“Are you ready for your return from vacation?” asked one of our beloved members, as we prepare to try regular Sunday services again. “You have got to be kidding!!” was my response. We’re now into our eighth month of recorded services, and Zoom meetings, and trying to find a different way of doing everything. We … [Read more…]
September 2006 I was sort of asleep and sort of awake when I first heard the news over my clock radio. Pluto might not be a planet. I was suddenly fully awake. Of course, Pluto is a planet. I learned that in school. We’ve always had nine planets in our solar system. I had to … [Read more…]
I think most of you know that my car got “totaled” in a hit-and-run. Fortunately, the seat belt worked, and I was able to walk away, without injury. The repair shop and GEICO kept the car for two weeks before notifying me that they were “totaling it”, and I needed to turn in the rental … [Read more…]
August 2018 As most of you know, I have two dogs. Frisky is a very old Rat Terrier from the pound. He’s deaf and almost blind. Most of his life consists of moving from his bed in my den to his bed in my bedroom, with an occasional trip outside if I carry him down … [Read more…]
I’m not a person to be afraid of things. As a kid, the school bully never particularly frightened me. I came from a peaceful family, so I was never afraid to go home. If I got in trouble, I just resigned to face the music, take the consequences, and move on. Now, my mother’s fly swatter was another matter. She … [Read more…]
July 2012 “You’ve shrunk!” That was the most recent proclamation of good news from my doctor. “What do you mean, ‘I’ve shrunk’? I’ve always been 6’1″.” “Well, you’re 5’11” now. Your spine compresses with age.” There’s that word again – age. Now, I have to tell you – this does something dreadful to one’s self-image. … [Read more…]
I think any kid growing up is subjected to listening to tales from the past to which he or she feels no connection. For me, it was my mother’s reminder of the “Starving Armenians” any time there was a complaint about her cooking, and tales of the 1918 “Spanish Flu.” Out of nowhere, conversations would … [Read more…]
June 1998 It’s June. That means it’s finally summer. That means the days are long and warm, everything’s green, the kids are out of school, there’s time to get away, and we made it through another winter. Summer is my favorite time of year. For me, fall is a time to regret the end of … [Read more…]
June 1, 2020 Well. It turns out that old dogs can learn new tricks. If there is one positive thing that has come out of this dreadful virus, it is that I have tried my hand at cooking – and enjoyed it. As most of you know, I have eaten all of my meals “out.” … [Read more…]
May 2005 The other night I was channel-hopping on television. I came across a nature program which was showing grizzly bears catching salmon as they migrated upstream to spawn. The commentator noted that the bears have a very short “window of opportunity” to catch the salmon. If they fail to take full advantage of that … [Read more…]