In my 23,010 days on earth, I have been presented with several good opportunities to die. Back in the 1970s, I battled thyroid cancer, complete with surgery and radiation treatment. In 2003 my aortic valve went south, requiring replacement or, alternatively, an appointment with the grim reaper. In 2017 that valve ran out the clock …
(February is National Heart Health Awareness month.) Sitting off to the left of center in your chest is the heart. It is a remarkable organic pumping device, a muscle controlled by electrical impulses. When working correctly, this little fist-sized organ will beat at an average of 72 beats per minute (bpm), or over 100,000 times …
I will tell you right up front that I am not a star-struck kind of guy. Most of my heroes are not even famous, and most famous people are famous by time and chance. I have never sought out to meet famous people, and certainly would not go out of my way to see or …
After my daughter Jennifer texted me a photo of her pot roast dinner, well, I just had to have one of my own. I got to thinking about a Boston butt, cooked all day, with potatoes and carrots, that rich smell filling the house. The kids used to love it, because they could say “butt” …
2020 has become a byword for disaster. Lots of people were affected in lots of ways. We had a pandemic, causing economic duress for many. We had riots in the streets, leaving billions in damages. We had a tumultuous election cycle, bringing us… who knows what? I think it is safe to say that most …
So it is Christmas. This time of year means a lot of things to a lot of people. There are a multitude of observances by a multitude of belief systems. To Christians, the followers of the namesake of Christmas, it is a time to reflect on what God did for mankind over 2,000 years ago. …
Do you remember 1985? The eighties were a very strange time in America. We were still finding our way into the modern world. Disco was dead but the hair wasn’t. Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term. Microsoft launched Windows 1.1 and Nintendo introduced NES game system. We still bought our music on …
It is that time of year again, when we pause and ponder the things in life that we are thankful for. The Pilgrims started this idea, and presidents have reinforced it by proclamation ever since. Imagine that, in times of national distress, war, even pandemics, we are encouraged and unified in a single effort to …
It all began innocently enough. We had a houseful of young kids (okay, three, ages 10-15) back in the year 2000, and we knew if we were to all survive, we needed more room. So, we designed and added a master bedroom suite, separated from the kids as much as was geographically possible, with a …
If you are of my generation, you recall the plane crash in 1977 that claimed the lives of three of the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, including founder and front man Ronnie Van Zant. At his funeral, Charlie Daniels, of some fame himself, sang the old hymn Amazing Grace: Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That …
