Columnist John Moore is on a mission to save old timepieces. He needs your help. Photo: John Moore My friend runs a precious metals shop, selling mostly gold and silver. I was there to discuss those very things when a pocket watch caught my eye. An Elgin. My buddy...

Columnist John Moore keeps an old rotary phone around. Just in case. Photo by John Moore There are many once-common aspects of the telephone that are now gone. Keep in mind that those born in the 1990s likely have never heard a dial tone, dialed a phone, or talked to...

Columnist John Moore learned to drive on a stick shift. He still uses a clutch to operate his tractor. Courtesy John Moore One of the necessities of my youth is now one of your best bets to prevent vehicle theft: a stick shift. I watch a lot of YouTube, and...

Columnist John Moore still shines his own shoes. As long as he can find the polish to buy. Courtesy John Moore In some cultures, people wash the feet of guests who arrive at their home. At my parents’ house, I didn’t wash the feet of guests, but I did offer to shine...

Columnist John Moore misses the old chain stores, one of which, Gibson’s, still exists in Kerrville, Texas. Courtesy John Moore Online shopping has turned us into couch potatoes who buy more than we ever used to. Adding items to an imaginary cart and clicking, “Buy...

Columnist John Moore eats a lot of jelly, but not for the reason you might think. Courtesy John Moore My sister and I would make a beeline for the cereal aisle at the Piggly Wiggly while my mom did the shopping.  Decisions, decisions. Did we want to roll the dice...

Columnist John Moore finds himself a little lost with new technology. Sometimes lost a lot. Courtesy John Moore Folks aren’t counting on each other like we were 50 years ago. And technology is the wedge that’s come between us. Our parents didn’t worry about us much...

Sunlight is starting to break through at the Capitol in the final month of the Texas legislative session. Open government measures have won passage in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, and more House votes are scheduled on legislation championed by...

Columnist John Moore didn’t like gardens as a kid. That’s changed thanks to his grandmothers. Courtesy John Moore As a kid, I hated the vegetable garden. If you stood on our back porch, it was to your left. It took up the entire corner of our large yard. To me,...

Columnist John Moore is the keeper of his family’s history. Including his parents’ vintage grandfather clock. Courtesy John Moore The difference in a collector and a pack rat is whether you’re rich or poor. Those with money are considered refined and people of taste....