Online shopping, reading, or listening is better now than a trip to the bookstore — I love books and bookstores. The feel of a good book is comforting. The smell of the paper, the visual cover, and the text are all incentives to own, cherish and absorb what they offer. …

A tribute to my late wife — I have two cremation urns on my mantle. One is for my wife, the other for my oldest daughter. Every day, multiple times, I see them. I feel their presence, reflect on the past and then channel my energy to a positive outlook. As I think about my wife, we…

My top four consumable songs, plus a few more — There are hundreds, if not thousands, of lyrics that include food and drink. One doesn’t have to look far to find a good song focused on tequila, hamburgers, or a romantic meal. Nothing beats an excellent beer-drinking song while hanging out at the Biergartens or a song about tequila and…

A tale of backward aging and follicle abuse — Crow’s Feet Prompt #24 — It started in high school. My hair began falling out. Reasons unknown. Call it premature balding, thinning hair, fashionable, weird, or just plain bizarre; it didn't matter. I was seventeen, and my hair was getting thin. At a time when all my friends were sporting shoulder-length hair, I was doing…

Where is Jimmy these days? — I heard the siren sound of steel drums the other day. A rhythmic beat that brought back visions of years as a Parrot Head. …

A listicle of bad, sad, and challenging moments — I am a positive person and believe that inside chaos and negativity are kernels of hope that make things better. In situations where I am in control, that is usually the case. Events out of my control are challenging. Many events that affect me negatively are epic. An example is…

Is it an age thing or my desire to stay out of the ER? — A fun activity is a personal thing requiring good management and focus. We get old, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun. We only need to shift our priorities and keep forging ahead. There are things we should and should not be doing as we age. One can find…

Only a dream could have inspired me to write this — Where is Shambala? The band Three Dog Night had an idea but has yet to get there. After 2022 and all the good, bad and horrible things that happened, I figured it was time to get to Shambala. It is a great song, so I thought there was someplace in…

It occurred to me as I watched the movie The Four Seasons — I am the lone survivor of a tight-knit group of friends from over forty years ago. Not that something killed everyone, and I'm the only person that climbed out of a burning van or survived a boating accident. That is not the case. …