Alabamians may have felt their wallets bulge a bit last month when the Legislature approved our bill that slices the sales tax on groceries in half and implements the single largest tax cut in state history.
Alabama was one of only three states that taxed groceries at the full rate...
Readers who frequent the Cullman County Public Library System share reviews of some of their recently read books.
Submission date: June 22, 2023
Reviewer: Paulette Gentry
Title: “A Corner of the Universe”
Author: Ann M. Martin
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts about the book: This book caused me to think about how a...
CULTIVATE CULLMAN: The Countywide Arts & Gardening Celebration, which includes “Culinary Cullman” and musicians with Cullman County roots, grew from a seed of an idea to a big, beautiful, flowering thing faster than kudzu after an Alabama summer rainstorm. (Date for the 2024 CULTIVATE CULLMAN Arts & Gardening Show...
I love me some BBQ. That’s because I’m Southern, and it’s the law. If you cut me, I will probably bleed smoky, sweet, red sauce. Any kind of meat is fine, but I have a strong lean toward pork ribs. I firmly believe a properly barbecued pigsicle can change...
This debut novel is somewhat whimsical and totally delightful. Set in fictional Sowell Bay near Seattle, it is a story of love, grief, the fear of aging and friendship. And yet, it is still amusing.
Part of the novel is told by Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus who is somewhat sarcastic and very intelligent. He has been...
Father's Day is the day that we come together to honor and appreciate the extraordinary fathers in our lives. From the moment we take our first breath, fathers assume a pivotal role in shaping our lives. They become our protectors, mentors and providers. Whether biological, adoptive or a father...
I’m not a handyman. I truly wish I was, but it’s just not in my DNA. I can’t make a straight cut on a 2x4 to save my dog’s life. If you give me a hammer and a handful of nails, all you’re probably gonna get are bent nails....
Dennis Lahane’s latest book “Small Mercies” is set in Boston in 1974, just weeks away from court-ordered school desegregation. The novel is set in a time of anger, hatred and bigotry, and the language reflects that. I will not be quoting any passages. The story is gripping, but brace yourself for the vulgarity.
There is a tremendous amount...
I just finished my annual reading of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Wow. As long as I live, I will read this novel. And for me, there’s a bonus. Every time I pick up the book, I’m reminded of a special graduation gift I gave to someone.
Let’s face the facts...
I drove by our community ballpark the other day and saw that the All-Star baseball games were well underway. It’s hard to believe that the Little League baseball season has already come and gone. Has it already been two months since Opening Day? It seemed like I just saw...
As we all get ready to remember or celebrate Mother’s Day May 14, my memories of my mother will always remain special to me. I will never forget the moment she passed away and how green her eyes were as she lay still in death.
She always told me she...
I have been tasked with the insurmountable feat of summing up motherhood, in honor of
Mother's Day. For reference, I like to call myself an "amateur" mom. My journey of motherhood began in February 2021 when I found out I was pregnant, and I have considered myself a mother ever...
ARTS IN THE GARDEN is a new way to enjoy the natural beauty of Sportsman Lake, the 70-year old, Cullman County Parks and Recreation, multiuse, fresh air refuge. The Woodlands & Wildflower Garden of the park will be an outdoor arts center, FREE and OPEN TO ALL on Saturday,...
My beloved father Randy Wilkerson died March 22, 2010, 13 years ago at the age of 61.
My father's love was unconditional, and he always wanted the best for me. He encouraged my dreams, my passions, and when I would suffer through the darkest nights of my soul in the...
How do we thank those who have taken the raw, sandy soil of the Cullman countryside and turned it into an Eden? One hundred-fifty years ago, the area’s visionary founder, Colonel Cullman, aptly predicted the sandy, pine-studded hills would become “The Garden Spot of America.”
Yesterday, it was my great...
The 1870s founders of Cullman County in the “Hill Country” of north Alabama traditionally celebrated the area’s birth year as 1873. So, 2023 is our 150th birthday celebration even though the town was legally established in 1875 and Cullman County in 1877.
Cullman County offers you these 150, fun and...
“Every storm, no matter how big and strong, passes eventually. Just know and remember that your spirit is much bigger and stronger than any storm that comes your way, and that all storms will fall apart long before you ever would.” These profoundly encouraging words are from author and...
