Yes, I know we just celebrated Mother’s Day. I truly hope every mother enjoyed their special day. Heaven knows they deserve all their accolades. It’s a difficult task. Once a mother, always a mother. The same holds true for fathers. That’s why I already know what I’m buying David for Father’s Day. A baseball bat. …
If You Don’t Know, It’s You
I’ve always believed if you don’t know who’s the worst player on your team – any team – it’s you. I played in a thirty-six hole four-man scramble over two days this week and felt that way more than once. Turns out I wasn’t. It’s not a stretch to call The Villages, Florida the golf …
Plumbing Issues
When Ruth and I established our home on Kalamazoo’s Stockbridge Avenue, it didn’t have a shower and we were shower people. Sure, I had taken baths when there was no other option, but now that we were married, we needed a shower. I purchased the two-unit house before we wed, so I had to learn …
Bedtime Stories
Some stories are best said with as few words as possible. Here’s two such tales.
Music
Ruth and I went to a concert a few days ago. It was a dual tribute to Bette Midler and Billy Joel. I like their music, especially Billy’s, so I bought tickets as a part of Ruth’s birthday extravaganza. Like always, I sang along to most of the songs, doing my best to keep it …
Rumors
This post is not PG. If you’re put off by questionable topics, move on now. This is not for the faint at heart. David and Lindsay, Mike and Kate, don’t let my grandchildren read this until they’re at least twenty-one. Ruth and I have had a Florida home for the past eighteen years. I was …
Patches
My childhood friends and I wore blue jeans most of the time. Our parents bought them because we were hard on our clothes. Life was full on petal to the metal, so our jeans took a beating. They were the sturdiest option on the market, so moms and dads bought them for their sons. Most …
Happy Easter
When I was growing up, Easter meant going to church, Easter Lillies, getting Easter baskets filled with candy, the occasional Easter egg hunt, and family dinners. Most of our Easter dinners weren’t gatherings at someone’s house, but rather dinner at our house with Mom and Dad or a nice restaurant. Gatherings at family homes were …
Two Days In
We’re two days into my favorite time of the year. Ruth’s a year older than me until the end of May. In spite of her advancing years, she’s holding up pretty well. This is her diamond anniversary. No, I didn’t buy her diamonds, but at seventy-five, it’s her diamond year. I am taking a public …
The Cost of Living
I ran into this chart from 1971 the other day. Ruth and I married that year, and we both bought new cars, so it struck a chord with me. We were in our third year of teaching and making about $7,500 each. It may have been a bit more, but it wasn’t as high as …