March is an interesting month, a transitional one – and one, during which, we are likely to have snowfall one day and warm, Spring-like weather the next. Not a lot goes on in March, but it does bring with it the expectation of Springtime and longer, warmer days on the horizon.

I had heard of jetlag, but honestly, I thought it was something someone had made up. I didn’t believe it was real, until I experienced it myself, after a really long Eastward flight. I think the problem is that my old body gets confused about what time it is and doesn’t know what to do. For instance, a flight from Atlanta to London takes around 8 hours. So, if I leave Atlanta at 10:00 p.m. and fly all night, I should arrive in London around 6:00 Eastern Time. The problem is that 6:00 Eastern Time is 11:00 in London. 

Next year is a big year nationally. It is a presidential election year. However, it is a down or off year for Alabama. We, like several other southern states, have our big election year in non-presidential years. We elected our Governor and other constitutional offices and our entire legislature last year in 2022.

The 30th anniversary of one of the most intense snow events ever observed in the Eastern U.S. is upon us. Also known as The Great Blizzard, the Storm of the Century and The Superstorm, it all began on March 12, 1993. Around these parts, just mention “The Blizzard” and anyone who was alive at the time will instantly know what you’re referencing.

In Childersburg, Alabama, in the far recesses of a booth, on the back side of a picker’s paradise, I spotted an antique Flexoplane.

The Bridge Crossing Jubilee does not come in February, which is Black History Month. However, the Bridge Crossing Jubilee is Black History.

Something that’s been on my mind a lot lately are movies.

Memorex aired a popular commercial back in the 1970s that featured Ella Fitzgerald singing a note that was so high it shattered a glass while her voice was being recorded on a Memorex tape.

For the past several decades, Alabama’s power has been centered around the U.S. Senate – primarily because of Richard Shelby’s immense power and influence.

That Thursday morning, I awakened with excitement, and I had no idea that I would have Cracker Jacks that day. Thursdays are among my top-7 favorite days of the week. Tuesdays and Thursdays are extra special because those are Dinker Days, but last Tuesday and Thursday was even more special. Now in case you don’t know, The Dinkers is the name of our pickleball group. While that may sound like a derogatory term, a dink is actually a soft, skilled shot that barely goes over the net and lands in the kitchen. No, not the kitchen in a house, but I do like that one too.

Young Catherine stood on the ship’s bow as it sailed into Ellis Island. She was a teenager. Her hair was tied behind her head. She had a slender neck. Young face.

Valentine’s Day will be celebrated, as ever, on Feb. 14. High spenders, feel free to splurge this year and treat your significant other to a romantic night out for tacos – since Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, tacos are bueno. Who doesn’t love tacos? Nothing says “I love you” more than diced tomatoes and an extra helping of shredded cheese.

When I was growing up in South Alabama, there were few black players on professional football teams. This exclusion was very painful to me, my family and my friends. We wanted to see ourselves in the teams. So we pulled for any team that had even one black player. If both teams had black players, we pulled for the one with the most. 

Richard Shelby’s last week as our United States Senator was poetically amazing.

What did we ever do before we had GPS? Well, we used maps and followed signs, for one thing. We also stopped at gas stations and asked for directions. Those directions were not always helpful if we didn’t know where the old Johnson place used to be or the whispering oak by the side of the road. Sometimes we were given unspecific directions like, “After you turn left on County Road 3876, you go way, way, way, way, way down that road, and then go about another 2 miles and it will be on your left.” Did I say unspecific or unhelpful?

The legislature had their every-four-year organizational session earlier this month. It is exactly what the title states, they are organizing for the next quadrennium of lawmaking. They officially chose their leadership and adopted the rules for the two chambers.

A couple of weeks after I graduated from college, Jean and I loaded up everything we owned and headed for New Orleans. Three years earlier, we had gotten married and moved to Birmingham. We moved to Birmingham in a Volkswagen van and a ’69 Malibu. We rented a U-Haul to move our belongings to New Orleans. I still don’t know why, because we didn’t own much more than 3-years earlier. I guess my friend’s van was not available!