Life was easier back when everything I ate went to my feet. Like a moth to a flame, I'm drawn to the fair – and not only as an innocent bystander. I've told stories on stage, answered questions about nature, helped presenters, served as a superintendent, pushed food, given away excellent yardsticks, acted as an emcee, represented organizations, been a vendor, shown animals, … [Read more...]
Not Every Hurricane Is Named After One of Your In-Laws
A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with winds of 74 mph or greater. The word hurricane is derived from the Mayan word Huracan, and the Taino and Carib word Hunraken, god of evil. Early tracking relied on geographic references and Catholic saint days before an Australian meteorologist pioneered personal names in the late 1800s, using the names of local politicians he … [Read more...]
I was a Rarity – One of Only 17,474 People
A friend told me she loved her Pontiac Vibe. I used to drive a Vibe. The first car I ever drove was a Pontiac. It was a Chieftain. They not only don't make them like they used to, they don't make Pontiacs at all. Her comment caused me to consider other brands I once patronized that are gone: Borders, Woolworth's and A&P. Life is a series of giving up things. … [Read more...]
Alpha, Lima, Lima, Echo, November. Bravo, Alpha, Tango, Tango.
The movie showed an Army radio telephone operator trying to communicate during a battle. The radioman used the NATO phonetic alphabet, which assigns 26 words, one each to a letter of the English alphabet. The purpose is to eliminate confusion or miscommunication when someone spells words aloud over a phone or radio. It adds clarity to the message by using A: Alpha, B: Bravo, C: … [Read more...]
You Cannot Put a Saddle on Slobber
We had attended a baptism. The baby was the best I'd ever seen at being baptized. My father wore a suit, tie and wingtips. He polished the shoes before taking a step and polished them again before putting them away. As an in-law, his job was chauffeuring, eating and then standing around at a relative's home, sighing deeply until it was time to leave. A fellow in-law told … [Read more...]
All That Glitters is Not Gold or Goulash
Little did I know I was on the brink of an adventure. It happened during a meal. No, it wasn't the one with the granola that had granite in it, and the rice cake with birthday candles on it. Goulash was one of my favorite dishes in our school lunch program, otherwise known as fine dining. We were blessed with talented and caring cooks who also lovingly prepared tater tot … [Read more...]
He Had Been Counting On Better Results But He Counted Wrong
July 4 had come and gone. There had been fireworks galore, and he still had most of his eyebrows. It had been a splendid summer. He'd never heard of L. P. Hartley, but Hartley had said, "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." But one thing remained constant. When summer ends, school begins. On a lifelong journey of self-discovery, he was in junior … [Read more...]
Silly Putty on Father’s Day is No Dad Joke
It's that time of the year. When I'd slip into a mini-panic trying to decide what to get my father for Father's Day. Pete Seeger said, "If there's a world here in a hundred years, it's going to be saved by tens of millions of little things." My father lived by that belief. That's why he had all those jars and coffee cans filled with little things—nails, nuts, washers and … [Read more...]
I Was Born in a Small Town But Not This Small
The population of the town was somewhere in the 30s, and even a kid could tell it wasn't growing. It had a church and a bar, which met the minimum requirements for being a town in those days. My parents were visiting friends there. When that happens, there is grown-up talk and a kid typically gets put out of the house with little concern about where I went or who I was … [Read more...]
To TV, or to Not TV, That is the Question
To TV, or not to TV, that was the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to buy a TV. Mom wanted a TV more than Dad wanted one. Dad thought television was a fad that would never catch on. Besides, he had a radio. Who could ask for anything more? Marriage is the art of compromise. My parents bought a used TV. We … [Read more...]