2020

There was a time when the term ‘flip house’ didn’t exist. Like back in the day when I was in the business of buying and selling homes that for the most part had been foreclosed on. The goal was—and still is—to buy a property at a bargain,…
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Humans don’t have a lock on annoying symptoms Oh my! It’s allergy season again for Rugby, my toy poodle. It manifests as incessant licking of his paws, and I find saliva pools on furniture and bedding. My wife finds it quite…
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The preferred way to dine these days Is there a better time to enjoy dining al fresco? Yes, it keeps us safer than being indoors during the current pandemic. But COVID concerns aside, in September and October the temperatures slide back…
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My wife’s brother recently took me snipe hunting on a camping trip. I was unable to catch one and need advice. I am from New England and want to be accepted by my new family here in the South, but was confused at having to wear a blindfold…
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When you’ve got a problem with your health — a heart issue or an eye problem or an ache that keeps you off your favorite hiking trail — you seek out a doctor who knows his — or her — stuff. There’s no point in seeing someone you don’t have…
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I am standing next to a large riding arena on a farm in Blaine. The melodic putter of a tractor as it passes back and forth, softening the arena for the evening’s event, is a pleasant reminder of why I love the East Tennessee country. The…
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“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.”Sue Monk Kidd He pushed play on the recorder. The speaker on the old cassette player revealed the voice of my father, Bob Pryor, in…
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Smokies’ center inspires curiosity about the nature that surrounds it The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our backyard isn’t something to take for granted. Its landmarks and vistas challenge and inspire us. One such landmark is…
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We often won’t address our problems because of what it would take to fix them I am usually up early, around 5 a.m., when the world is still quiet. It allows for some time to meditate and wonder about things. On this particular…
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Jay and Mary Gregorius’s retirement home is geared for an active lifestyle As avid triathletes in their years in the DC area, Jay and Mary Gregorius searched for a place to build a retirement home in a climate where they could work out…
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