Final Thought

Final Thought

Final Thought

Have a favorite springtime song? A song that magically transports you to another time and place each time you hear it? The first time you heard it...

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Final Thought

  By Sonny Rhodes ‘or it is in the giving that we receive.” That quote, often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, is one of my favorites. In terms of truths, in my book it ranks with the closing couplet of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road”: “And in the end, the love you take is equal […]

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Final Thought: Being Comfortable With Comfort Food

Do you eat to live or live to eat? Are meals a disruption in your day or glorious moments you look forward to?   food an art form, a culinary moment of splendor achieved for pleasure or just some calories best consumed if you want to continue to maintain life? I confess I belong to […]

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Final Thought

One day in May, my wife Julie held out her phone, saying there was something she wanted me to see. TOP PHOTO: Shady trails offer some relief for summer runners, but a daydreamer could be in for a surprise. Photo by Sonny Rhodes   was a video of a fellow taking his first steps on […]

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Final Thought

We bought tickets to the Paul McCartney concert at Verizon Arena as soon as possible, and by the day of the April concert I was so giddy with anticipation I had to drive down to the arena to check out the preparations. Parking near the Junction Bridge, I strolled around outside the arena and paused […]

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Final Thought

It just now took 11.1 seconds for my computer to come out of sleep mode so I could compose this sentence. Yes, I timed it — using the smartphone that’s sitting within easy reach of my right hand.   been thinking a lot lately about technology, especially when it comes to communications. A couple of […]

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Final Thought

A year ago this month, I set out on a four-week adventure in Southeast Asia.   traveled with two Vietnam War veterans — John Townsley of North Carolina and Bob Kirkland of California — who had organized many such tours with the goal of helping people still struggling from the war. John, whom I have […]

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Final Thought

March means it’s marathon time in the capital city. Photography by Autumn Hall   means it’s marathon time in the capital city. Each year thousands converge downtown for “Arkansas’ Race for Every Pace.” Stretching over a weekend, marathon-related events include the 26.2-mile Little Rock Marathon and half marathon, a 10K (6.2 miles), a 5K and […]

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Final Thought

This page has had its share of unconventional Valentine’s Day tie-ins. Photograph courtesy of arkansas.com   year ago I wrote a two-feline valentine. It was for Tiger and Precious, the cats who have been kind enough to share their home with us for nearly a decade. Two years ago I reflected on my fondness for […]

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Final Thought

Many mornings for the past year and a half have been an adventure. These mornings often fill me with optimism, and since 2016 is a-dawning I thought I might share some of the things that make me want to look on the bright side of life.   pegged the time element to the past 18 […]

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Final Thought

Invariably, about this time of year I start thinking about gift giving. What? You say we only have HOW MANY DAYS until Christmas?   must admit that shopping gives me the heebie-jeebies. Call me gift-idea challenged. For instance, there was the time I gave someone special a backscratcher for her birthday. Now, this was not […]

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Final Thought

Given AY’s food focus this month, it seems appropriate to share a thought or two about my experiences in the food-services industry.   first real job was at a hamburger joint on Highway 79 on the southwest side of Pine Bluff: Rich’s Hamburgers No. 3. I had just turned 16. It was time to make […]

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