Today, April 22, is Earth Day! www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023
Sustainability can be a hot topic these days, and in a world as busy as ours, it's typically not on the top of our to-do lists. Between the day-to-day of school drop-off line, work, shopping and family time, convenience is king. Convenience often...
The collector’s edition of “WUNDERGARTEN,” the folktale I set in 1870s Colonial Cullman, was birthed this week. (Signed copies available at Leldon’s in the Cullman Warehouse District by April 25, in time for Mother’s Day gifts.) Saluting the forested hills of north Alabama, it has an engraved wood binder,...
Despite rising salaries, a robust economy and a highly competitive job market that is forcing some employers to entice new workers with signing bonuses, many Alabamians continue to struggle financially and find themselves living from paycheck to paycheck.
A national study conducted just last month indicated that 57% of those...
For all of my adult life, politicians in Montgomery have talked about the need to remove the state sales tax from groceries, but they always find excuse after excuse that prevents them from actually doing it.
The potential loss of budget revenue, the false claims that replacement taxes must be...
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Ray Liotta, Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Jesse Plemons
Score: 7/10
"Cocaine Bear," the latest cinematic offering from director Elizabeth Banks, takes audiences on an outrageous journey through a real-life drug smuggling incident with a bizarre twist. The film boasts a...
I’m certain that many of you have heard about the drug fentanyl in the news these last few years, the powerful opioid similar to morphine or oxycodone but 100 times more powerful than both of those drugs and much more addictive and deadly.
Fentanyl’s original uses included pain relief for...
Dear Editor:
Registration (alagames.com) for the 40th Alabama State Games is now open, and we are expecting a record-setting 6,000 participants to flood Jefferson County to participate in the Games. The Alabama State Games - founded in 1982 at the request of the US Olympic committee - are inclusive, encouraging...
Recent changes in the newspaper landscape in Alabama have us wanting to share some good news about newspapers. Alabama newspapers are alive and printing.
Like most every industry in the world, our industry is experiencing changes that some have characterized as the end of newspapers.
Nothing could be further from the...
“Love & Saffron” was written by Kim Fay, who is from Washington state. Her previous books are “Communion: A Culinary Journey through Viet Nam,” which was a Gourmand World Cookbook Award winner and “The Map of Lost Memories,” an Edgar Award finalist for Best First Novel. “Love and Saffron” is an epistolary (a...
“The Lincoln Highway” is Amor Towles’ third novel. His previous books are “The Rules of Civility” and “A Gentleman in Moscow.” All three are bestsellers. Set in 1954, “The Lincoln Highway” is considered by many to be his best.
The book’s style is to have each chapter told by different characters. Some readers do not like...
In January of last year, Governor Kay Ivey awarded $18.2 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to fund infrastructure improvements and upgrades all over the state. The grant gives local governments the ability to provide water service to homes, repair roads, upgrade sewer and storm drainage systems and...
It's uncommon nowadays that a business can be prompt, knowledgeable, efficient, reliable, kind and helpful all wrapped in one. It's even more uncommon that you see a business that has all the above plus a team that works together to help get the job done efficiently, timely, and that...
TEA FOR TWO
Picture you upon my knee
Just tea for two
And two for tea
Just me for you
And you for me alone.
- Music by Vincent Youmans; Lyrics by Irving Caesar
Tea as a tonic for “joyous aging” is documented 300 years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth when a Chinese army...
Cullman County desperately needs to vote to keep an appointed superintendent in the next election for Cullman County Schools.
I have heard so many people say they don’t have a voice or vote at all with what happens in the school system. We have a county school board where everyone...
This simple list of horror, thriller and suspense movies will help you navigate the horror and thrills in the days leading into Halloween.
The movies on the list can be viewed on many online streaming services. Some of the titles you may have to search for, but in the end...
“The JOYrontologist” is saluting joy-seeking explorers this Columbus Day holiday. As we raise flutes of Prosecco and chow down on veal pizza (recipe below), I’m thinking not only of the great, Italian navigator, Cristoforo Columbo, and his Spanish “GoFundMe” campaigns but also of the many and diverse, bold, determined...
