably because I saw a lot of the older members of my family in her.  I continued watching this show during its original seven year run and beyond thanks to reruns.  By the time I was old enough to fully understand the show’s concept, my appreciation for The Golden Girls and especially Estelle Getty’s performance only increased.  She will always been my favorite character in the show, as I think is the consensus of most every fan of The Golden Girls worldwide.  Her other three cast mates have even admitted that Sophia was their favorite character. 

They were whooping it up at the Fast Lane Saloon.  Owlhead Kincer sat at the piano banging out boogie woogie.  Too Tall Tom strummed a guitar while Hairbreath Harry Akers played the fiddle.  Lori Meadows shook a tambourine as she danced on the tabletops. 

Monday night’s Concert & Dessert to benefit the Agape Food Pantry hit all the right notes. The seventh annual event raised $8,200 while providing an evening of musical entertainment ranging from bluegrass to rock and roll.

CBS Sunday Morning News ran an unlikely feature on failure this past Sunday using a 1959 Edsel as its backdrop. According to the news program, Ford introduced the car in 1958 hoping to sell nearly 200,000 the first year.

Last Sunday, I was “waxing eloquently” in a sermon when suddenly there was a small explosion from somewhere in the pews. The explosion occurred immediately following a comment I made about cannons firing. An unsupervised boy in the church had popped a balloon he had smuggled into the sanctuary.

Fuzzy Butt wore angel wings, but I have my doubts about them truly reflecting his personality. His name aside, Fuzzy Butt was a kitten, and kittens grow into cats, which possess many redeeming qualities. Few of them, however, could be classified as angelic.