This must be the place: Time waits for no one, lord, why did I hesitate?

Stepping out onto the porch late Sunday morning, the air was cool. The first sign of an impending fall, even though there’s exactly one month left of summer, at least according to the calendar. 

Back-to-school season is upon us

In May my boys were counting down the days until school ended; now, they are counting down the days until school begins. It’s intriguing what summer vacation can do to a young mind. 

Black Sheep

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | We are all familiar with the expression “so and so is the black sheep of the family.” According to Merriam-webster’s definition; it is a disfavored or disreputable member of a group. We all have someone we can point to that upsets the applecart of our family. These people can’t seem to do life the way we do it, think like we do, or even relate to one another the way that we do. It’s almost as if they are from another world sent here to challenge the very core our belief systems, and honey, I got a news flash for ya…they are! 

A new calling: Respected Waynesville PD lieutenant leaves law enforcement in his prime

Amid a tough time for law enforcement when stories about good officers leaving the profession dominate headlines, the Waynesville Police Department is losing one of its most experienced and respected officers. But while many leave law enforcement due to burnout or poor workplace culture, Lt. Tyler Trantham’s exit is different — it’s a matter of faith.

We Won't Soon Forget

The fact that it was after midnight, two members of our party had been traveling for most of the day and one had to begin her travels at 4:30 the next morning did nothing to stop us from ascending the mountain on the banks of the Adige River to the church that overlooks Verona. That’s just what it’s like to travel with Loretta — and all the women in my family — full of heedless wonder. 

This must be the place: Distance makes the heart grow stranger when the stars go out of view

Tucked in the corner booth at a dive bar in Maggie Valley on Monday afternoon, I slid across the vinyl seating across from the young couple. They’d already ordered a couple drinks, mozzarella sticks and some fried grouper bites. Some Lynyrd Skynyrd song was blasting from the front bar. 

This must be the place: I’ve been running so long on the same old ground, gonna rattle these chains till the morning light

Sitting down at the old wooden kitchen table in the kitchen of my parents’ farmhouse in rural Upstate New York, all is quiet save for the sounds of the burping coffee pot on the counter and a few birds in the trees outside the nearby screen door.

This must be the place: There’s no simple explanation, for anything important any of us do

With the Mason-Dixon Line in the rearview mirror, I pushed the accelerator down and proceeded to make my way up Interstate 81 North towards the Pennsylvania/New York border. 

This must be the place: Ode to the girl from the North Country, the one who loved horses

I first got word about Steph Wilkins while sitting in the kitchen at an old flame’s parents’ house in the small, desolate Adirondack Mountain town of Tupper Lake, New York. 

It’s hard not to love where we live 

When I travel and tell someone I’m from Waynesville, a small town nestled in the Smoky Mountains, the comment is always met with awe and excitement.

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