Category: Life
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When we all were farmers
I was chatting with a colleague yesterday, and he was reminiscing about his summers as a kid, visiting his relatives’ farm in Vandergrift Pennsylvania – only about a thirty minute drive from where I grew up. His stories about playing in the barn with bales of hay brought me back to the days when all […]
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Skip the Big Guys … If You Can
Buy local. Support local. Help the independent. Swim against corporate hegemony! You know … we all think it. We like the idea of supporting local as much as possible. Heck, I’m an independent author, so I clearly understand the appeal of supporting individuals to use their passion to survive and thrive. But it sure is […]
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Best Christmas Gift (sort of)
When I was a boy, one of the greatest and memorable days of every year was when the Sears Christmas Catalogue arrived in the mail. The full-color pages created a wonderland of wishes for this starry-eyed country boy. They had it all: the latest toys, games, and sports equipment. They even sold the full sets […]
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The Here and Now: A Reminder from a Child
My grandson woke up shortly after being put down to sleep last night. He was cranky, mad, frantic – full of whiplash and vigor at the world. He wanted what he wanted, but his mom held out to see if he would go back to sleep. Eventually, his forlorn screaming won the skirmish, and he […]
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Dads, Sports, and Awe
I went to the driving range the other day with my son and son-in-law. I was not there to work on my golf game. There’s no point in trying to resurrect that which has been long buried. But it was fun to hang out with the boys on a beautiful summer day. I was sitting […]
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Three Cheese Pizza & Vietnam
I love to make pizza. Yesterday, I made a simple three cheese pizza. Here are the cheeses. Mozzarella, gouda, parmesan. How I came to this combination has its roots in my ten years living in Vietnam. Before I explain, let’s look at the final product. Delicious. I’m not afraid to tell you. You might wonder […]
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Cast the Flies Away
The other day I was in the middle of a drama class when a student pointed to my hand. It was bleeding. Apparently, in the throes of drama combat, I had ripped off a chunk of skin from the back of my hand. I had no idea what I did. No matter, a tissue and […]