COVER PROFILE: Debbie Lynn
Debbie’s story is one of grit, grace, and grounded purpose. Raised on a 300-acre farm in Pike Road, she spent her childhood immersed in nature, learning independence and imagination that would shape her for life. Horses became a lifelong passion, influencing her values and eventually...
To the AUM Forest Trail
Enjoying an urban forest with meandering walking paths or hiking trails is not always a luxury available to city dwellers hoping to briefly escape the fast pace of metropolitan life. Fortunately, the Auburn University at Montgomery campus is home to such an inviting green haven...
Planning For Your Future (Part 3): Transferring Assets at Death Through a Will
“Planning For Your Future (Part 2)” (June 2025 BOOM Magazine) focused on assets transferring automatically and transferring your assets through a revocable living trust. Assets pass outside your will if you have beneficiaries or joint owners listed on assets such as financial accounts and insurance...
Mayhurst Estate Planting Seeds in a Dry and Weary Land
In a previous feature, I remarked that B&Bs are “hit or miss.” Well, I’m happy to report on a B&B that’s, in my book, a big hit. Driving there is also a treat, at least when you get on Highway 81 up in the Shenandoah...
Finding Your Encore Career
You see them everywhere. In supermarkets, in big-box hardware stores, at ballparks. They are the once-retired who have returned to work. Some work from home as consultants or have found employment as insurance salespeople, proofreaders or financial managers. At the top are executives who believed...
Beach Week Burnout
We just got back from a week in Seagrove Beach, smack in the middle of 30A—and I need a nap, a chiropractor, and maybe a silent retreat. As empty nesters, my wife and I had this vision: a sweet beach week with the kids and...
The Menopausal Pot Belly: Why It Happens and How to Fight Back
As women enter midlife, their bodies begin to change in noticeable and often frustrating ways. One of the most common complaints during and after menopause is the sudden development of stubborn belly fat—a soft yet unrelenting pot belly that wasn’t there before. It can feel...
Back to School Support: How Grandparents Can Play a Meaningful Role
As summer winds down and families prepare for a new school year, much of the focus naturally falls on students and their parents. But there’s another group with the power to make a real difference during this busy, emotional, and sometimes chaotic season: grandparents. Whether...
Rediscovering What Matters
It’s August in the River Region—hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk and just humid enough to steam it. But while summer’s heat lingers, something shifts this month. You can feel it in the morning air, just a hint of what’s coming. Fall...