A Moment in America

December

2021

Faith

As another year draws to a close, it is the ideal time to reflect upon its journey. It has been a difficult year in the world’s history book. While the pandemic, global warming, and unrest continues to wreak havoc, there is an underlying ...

July

2021

Admist The Brushstrokes

Upon entering the room, one’s senses are instantly captivated by the violently whirling colors before them. The setting becomes liquid as the 12’ high walls seem to spill onto the floor and flow about one’s feet in constant ...

December

2020

A Year of Yearning

A lot can happen in one year. The year, 2020, is one the world would like to soon forget. For many of us, it has been one of loss and heartache. In some way or another, every soul on earth has been touched by the year’s anguish. The ...

December

2020

Cozy Christmas

Frost seemed to wrap the little trolley as it headed up the winding mountainside to the aptly named, “Ramble at Biltmore Forest”. It was the site of this year’s Southern Living Idea House in Asheville, North Carolina. Due to the ...

July

2020

A Trip to Wonderland

Rush! Hurry! Deadlines! Life can become an anxious wheel of expectations which seems to spin out of control. --- Occasionally, you just have to take a break. On a recent business trip to Atlanta, Georgia, I made sure to include a visit to the ...

May

2020

Tribute

Tributenoun: tribute; plural noun: tributes1. An act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration. The coronavirus (Covid 19) has brought many devastating changes to life as we knew it. Perhaps, if ...

April

2020

A COVID-19 Journal of Gratitude

“We never know what we have, until it is gone.” The year 2020 will surely make a mark in the journals of history. Not a time of blissful glee, but one of change, anguish, and uncertainty. The Corona Virus has affected the way ...

March

2020

Happy Tales

Immediately upon opening the door, an aroma unique to my memory seemed to waif past my nose. --- Not that of a fusty cellar, but rather, redolent of wild animals. ----One you won’t forget! It was my first time to attend the Carolina ...

February

2020

Living Aura

"We are biologically wired to find inspiration through our connection with the natural world." ---Mona King, Artist Eyes seemed to linger on each piece. There was an air of contemplation among this crowd. Art openings can be rather raucous once ...

January

2020

A Patchwork Trail

Buried beneath mounds of blankets, intoxicated on hot cocoa, and nearly suffocating from candle therapy, I saw it. It was sunshine! Sometimes the month of January can be overloaded with gray. The cold air and dismal weather tend to trigger ...

December

2019

Reflections

The holiday season is upon us. It is a time to celebrate the love we have for family and friends. It is a time to reflect upon life’s journey and recognize those who have been important in our lives. VALOR American Home experienced ...

December

2019

A Home for the Holidays

Southern Living magazine is a wonderful monthly source of inspiration for its readers. While providing educational stories, inspiring imagery, and enticing recipes, it also provides a sense of being and what life in the southern neighborhoods ...

November

2019

cotton!

November is always a month that seems to fly by in a wink of the eye. It may be the sugar hangover of Halloween, the changing of the clocks, or the excitement of the pending holiday season. In any case, it appears to be a very busy time for most ...

October

2019

School's Inn

Life is truly a journey of experiences, a great portion of which we are asleep. For those of us in which travel is a vital element of our career, where we choose to sleep can become a part of that adventure. I have slept in a former train car in ...

August

2019

Ice Cream for Dreams

Honest living. Simpler Times. Humble friendships. ---All of this was the basis for the beloved ‘60’s television series, “The Andy Griffith Show”. As many know, the story was loosely based upon the actor’s ...

July

2019

FURNISHED

The dog days of summer are the ideal time to take in a museum. Not only is the air conditioning a welcome sensation to combat the drenching humidity, but the experience can be a vacation for one’s mind. On a recent Sunday afternoon, I did ...

June

2019

Bowled Over

Ah…the aroma of fresh cut wood…it is a fragrance as easily identifiable as popcorn or chocolate. The air was thick with it. It is always a treat to observe artisans creating. -- The Holland Bowl Mill of Holland, ...

May

2019

Tiptoe

What often starts as a mere whisper of a thought has the power to lead to a roar of change. Lida Rogers, a biology teacher at a Holland, Michigan, high school thought there needed to be a way of uniting the students and celebrating the heritage ...

April

2019

Recognition

It starts when we are small children. The need to feel appreciated. The need to be acknowledged for our abilities. The need to feel valid. -- Such desires are fulfilled by recognition. Award ceremonies are expressions of praise. They are ...

March

2019

Journey to Paradisios

As soon as the Christmas holidays are in the rear view mirror, most of us begin dreaming about spring. Whether it is a way to endure the short gray days of ...

December

2018

Beholden

“Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.” ...

August

2018

JUMP!

Her big dark eyes seemed to stare into mine. I wondered what may be going through her mind. She kept shifting her weight from one foot to another as if anticipation was getting the best of her. All I could think of was how beautiful she was. ...

July

2018

Liberty!

A need to belong. A need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. A need to share.--- These are traits which make us human. It is this sense of unity which makes us a community. Nestled in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina is ...

June

2018

Coastal Living: More than a Location

Growing up in the Midwest, dreams were often filled with fantasies of what life would be like living near an ocean. The months of summer were often spent riding my bicycle as fast as I could, all-the-while making believe that the breeze and swaying ...

May

2018

Kazoobie Kazoos

Seldom does a single note spark a smile like that from a kazoo.--One buzz of this little instrument and a person is likely to chuckle with delight. On a recent business trip to Beaufort, South Carolina, I stopped into the home of Kazoobie ...

April

2018

The Light Project

Fire flashed. An explosion was heard. The voice of a young man recounting the firsthand experience of being in a foxhole during World War I also filled the air. I stood frozen. The sounds and imagery before me were quite ...

March

2018

Dining By Design

Since 1984, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) has provided over $43 million in support to hundreds of HIV/AIDS organizations around the world. This grassroots organization has funded programs providing care, treatment, ...

February

2018

WOOL

Dragging my feet through a final row of vendors, I searched for an artisan who could make the area rugs for VALOR American Home. It had to be someone who created their product in the USA, produced top quality, and had an appetite for what they did. ...

January

2018

Not-So-Wild West

Clutching my pillow as a ship, I sail through the night to wherever my dreams may land. Such unscripted adventures is one of life’s little intrigues. One never knows where tonight may take you. Long before the days of reality TV, ...