A Story From the Mountain — Every little boy dreams of flying. Growing up, I remember there was this one kid I knew who thought about flying, dreamed about flying, every day and night. One time, way back when, he said to me that almost every night (after he fell asleep listening to ballgames on the…

From the Mountain Sunday morning and it’s 7 am. Romeo, Gidget, and I already have had our morning walk. As usual with winter in the mountains, the morning dew on the grass is frozen. The Yorkies don’t like it, I can tell. Smiling, I think to myself … “just wait…

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost “Life is not a given, it’s a gift.” Throughout life, we reach a fork in the road, a point where a decision must be made. I usually chose this road less traveled, the…

I Channeled George Carlin; He Made Me Write This — I’ve been listening to George Carlin recently. His material from the 1960s and through the 1990s is spot on, especially regarding politicians and politics. He was a kind of modern-day Will Rogers. If you’ve listened to him, then you know. If you haven’t, you have missed out on one of…

Writing My Way Into Your Life One More Time, Again — I’ve been absent again for a couple of weeks. There are multiple reasons. Ongoing issues with my inability to regulate my blood pressure would be one. Then my sister coming to visit a week ago was another. And of course, I spent money I probably shouldn’t have (again). I bought…

What Is It? — When you hear somebody refer to “the simple life” what first comes to mind? Life has never been simple for me. Simple is boring. But define “simple life”. Seriously, when you hear the term “simple life” does it take you back to when you were a little kid, drinking water…

How to Give Small Businesses a Boost, and Make a Few Bucks! — The Purpose for this Article Small towns have always been my preference for places to live. The few times I have worked for others, my preferences have always been small businesses. I have started, owned, and managed several small businesses along the way, so I know a couple of things about small businesses. Now I…

Your First Reaction is… to Smile? — Regarding the photograph used here, I am sure I’d never get a call. I bought an old dial phone and tried to install it at my oldest daughter’s home. She and my granddaughter said “NO!” My granddaughter, entirely perplexed, wondered how it worked. Seriously though, when I get a phone…

And Then I Wasn’t — October 2002 One Night in Late October In the Fall of 2002, I was relaxing in our backyard on the porch, an IPA in my hand and Neil Young’s ‘Harvest Moon’ on the stereo. I love that song and album so much, even now. After our daughter was in bed, I’d sit…