ODE TO AUTUMN
Autumn days are here, blue sky clear and dear.
Let’s harvest a bushel of joy and fall cheer.
Our S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting, Neighboring, Spellbinding) group this first week of fall shared joyous memories from many previous autumns and how each of us is adding joy to our life this...
F-WORDS ̶̶ there are so FLIPPIN’ many FANTASTICATIOUS ones! Here are a few more fun, FLAVORFUL faves after all of these from the former feast: FOOTLOOSE, FANFARES, FUNFAIR, FLATTER, FABOLICIOUS, FAH SHIZZLE MY NIZZLE, FACE-FANCY, FANDANGO, FORGIVENESS, FATHERLY, FAUNA, FELICITY, FRANKNESS, FRATERNIZE and FABOPHILIA.
F-WORDS are figured to form 7,138...
I would like to let your community know they have a coroner they should be thankful for. After losing my wife Ruth of 38 years in an auto accident, I was contacted by Mr. Jeremy Kilpatrick. He was most helpful in guiding me through what was needed. He went...
F-WORDS are not used frequently enough. At least that’s true for some F-WORDS. There are so many FABU F-WORDS, I’ve FINAGLED them into two fragments, 25 in this installment and 25 MORE F-WORDS in the next.
To fortify your familiarity with the four basic facets of “The S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting,...
ODE TO BRAND YOU
If you were a brand,
Would you be fresh and sweet as Krispy Kreme,
Or aged and mellow like a sip of Jim Beam?
You might be calm like NyQuil or rowdy like Harley-Davidson,
Or hot as Tabasco or warming like Lipton.
Whatever your message, one thing is true,
No brand is...
“Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be…”
- Robert Browning
“The JOYrontologist” recommends: If you only read one book about joyous aging in your one precious life, let it be “BETTER WITH AGE: The Psychology of Successful Aging” by Dr. Alan D. Castel.
BETTER WITH AGE should not only...
Iraq veteran and commander of Cullman VFW Post 2214, Brian Monk, and wife, Rachel Monk, president of the VFW Auxiliary, pick different dates and locations every year to collect Buddy Poppy donations for the VFW. The money raised goes back to helping veterans in need.
We set up at Warehouse...
ODE TO THE “E WORD”
Isn’t it a sweet surprise
That play is a workout in disguise.
Chic gym clothes can never glamorize
The boring drudge of exercise.
S.U.N.S. SILLYASS FITNESS is serious-not-solemn exercise with goofy grins, funny grunts and a LAFF EVRY DAY.
“The JOYrontologist” recommends: Don’t work out…play!
Sitting is killing more Americans than...
ODE TO SOLITUDE
Solitude and loneliness
Are far from the same.
Solitude is exquisite pleasure;
Loneliness, excruciating pain.
My name is Ben and…I am a GREGARIOUS HERMIT. There, I’ve said it. Every day, for as far back as I can remember, I’ve been an enthusiastic, social animal who also has a hankering for lots...
For the last several years, I’ve enjoyed leading an April-in-Alabama history walking tour through Cullman. Like Martina McBride sang, “word gets around in a small, small town,” and I’ve been fortunate to attract some positive, fun buzz and good-sized crowds.
To keep it interesting for any repeats and myself, I...
ODE TO A WORLD-CLASS QUEST
Today, I’m on a world-class quest for the ultimate food fest.
I started off so Hungary and thought to Czech my kitchen first.
Then, I was Russian to the fridge but only found a Greece-y Turkey.
Iran to the grocery to get some salt, pepper, Chile and Korea-ander,
Because...
After turning 70 this year, I’m performing in my first, classical ballet. Seeing all those ballerinas on tiptoe, I’m wondering—why didn’t they just get taller dancers?
I don’t claim to be an A-student in dance, but I’m trying to be. It’s been my experience that great dancers don’t expect the...
“If you have no charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”—Bob Hope
HILARITY FOR CHARITY is a perfect example of S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting, Neighboring, Spellbinding) GIVING. Now known as, www.WeAreHFC.org, Hilarity for Charity is the brainchild of 21st century comedy legend, Seth Rogen and his...
