There are days when I feel like I’m working hard and improving a lot. And then there are days when all I feel is frustration. I’m hoping that over time, I will get more used to this and the good days will start to be normal and the bad days will only happen rarely. This time is all about being patient with ourselves.
Life Experiences
Down the Shore
In the Carolinas, summer means “Going To The Beach,” but in New Jersey, the idiom is “Down The Shore” (pronounced as one word, “downashoor”). So when our grandson was invited to compete in the 2019 US Sailing Youth Championship, we had the perfect opportunity for a few days down the shore on Long Beach Island.
All will be Well in the Garden
As we walked to our favorite spot in the park, I told Louisa about the Jerzy Kosinski book, Being There and its protagonist, Chauncey Gardiner, and how he said, “..all will be well in the garden.” She barked in agreement before jumping on the bench. We marveled at the colors’ return, more vibrant than ever this spring. Maybe it was the rain over winter, or perhaps something else. Maybe it was Nancy and Jerry who told the garden it was time to bring back the colors which would bring people back to the park.
Be My Valentine
There’s a small bowl on a table in our home. The bowl shows a couple who appear blissfully in love; to their side are six red hearts. When I turn the bowl over I can read where the artist has etched, “The secret of a long marriage is to put a little romance in every day.” It’s signed, “Mary.” I don’t know Mary but I’d like to meet her, and thank her for crafting the most perfect of gifts.
The Perfect Beach Trip … until …
It was to be the perfect week at the beach, and it was, right up until the police arrived. The brother and sister started planning an early summer trip for their own young families. “There’s no better way to get to know each other than by living for a week under the same roof,” the brother said to his sister, wanting their children – cousins – to be close. She agreed. They would soon find out how right they were.
Loving Prague in December
Longships gracefully navigating the picturesque rivers of Europe. Happy couples holding hands as together they climb the stairs to a storybook castle. People enjoying a glass of wine before dinner. All images that have filled our TV screen for years, tempting us to travel and explore. We wanted to be part of the scenes. Viking had a trip leaving Passau, Germany, and cruising the Danube River, ending in Budapest, Hungary. There would be stops in Austrian cities of Linz, Melk, Durnstein, Krems, and Vienna; then on to Bratislava, Slovak Republic before ending in Budapest. That sounded like the perfect trip, “But why not go early?” my wife asked. “It’ll give us a chance to explore and get comfortable.”
Memories Held In Red Wooden Rings
Do you have any Christmas Tree traditions? Tree up right after Thanksgiving, or later? When do you take it down? Is there a reason why? Or something you just do? What about the ornaments? I’ll bet you have some special ornaments on your tree each year. Ornaments with a story.
A Thanksgiving I Will Never Forget
I’ll never forget my first Thanksgiving away from home. After only a few months of work, I was promoted to an assignment in the home office; told to report, bright and early, on the first Monday of November. The year was 1963, and my career was off to a good start.
I Don’t Eat Manna or Bread. Here’s Why.
Wheat and barley might have made for great bread in Biblical times, according to Ezekiel 4:9, but my doctor says that I can’t eat it. Today’s wheat is yet another of the many genetically modified food products in our diets and while many enjoy wheat, for me, it’s poison. But it wasn’t always that way. I was fine in 2003. Everyone was happy and well, even my business, by then over 20 years old, had turned the corner …
My Dog Pulled Me Out
I’ve got good news – our dog pulled me out of my hole. But now I’m worried because she’s led me into one that could be worse. She’s telling me to write a book. Special Pup knows all about my hole; it’s a hole about writing these stories and needing to think up a new one each week. After all, she’s been hearing about them her entire life. That’s why, when I brought this whole thing up, she kept quiet for a while …