This post is in cooperation with Uncommon Goods. Why do you feel at home where you do? Is it the impressive architecture? The exact square footage? The color you chose to paint the walls? Chances are, there’s something about how you feel personally in your residential space that makes it home for you. This is […]
Thanks to Ober Gatlinburg for hosting our family’s visit! You really haven’t visited the Smokies unless you’ve hiked at least a stretch in the Smokies. And you really haven’t visited the tourist town of Gatlinburg unless you’ve been to Ober Gatlinburg. This place offers incredible views of the Great Smoky Mountains next door and Gatlinburg […]
Get my FREE newsletter here! Where can your family have a hair-raising experience doing safe science experiments, meet world-famous scientists and explore a secret city? All this and more is available to discover at the American Museum of Science and Energy in East Tennessee! It may be one of the Knoxville area’s best-kept secrets. I’ve […]
World War II veterans, famed Calutron Girls and schoolchildren all shared a high school auditorium to celebrate the launch of the historic Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The once Secret City is one of three national sites that collectively create the park, along with Los Alamos, New Mexico and Hanford, Washington. […]
The spectacularly blue October sky stretched high above the green fields and weather-worn barns where people had gathered to celebrate the season. Music sounded from the stage hung with a red, white and blue flag, as well as from a cantilever barn turned into another stage. My daughters sought out ice cream and apple cider […]
I’m proud of the tiny wrench stamped with “Ford” on it from my grandfather’s tool collection. It’s a relic from his years of working at the Ford Garage and other garages before that, where he was known for his ability to tinker with automobiles and fix just about anything. While the Model T went only […]
Scenery, historical settings and outdoor adventure are all waiting for families who venture to the New River Gorge National River area in West Virginia! This lush travel destination is just an hour’s drive Southeast of Charleston, WV. Our family took a short weekend visit to the area, and I was pleasantly surprised to find so […]
There’s just something magical about snow for creating a stark background for discovering forest growth! This little bit of forest is always a bit damp. The trees tend to host partnerships of algae and fungi called lichen, while ferns anxiously pose, ready for spring. Here’s a look inside my quiet forest as the snow starts […]
Climate change concerns versus coal dust celebrations, clean air rules versus community freedoms, environmental ideals versus mining jobs? What if the way America’s been debating its energy future is based on false dichotomies? What if the very industry blamed in part for climate destruction has the most power to build a renewable energy future? In […]
Could gardening be central to community revitalization? We explore that idea in our Green Goes Mainstream series. A People’s Garden stands outside USDA headquarters in Washington, DC, modeling how fresh lettuce and tomatoes can nourish a community’s spirit. Food from gardens like these goes to feed the hungry in all 50 states. This garden project […]
Anne is a mother, wife and independent journalist blogging about carrying on the best of Grandma’s traditions while improving on what we know better.