“When do we learn that the world, like any diner worth its salt, is open 24 hours a day?”—Daniel Handler
American diners are the perfect place to “open up” and share “The S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting, Neighboring, Spellbinding) Joyous Aging” wisdom.
S.U.N.S. DINERS, my selections for each of the 50 united states,...
Remember when America was all about freedom-loving fun and people fought for “The Right to Party?” Even in 1773 (evening of December 16), our royal-bashing, founding parents were dressing up like their Native American neighbors on a warpath; whoopin’, hollerin’ and tossin’ boxes of inflation-pricey, not-made-in-the-USA tea into the...
ODE TO SUMMER
My longtime favorite season is summer.
Though fall, spring nor winter is a bummer.
At 70, this thought’s not a newcomer;
It came decades ago with my first frozen rummer.
“Summer afternoon” according to American-born British writer, Henry James, are the two most-beautiful words in the...
Since the early part of 2020, Covid-19 has been a major element in our daily lives. It’s rare to speak to a neighbor, coworker, family member or church member that hasn’t lost someone to the Covid-19 virus. Altogether, the U.S. has had 80 million documented cases with over 984,000...
I LOVE LIBRARIES and I have a dream of a beautiful, FREE, public one with happy colors, patron-selected seating, art murals, craft/study/activity areas, cubbies, tall windows for lots of daylight, tech/STEM assistance, an array of books + lots of integrated programming.
This innovative library in my imagination is NOT FOR...
CULLMAN, Ala. - In its April 2022 term, the Grand Jury of Cullman County issued felony and misdemeanor indictments in 257 cases with a total of 492 counts. Several defendants have multiple cases, and many cases include multiple counts. Here is a breakdown of the counts for each of...
ODE TO WANDERLUST
I long to walk there, maybe there and then there.
More joy-filled I’ll return, you may surely trust.
In my lifetime, I shall flaneur everywhere,
Just my feet, my daydreams and wanderlust.
“I love to go a-flaneuring” just doesn’t have quite the earworm viability of “I...
ODE TO BLOOMING
Stealthily, they commanded the hill,
Though no cannons nor bombs were booming.
No movement detected, all seemed deadly still.
Then, victorious as any army, all the flowers were blooming.
The earth is blooming with the joyous laughter of flowers. In my part of the world, we...
l. His death was certain
A. Joseph of Arimathaea came to Pilate the Governor after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and requested the privilege of burying his body. Pilate wondered if Jesus was already dead. Therefore, he sent a centurion, a leader of one hundred Roman soldiers, to verify the...
In the five years since I became Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, nothing has been a higher priority than making sure we provide world-class, affordable education and training so our students have the skills to succeed in a constantly evolving economy. During this time, we’ve successfully aligned...
ODE TO JOY BIRDS
The singing kind are such joy birds,
One rarely hears a whiner.
Chirping, tweeting, hummingbirds
Make a fine day even finer.
My family’s Alabama farm was a certified Audubon Sanctuary. We didn’t just love birds and protect their habitats; birding was like breathing—literally a natural...
The road to a healthier you starts with your nutritionally-sound diet choices and making those choices a habitual lifestyle. Along with elevating your heart rate by exercising at least 30 minutes a day, three times weekly, your nutrition is key in your overall health and wellness. Managing your micronutrients,...
ODE TO FOUR, JOYFUL SEASONS
Spring is joyful, then there is also this,
Summer is such sunny bliss.
Autumn is a sweet molasses kiss, and
Winter is time to joyfully reminisce.
THE FOUR SEASONS: spring, summer, fall and winter were mostly named for “planting times.” The word “seasons” comes...
Three: One: Six—3/16—Is it just another day on a calendar, a random series of numbers or something much more?
Two years ago, on March 16, 2020, we received instructions to shut down everything involving the gathering of people. Schools, churches, businesses and more shut down in fear of a new...
Too Young to Be Seventy—by Judith Viorst*
Deep in my heart I believe I’m
Too young to be seventy.
There are times when I’m wearing my baseball cap and my jeans
That I even can imagine that, glimpsed from the rear, I might be mistaken
For someone who could still be in her...
