Oh my 2021 is coming in with a bang. Who hasn’t been shaken by the seditious rioting, destruction, death and domestic terrorism at our Nation’s capital? It made me start thinking back on how our country has changed over the decades. This led me to think about my Grandfather Clemet John Raymond McGinness, “Clem” but
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People who shop on Christmas Eve are a different breed
Long ago I lived with John in Ann Arbor. He believed in buying holiday gifts on Christmas Eve at 5pm at K-Mart, “for the rush of it.” I hadn’t ever considered heading to K-Mart on Christmas Eve but I was ready for adventure! K-Mart was strewn with cars parked at odd angles due to the
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What does it take to be confident? One day I found out.
Before we built the primitive cottage we lived in for 14 years, we rented a place that had one room with a wood stove and no plumbing. Living primitively is not for weenies, especially when something goes wrong. It takes grit and self-confidence. Here’s an example: One afternoon I went out to gather a load
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Pipe organs! Costumes! Party!
Years ago on Halloween we’d go to the IU Auditorium’s Pipe Organ Film Party to watch a silent horror film while Dennis James played the enormous pipe organ. The pipe organ tunes were written for the theaters’ organists to play to create suspense, romance, and key the villain or hero in the silent films. I
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When aliens land, you don’t know me
I was the major caregiver for my parents before they died. I’m not cut out to be a caregiver. Not that Mom needed much care. She was 100% sharp and all there until she died. And Dad was in an Alzheimer’s unit and other than visiting him, there wasn’t much I could do. But Mom.
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Hey buddy, move that car
The half-moon had that hazy summer heat aura, giving the sky a misty glow as we rode home at 10 PM last night. The air was scented with something flowery and we were in the Miata convertible. We rounded a corner only to brake hard, gasping at the green glowing eyes of a black dog
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Talk to me darling, I promise to listen
My friend and I challenged one another to make eye contact with everyone we meet. Here’s what I learned: #1: Do you make eye contact with friends when they’re talking? Not me. So I changed. Friends and I were having drinks and talking. I looked folks in the eye whenever they spoke. I was mesmerized
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Impulsive Hair War Apocalypse
People are stressing about their hair during the Covid-19 pandemic. It needs cutting, or dyeing or shaving or something. I’m no stranger to hair wars. I’m an impulsive, risk taking person who’s had a mullet, braids with feathers and bells, lank ponytails, asymmetrical cuts, partial shaves and lots of different colors. Below are some of
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Help! Help! A Murder of Crows!
My friend Lucy had an unfortunate run in with a batch of crows. They don’t call a flock of crows a “murder” for nothing. Here’s proof. As she squealed into her parking space at work one morning, Lucy hit and killed a crow scavenging through fast food wrappers. Suddenly, a hundred angry crows surrounded her
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Mayday! Hummingbird Bomber at 2 feet!
The hummingbirds are back looking around the porch for their feeders. We enjoy watching the hummer wars as they fight over the nectar and the territory. Hummers are beautiful, aggressive little monsters and in full summer it’s like a battle zone of tiny intense soldiers vying for the prize. When we sit out on our porch
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Which One is the Marrow Spoon?
My Mother was a real stickler for manners. As the youngest, I caught the convergence of Mom’s good manners and a passion for all things British which included formal dining. I was about 8, when she called me into the dining room for lessons on how to successfully dine. I enjoyed these sessions with my
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Too Hot Two Bangs, Too Cold One Bang
When the ex and I first moved to the land I live on now, we rented a neighbor’s cottage. It was a rustic, cozy place with an outhouse close by and no running water. There was a cistern at the top of the land where you could fill water jugs plus there was an outside
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