You Have to Understand the Life of a Thing Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon                Thurman was a soft-spoken, seventy- year-old gentleman who enrolled in outpatient hospice services with end-stage prostate cancer.  Thurman became occupationally disabled from a stroke at age thirty-eight, but he remained active and independent until his cancer forced him to his bed.               Thurman loved flowers, especially tulips. His hospital bed was strategically situated i

Growing Greenup Cook Wild Kentucky - Deer Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   Deer hunting is a family tradition for many people in my community. Both of my sons learned from my dad and carry on the tradition each season. Over the years, I have learned how to cook venison in many ways because it is a great way to lower grocery costs! Did you know that there are resources at the Greenup County Extension Office that can help you with your grocery costs? One of the many

A Life That Was Changed Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon          This is part two of a series about Donna who was only thirty-six when she enrolled in hospice services with end stage colon cancer. Donna had been a nursing assistant in the ob-gyn practice of Dr. Pettit and Dr. Lopez. Donna loved her job and worked up until six weeks before she died.         During my one and only personal encounter with Donna, as her hospice social worker, she graciously chronicled her spi

Want an Adventure Vacation That Checks All the Boxes? Let’s Talk Portugal! Part 1 In the Series Alison Christie The Ashland Beacon My great friend Laurie Lewis and I took an amazing trip to Portugal, and we can safely say we traveled from north to south — and most definitely west. We stood on the cliffs of the most southwestern tip of Europe in Sagres, and we even flew three hours west to the Azores. (More on that later!) We began our journey flying from the States to Por

Read Me A Bedtime Story The 13 Nights of Halloween Jonathan Joy The Ashland Beacon On the first night of Halloween my best friend gave to me:  some tasty trick or treat candy.  On the second night of Halloween my best friend gave to me: two ghastly gourds and some tasty trick or treat candy.  On the third night of Halloween my best friend gave to me: three black cats, two ghastly gourds, and some tasty trick and a treat candy. On the fourth night of Halloween my best friend g

Looking Out for the Interests of Others Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon                 This is the fourth and last part of a series about Norma who was admitted to hospice at the age of seventy-six with debility.  Norma was excited about the prospect of sharing her life lessons with you in this series.  Aaron, an LPN at the nursing home, told me, “Two or three weeks before the first story came out in the newspaper, Norma told me that hospice was going to put her in the p

The Corps of Discovery: The Journey West Jarrod E. Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   Can you imagine getting a call from the President of the United States and being asked to go on a journey with no real rules or timeline for completion? In 1803 the famous duo of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embarked on a journey that has always captivated my imagination. It’s amazing that they would accept the job and even more amazing that they were able to accomplish so much and mak

Things We Can Learn from A Dog Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon      This is part three of a series about Norma who enrolled in hospice services with general debility, which is just another way of saying that her body is wearing out.  I previously described Norma as being “forward and feisty”; but lately I’ve noticed she’s lost some of her feistiness. She’s weaker and a little confused at times now. And I’m saddened, no grieved, by the prospect that we might be losing the

You Ought to Say, ‘If the Lord Wills’  Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon      This is part two of a series about Norma who was seventy-six...

Growing Greenup - Old Fashion Days Anne Stephens For The Greater Ashland Beacon   Downtown Greenup will be hustling and bustling again...

Johnny Appleseed Jarrod E. Stephens The Ashland Beacon   Legends are typically born from the wild imaginations of people who want to...

You Need to Finish What You Start Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon        Norma was seventy-six years old when she enrolled in...

Host Lora Parsons The Ashland Beacon   Not too long ago at church, we were singing a song I love by Kari Jobe called “Holy Spirit.” ...

A Man Leaves His Darkness When He Follows the Son Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon               I’m deviating from my typical hospice...

Growing Greenup Old Fashion Days Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   This column will be dedicated to Greenup Old Fashion Days...

Innovative Business Jarrod E. Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   A simple trip to the grocery store has a way of reminding how much our...

Growing Greenup Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   This week’s column is all about weather. We all experience, plan for, try to...

A Lamp Unto My Feet and A Light Unto My Path Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon      My three companions and I slid our canoes into the...

The Dust Bowl Jarrod E. Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   According to the calendar, our summer season is swiftly coming to an end. With...

If Only I’d Listened the First Time Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon           Homer was admitted to hospice with end stage lung...