AN ODE TO GARDEN JOY
A book and a glass of wine in a garden is all I need;
A sip, the sunshine, some slumber and a read.
All the planting and watering was hard work, indeed.
Now a relaxing reward—WAIT! Is that a weed?
God Almighty, according to...
ODE TO BOOK JOY
Books are magic transportable.
Free libraries make them quite affordable.
It is well-known but still reportable,
Libraries need us to stay supportable.
John Grisham hoped he could make a living as a writer. I wasn’t so sure of his career plan, but I had a...
There’s an extremely antiquated mindset of masculinity that was passed down by our fathers, grandfathers--including our matriarchal figures that have embraced that men have to choose what type of life to live. Men must dominate professionally where money and status often carry more importance over family, spirituality and friendships....
ODE TO SPELLBINDING
Hocus pocus, fully focus.
Cast off the spell of the phone,
And fully succumb to the joy zone.
Presto, change-o, feel the glow.
Find your mojo in the flow.
A dictionary definition for SPELLBINDING is “holding one’s attention completely, rapturously, as though by magic.” Terms athletes use...
ODE TO UNITING
(Dedicated to John Lennon and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
I have a dream and I’m inviting
All to end the fighting and begin uniting.
Imagine a dream of no more dividing, black and whiting;
A bit of history rewriting, one world uniting.
I have a dream of hate subsiding...
ODE TO SMILE-MAKING
When you’re smiling, the muscles it takes are 17.
But, when you’re scowling, it takes 43 and looks so mean.
When you’re smiling, you look better even on frumpy days with bad hair.
Smiles are always in fashion, it’s the very most important thing to wear.
Even when you’re feeling...
“When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.You will assume you know the anatomy of...
“Of Women and Salt” by Gabriela Garcia, follows Jeanette, a young woman who is battling addiction and in search of the deeply hidden truths about her family's history. Her desperate quest for answers takes her from Florida to Cuba, Cuba to Mexico, and even further into South America. This...
“Starry Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh, one of the most joy-giving paintings in the history of art, is a major crowd-pleaser at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art, NYC). Hold on, mama, MOMA is our destination for “The Starry Starry Night Birthday Party.”
Mr. van Gogh, pardon me, Meneer van...
The Iron Bowl: Any time the Tide of Alabama travels to the plains of Auburn magic happens, and unlike the norm this time the magic was in favor of Alabama. After Alabama's offense was stagnant for 58 minutes, they found themselves at their own 3-yard line down 7-3. Alabama's Bryce...
Tide escapes disastrous upset. Alabama’s season almost came to an end Saturday as LSU returned to Tuscaloosa for the first time since beating the Tide behind a monstrous game that helped seal a Heisman trophy for Joe Burrow. No, their season wouldn’t literally be over had they lost, but their shot at...
Royal Princess Grace Kelly grew up in a charming two-and-half-story American Colonial-style house at 3901 Henry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. This is our destination for “The Stars and Stripes Forever Birthday Party.”
The house was built in 1928 by Grace Kelly’s dad, John B. Kelly, a three-time Olympic gold medalist for...
Big 10 Equals Big Matchups. To kick Saturday off No. 6 Michigan faced No. 6 Michigan State in what would produce a classic. Although Michigan struggled to turn the redzone opportunities into touchdowns for much of the first half yet found themselves up 30-14 with 6:47 left in the third quarter. The...
(Announcer): “From ‘Television City’ in beautiful Burbank, California—It’s ‘The Tonight Show Birthday Party’ with Johnny Carson and this week’s special, joy-giving guests: singer/songwriter Katy Perry, Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Moss Hart, New York comedy icons Fanny Brice and Fran Lebowitz, that ‘Family Guy,’ Seth MacFarlane and real...
Here’s a question for you: Why do we, as humans, feel the need to go completely overboard when it comes to everything to do with our children? Somewhere along the way, it seems we have forgotten the joy in simplicity. From over-the-top gender reveals to lavish birthday parties and...
Back in Business: Alabama blows out Bulldogs. Despite a slow start offensively Alabama was able to turn a 21-6 halftime lead into a 49-9 blowout. Quarterback Bryce Young’s Heisman campaign continued with a 20 for 28 night for 348 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Mississippi State head coach Mike...
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