In Memorial To An Astounding Friend
In Memorial To An Astounding Friend
Category: Grandparents
Connie and Billy ~ A Christmastime Story
Connie and Billy A Christmastime Story This is the story of Connie and Billy. Don't be fooled by the names. Connie was a guy and that’s an important fact. Billy was a lady ... and that’s important, too. They spent decades together. That’s what matters most. They met in church ... on Christmas Eve. … Continue reading Connie and Billy ~ A Christmastime Story
A Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer ~
The Original Thanksgiving Proclamtion After the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day is our most observed national holiday. The tradition harks back to the colonists of Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts, who, after their first harvest, held a celebratory feast in the fall of 1621—a three-day celebration in which local Native American chiefs and tribesmen participated. But the … Continue reading A Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer ~
The Squish
I was startled to be there … on the floor. Flattened like a beaten boxer. Surrounded by chair legs and sofa bottoms. Gawked at by books that had been leaning on each other for years. On my back in the autumn dusk. Mattressed on my favorite carpet … gazing up at recessed-lights that looked … Continue reading The Squish
Water Your Children
Enter a caption When I was a kid, trouble had no trouble finding me. “Trouble” might be too strong. Call it mischief. Or devilry. I never thought I was doing anything wrong-wrong. I was just doin’ different stuff. So … so I got into different trouble. You gettin’ this? “There is always one … Continue reading Water Your Children
Kidhood
Kidhood should happen when you turn nine … maybe ten. And last until the day you turn fourteen. Then it’s over. Done. That’s when everything you’ve learned starts to count. For real. Tommy Scott taught me to follow directions … by diagramming touch-football plays on my bony chest … with his stiff index-finger. The McCann … Continue reading Kidhood
The Cracks In My Heart
“But you saw no fault … no cracks in my heart And you knelt beside … my hope torn apart But the ghosts that we knew ... will flicker from view And we'll live a long life” My father’s name was Connie … and he was impossibly strange. Black Irish. Latin features ... Roman nose, … Continue reading The Cracks In My Heart
Unhurry Your Child …
I am not so young anymore. I lug around lots of memory stuff ... flashbacks I mostly keep to myself because ... because they're only important to me. But sometimes I see something ... or hear something ... and I have a " if only I knew then, what I know now" moment. So I … Continue reading Unhurry Your Child …
Kiss The Fish
You gotta kiss the fish. That’s how summer starts. With a kiss. That was the ritual of the boy and his grandfather. And then it was on to ponds and lakes and streams. A few hours here ... and a few more there. Almost always spur of the moment, grab-the-poles, hit-the-road decisions. Wedged in between … Continue reading Kiss The Fish
Silver Brushes and White Hair
I’ve out-lived my father. Isn’t that the saddest achievement? My sons are wonderful men. But they missed out on him … and he missed out on them. Bad timing. He was gone before they had a memory-card. I know something for certain. A strange something. Had he lived for a few more decades … … Continue reading Silver Brushes and White Hair
Missives Worth Reading 