Although I lived on a lake for forty-three years, I’ve never been a fisherman. I’ve thrown my line in the water a few times, but seldom more than a couple of casts off the dock. Most of the time I had one of the three kids with me or, later, my grandkids. They’ve all caught …
Author: Robert
Nineteen Years
Barb was the youngest mom in the neighborhood, and I thought she was the prettiest. (After my mom of course.) I recall being in her house one day as she was preparing to go out for the evening with her husband, Dick. I thought she smelled great. I asked her what perfume she was wearing …
Not a Kid Anymore
I grew up in suburban Royal Oak in the 1950’s and 60’s. The houses all looked alike on our dirt street. When it rained, the street was so muddy the dads parked on Eleven Mile Road, or one of the other paved streets, and walked the final block or two home. Farnum, the street we …
By Example
Ruth and I spent the fourth of July week-end in Las Vegas. We hadn’t been in almost two years, and we’ve gone as often as four times a year. It was HOT. It reached at least 100 degrees each day. We both like it there. It’s a getaway from the real world, not that our …
Mrs. Berry
Young Jackson James will start daycare in a week. Part of the preparation is making a series of visits to the care facility. Mike and Kate have visited several and chose the location because they believe it will be a safe haven for Jackson. Great thought goes into making such decisions. California law requires a …
A Couple Observations
Ruth and I spent three days with Jackson James, and his mom and dad, earlier this week. It was our first flight from Grand Rapids to California and it went very well. This is Mike’s first week of father bonding time. The State of California has a program that allows moms and dads each several …
The Revelation
I called Eric, and Eric’s mom, from the business site. Neither one answered. I told Andrew I’d continue calling until I heard from someone and get in touch with him as soon as I knew something. Mom’s pledge to “pick him up and drop him off myself” concerned me. Perhaps something had happened to the …
Eric
I met Eric just like I met a couple hundred teenagers over the past several summers. He was interested in a summer program I ran as a part of the Michigan Works system. He heard about the program from one of his high school teachers, completed an application, and I went to the school to …
The Milkman
We had a milk chute at our home at 500 North Edgeworth. The entire neighborhood had one. Ours was an opening on the side of the house near the side door. The opening allowed us to place empty milk bottles inside the chute and the milkman to deliver fresh ones through the outside. A few …
My Thirteenth Summer
The C. V. Whitney Farm in Lexington, Kentucky was a very successful thoroughbred horse farm. I lived there for two weeks the summer of my thirteenth year. My friend, Bill, invited me to go with him and his family for two weeks in July. His maternal grandfather was the supervisor of the farm’s operations, and …