I’m going to a celebration next Saturday in California. Our daughter, Elizabeth, has published a book and it’s making its public debut that day. “The Elephant on Aaron’s Chest” is thirty-six pages long, contains two-hundred and eighty-nine words, and took fifteen years to write. You can’t rush perfection. Elizabeth is a licensed clinical social worker …
Category: Family
Kentucky Cash
The 1920 Census determined for the first time that more Americans lived in cities than in the country. The margin was a narrow – 51 to 49 percent – but it was a key turning point in our nation’s history. There was an agricultural depression that lasted the entire decade and kept a noticeable divide …
Roots
Part of my family roots are embedded in Kentucky. My mom and Aunt Ruth were born in Smiths Grove. Their parents, Margaret Louise Walker and Carter Harrison Barner, were born there as well. In fact, several generations of Barners and Walkers came from Kentucky. One of my cousins traced the Barners back to John Barner …
Bronze Baby Shoes
Bronzing baby shoes has been a tradition for over 75 years. Mine are a fine example. Mom had them bronzed, took me to a professional photographer, and assembled a small shrine in my honor. I think she did the same for my sister, Sharron, but I have no recollection of my youngest sister, Jackie, having …
Bob
As we enter 2022, I’ve taken a look back at my highlights from 2021. Two things come to mind. The birth of our third grandchild and the celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary. That’s two big deals in one year. Our two older grandchildren, Brady (16) and Eva (14) were both in Florida to help …
Christmas Bears
My first Christmas was spent in the rental unit my parents had in Centerline, Michigan. We lived there until the spring of 1950 when we moved to Royal Oak. I received a teddy bear from my dad on that first Christmas, and several months later, my mom took my bear and me to a photographer …
This Year’s Christmas Card
The first time I recall sending Christmas cards was my freshman year of college. It seemed to be the mature thing to do, so I did it. I picked out a masculine fireplace scene and sent them to several relatives. The next year I sent out the remaining cards. If you received yours, you’re welcome. …
The Big Rock
A little over a year ago, we moved into our new condo and out of our home of forty-three years. I took some pictures on my phone of those last and first days. They’ve popped up from Google photos reminding me of what we’ve gained and what we’ve left behind. I have no regrets about …
Rhymes With Camels
A couple of weeks ago Ruth and I stopped in at the local Sam’s Club to pick up a dozen cases of assorted must haves. We bought a boatload of toilet paper, half a hog, a double jar of 1,000 count ibuprofen, a ten pound tube of ground round, a value pack of a dozen …
A House Divided
When I first started following football, the Detroit Lions and Michigan Wolverines were my favorite teams. The Lions were an obvious choice because they played a few miles away from Royal Oak at Briggs Stadium . The quarterbacks back then were Bobby Layne and Tobin Rote. I listened to the games on the radio because …