Memories

Another cruise ship tale — Cambridge, Maryland was the third place I went to during my cruise ship experience for four months in 2018. At the time, my head was still spinning trying to get used to this new world I was in and learning my job on the American Constitution ship. The ship would…

The piercing of the past… — She remembered the times She remembered the places Images, muted but sharp Some trapped in never more Others, perhaps once more Ripples of seasons Spreading out, fading Stirred anew by other stones Same as it never was She drinks from cracked glasses Smudged by the faded lips of others Tasting…

Saudade — thinking of time and people passed — In a house where I once lived with my young children, the scent of jasmine would creep over the hill behind my bedroom, bringing with it the wind and the air of sweet saudade. That house and marriage are lost to memory now. Sometimes at night though, when the wind…

An American icon — Today is John Wayne’s 116th birthday, and both the Duke and my grandfather will rise from their hallowed resting places and haunt me if I let the auspicious occasion pass without comment. I’ve written about his films before, so I won’t rehash that here (not much, at least). Instead, I…

IN OUR FAST-PACED LIVES, TAKING CARE OF OUR HEALTH is important. I often write about the benefits of physical activity, adequate sleep, a balanced diet, avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight. …

When I was a couple of months old, my grandparents took care of me for quite some time, so among all the grandchildren, they particularly spoiled me. One time, at a relative gathering, my cousin who was same age as me debated with me which was stronger, front or molar…

When I was younger, my family owned a cabin tucked away in the north Georgia Appalachia, near Blairsville. Every weekend, (the ones I didn’t have a baseball game or gymnastics meet) mom, dad, my sister Nikki, and our boxer dog Georgia rode the windy 2.5 hours from suburban Atlanta to…

Originally written in 2019 on Facebook crunch, crunch I’m four years old, and I have a go-cart and a gravel driveway to play in. A moment of self-reflection strikes, and I pause in thought. I’m happy, and I know I’m happy. I’m old enough to capture that thought, and precocious…

Normally a shy child, I was not shy when I blurted, “Can you kiss me, Mr. Voss?” — We had an upstairs that wasn’t being used, so when I was three or four years old, my mother decided to take in boarders. My father must have been okay with it, or at least he didn’t object, but it was mother who made it happen. She cleaned, remodeled and…