I sat stuck the other night. I wasn't sure what to write. I was tired and a bit cranky. And then I thought about classic composer George Frideric Handel. He locked himself in his London home and worked nonstop for 23 days writing his Messiah oratory. When he was done on September 14, 1741, he... Continue Reading →
Cheerio, old chap!
Smiles. Laughter. We need more of both in this world. Here's some things that have lifted my spirits in recent weeks. —The English language is crazy. Can it get any crazier? We have a simple way of greeting others: Hello. But for some reason that's not enough. We needed to make it more complicated. We've... Continue Reading →
Ghosts of parenting past
I was walking recently on a trail near our house. It swings around the local middle school tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and football fields. At one point, I stopped on the path and listened. There was a light rain and I was alone on the trail. In the mist, I thought I heard the crack... Continue Reading →
Catching up with an old friend
Last week, I met up with an old friend. We haven't seen each other in 45 years. Oh, we've crossed paths at the movie theater several times over the years. But, we haven't had a chance to sit down and connect over a soda or coffee since the early 80s. Sure enough, we picked up... Continue Reading →
Saint Brian!
The alarm ripped me awake from a peaceful sleep. I turned over angry at the intrusion. Vacations are for sleeping in and enjoying yourself. Nonetheless, I had promised my wife that I would get up early and go with her to the beach. She wanted to catch a few pictures of the sunrise. I fought... Continue Reading →
Chocolate makes everything better
For the Fourth of July holiday, we went out for ice cream. I looked over the ice cream case full of flavors like a five-year-old kid in a candy store. My eyes were bulging thinking of the possibilities. There was Death by Chocolate. If I didn’t want to tempt fate, but still wanted to play... Continue Reading →
A saving grace
I met up with a friend for coffee. I worried that she was going to have some bad news. When we had last talked, she had told me that she was having a tough time at work. She feared she was on thin ice. We had worked together years ago and I knew her to... Continue Reading →
Do it again Daddy!
I push my cart in the grocery store. I'm looking over the oranges and second-guess myself, "Did my wife say to pick up oranges or bananas?" I look down at my phone and consider sending her a text. And then I hear it. A little girl of about 4 or 5 cries out "Daddy!” I... Continue Reading →
Nine things I can’t live without
When my middle son was in first grade, he found a little yellow frog in our toy box. It was one of those small toys that you get out of a coin-operated vending machine. For a three week period, the 50 cent toy meant the world to him. He carried it with him wherever he... Continue Reading →

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