Thank you Arlo — For many years, I have indulged in a handful of personal Thanksgiving traditions that few people know about. These are traditions that transcend the need to be with family, eat a big meal, or watch parades and football. …

A menagerie of holiday memories — Can you feel it? I know it’s hard this year, but please try. Nothing is standing in its way. It’s happening, and little can be done to stop it. It’s the holiday season. And this year, the holidays barreled their way into our lives amongst many challenges. Halloween came and…

Humorous thoughts on aging, privacy, and solitude — Being an empty nester is on temporary hold, but being a Grandad Landlord with a sense of virtual privacy is my current status. Let me introduce myself. I’m the guy you read about in magazines and on websites dedicated to aging. …

Every day I’m awake is an opportunity to do something great — I woke up early one day, wondering why my alarm hadn’t gone off. Glancing at the clock, I found it was only 1:30 a.m. My alarms begin at 5:00 a.m. and continue every fifteen minutes until I wake at 6:30 or sooner. On this particular morning, something was resting heavy…

A memoir in the making — I have been ‘niced’ all week. And it makes me feel good. What is being ‘niced’? It is a term I coined when people go out of their way to do something nice for you. All week, I kept running into people who just wanted to help me. It is…

The infamous reference has influenced a lot — My mind works in mysterious ways. It gets hooked on a topic and won’t let go till I’ve researched or written about it. This week, my brain is hooked on the popular references of a rolling stone. You read that right. The term rolling stone is stuck in my brain…

I have a weakness for ground beef — I have a weakness for ground beef. I love it and have turned it into a sacred ingredient in my recipe collection. My love affair started a few years ago. My wife was ill and began having trouble chewing and swallowing. We discovered she could tolerate ground beef, chicken, or…

It is not the process; it is the result that matters It all started one rainy autumn night. Dinner was over, the dogs were settled, and the grandkids set for the evening. I could declare the day over and take care of myself. I’m Granddad, a paternal overseer of a…

I’m calculating numbers in my head faster than I ever have — Sometimes I amaze myself. Sometimes, things happen that I can’t explain. Sometimes, I write creative stories with twists and turns but do not know where the inspiration comes from. And now, my latest mental adventure is math. A latent ability to understand math has woken up within me. All kinds…