With soft lighting, beautiful atmosphere and a friendly staff to guide you on your journey into the realm of mead, Trazo Meadery offers its patrons an intoxicating experience all the way around.

Around last Monday’s national holiday celebrating the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., we pause to reflect on the life and legacy of the civil rights leader. He had a special insight and clarity, and many of the words he spoke more than six decades ago still inspire us today.

Back in 2005, while working at another television station in another lifetime, I was tasked, along with a news photographer and a producer, to travel across the state of Tennessee to do an hour special on vacation destinations. The first thing I pitched was we had to go to Graceland. Everything else was secondary in this special, but Graceland had to be No. 1.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” —Maya Angelou

We have a chance of rain showers scattered around Middle Tennessee on Tuesday through Thursday this week with high temperatures warming to between 50 and 55 degrees.

Goodbye, 2020 and really, thanks for nothing. You reminded me of the scene in Animal House when the new guys go to a fraternity rush party and wanted to hang out with the cool guys, but the frat brothers kept directing them to hang out with the not-so-cool guys.

“It’s easy for someone to joke about scars if they’ve never been cut.” ― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

The middle portion of the week is looking pretty good with partly sunny skies and temperatures likely hitting the 50-degree mark.

Scriptures & Sawdust Handmade Gifts and Décor is a unique craft marketplace, offering beautiful merchandise, all made by hand, crafted by local artisans. Owner Ashlynn Micheal, herself a local artist and sign maker, wanted to offer patrons a more personalized shopping experience.

I was saddened to learn recently of the death of Dawn Wells, who portrayed sweet Kansas farm girl Mary Ann Summers, the only normal person amidst six other (kooky) castaways stranded on “Gilligan’s Island.”

The high temperatures this week will mostly be in the low 50s and the best chance of rain looks to be Wednesday night and Thursday at about 40%.

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’…” – Alfred Lord Tennyson

The House and Senate recently released the final version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. As a conferee representing the House Homeland Security Committee on the NDAA Conference Committee, I was honored to sign and vote for the final version of the NDAA, which passed in the Ho…

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” ― Ansel Adams

After the round of winter weather and Arctic air that Middle Tennessee experienced for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a likely warming trend will take our high temperatures into the upper 50s by Wednesday afternoon.

To the Editor:

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” — Fred Rogers

Temperatures will be in the 50s through the middle of the week but a strong cold front is expected on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and could bring some showers and even some snowflakes.

“Joe, you have COVID double pneumonia.”

“So you're a little weird? Work it! A little different? Own it! Better to be a nerd than one of the herd!” —Mandy Hale

Winter begins Dec. 21 at 4:02 a.m. and sunset that day is 4:36 p.m. but the days start getting longer now and sunset on New Year’s Day is 4:43 p.m.

Tucked away in a beautiful timber-and-stone cabin just off Madison Street, the Mad Herbalist crafts exquisite teas that soothe the soul and add a bit of warmth and relaxation to your day.

“Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be obtained only by someone who is detached.” ― Simone Weil

A mostly sunny and dry spell of weather will continue for the week ahead with afternoon highs climbing from the upper 40s to the mid-50s by Wednesday and Thursday.