Category: Family

Back in the day when a child was born you got what you got.  Each birth was a surprise.  No one knew in advance if they were having a boy or a girl. I recall how disappointed I was when our neighbor, Polly, told me my mom and dad went to the hospital to get …

The summer of 2020 has been challenging for everyone. We’ve been asked to mask up, wash rinse and repeat, stand six feet apart, and stay home. Ruth and I have followed the directions as prescribed but still managed to keep life interesting.  In June we explored homes in Holland and Saugatuck because two of our …

I got up at 5:30 on Monday morning a couple of weeks ago so I could drive to visit my favorite family of four.  While I knew David would be busily involved with his staff’s first day of school, I had a golf date with Brady and the opportunity to observe my equestrian granddaughter, Eva, …

If you live somewhere long enough you garner thousands of memories.  When we bought our home on Lake LeAnn I thought it was perfect.  We were going to live on a lake and have not one, but two, fireplaces.  We had arrived. Here are a few reflections from our time here. We have experienced sorrow.  …

About five years ago we placed our house on Grand Point Drive up “for sale by owner”. We had purchased a condo just outside Traverse City and considered moving to the Grand Traverse Resort Community. We remodeled a third story walk-up that proved to be too much climbing for me. I had recently completed knee …

Friday will mark Ruth and my 49th wedding anniversary.  I think we both believe that our 49th year has been one of the most unusual.  The coronavirus, all the “matters”, peaceful and destructive protests, and an extremely contentious national election have dominated the news.  I’m longing for the national unrest to settle and hoping that …

When I Was One-and-Twenty BY A. E. HOUSMAN When I was one-and-twenty        I heard a wise man say, “Give crowns and pounds and guineas        But not your heart away; Give pearls away and rubies        But keep your fancy free.” But I was one-and-twenty,        No use to talk to me. When I was …

It’s funny how names get connected.  My twin cousins have always been Gail and Gwen, never Gwen and Gail.  Mom and Dad  referred to them as “the twins”.  “Get ready we’re going to see the twins.” or “We’re meeting the twins at the lake.”  Things like that. They’re the daughters of my Aunt Gert and …

This is my forty-fifth Father’s Day.  I celebrated fifty-two such days as a son.   My first memory of my father dates back to our unpaved driveway at 500 N. Edgeworth.  Dad decided to pave the driveway of his new home when I was about four.  Prior to the paving he used the dirt drive to …

There are several popular posts appearing on Facebook.  There’s one about golf that keeps popping up.  It asks you to name your dream foursome.  For me that’s always been easy, I’d choose my three kids, David, Elizabeth, Michael and me.  Ruth’s recent resurgence on the  links muddies the waters a bit, but if we couldn’t …