Some time ago, a friend suggested that I read Power and Liberty by Gordon Wood for a better understanding of American constitutionalism. It was a good tip for which I’m grateful. I knew about Wood as a distinguished historian of the revolution and early republic, but had not seen his latest tour de force. This…

Today is my sister Mary’s birthday. She is ninety years old and still very much an inspiration to all of us for her joie de vivre and sweet personality. Permit me to take the time to salute her and tell her that I love her, something I don’t do frequently enough. Since there are nine…

Many years ago, I spent several weeks in Alaska meeting people and traveling about. If you have been up there, you know that it is a different place from down here even though most of the residents migrated from other states. They frequently speak disparagingly of the “lower forty-eight” states. People here, somehow, don’t measure…

Whining in Paradise After two weeks on St. Simons, I’m back at Potlatch just in time for the fall finale of crisp weather and color. The solitude here is striking especially after surviving the revelry of the Georgia-Florida fans this past weekend on the island. This has always been my favorite season, the last hurrah…

After Rosie left yesterday, I went back to my routine of getting caught up on the news and thinking about American politics and recent history. It left me reeling with despair and depression over our state of affairs. Our world has gone mad. Simply dropping out for a few days without reading newspapers, watching the…

This past Saturday we had a dinner party. The central figure was Rosie who was the honored guest and the leading cook in the drama. It was a Mexican extravaganza. She planned the menu and Betty and I served as her “pinches” schlepping and chopping. Friday and Saturday we scampered about Brunswick and the island…

At this moment, I’m feeling love and appreciation for the goodness of people. There is something about human life that supersedes and transcends all else. It’s humbling. Our good friend Rosie, from Mexico, was visiting family in South Carolina and took the opportunity to stop by St. Simons before returning home. We looked forward to…

If you are an independent who most often votes Republican or if you are a card-carrying Republican partisan, don’t vote for Republicans until sanity and decency returns to the party. Messrs. Boot and Taylor and Governor Whitman in their recent Op-Eds* were spot-on in their strategy to overcome the present malaise which has perverted and…

The past year or so I’ve received a number of criticisms challenging my point of view on current politics, my recounting of history or my sense of disbelief or outrage over a particular event. I’ve always taken these comments seriously, thinking that maybe the reader just might be right. I have tried to learn from…

As I’ve mentioned before in these pages, I frequently talk to my dogs. They are always around and make good sounding boards for thoughts and observations that strike me as brilliant, if not seminal. Perhaps, they are best when it comes to venting my spleen about politics, saying things that I would never put to…