I am a hip, trendy guy. I quickly succumb to new fads and technologies – usually within a decade or two.
Christmas is no exception.
There was a time when I refused to have an artificial tree. Now I have one. There was a time when I disdainfully shook my head at the show-offs who covered their […]

Saturday night Carol and I went to see my mother at the rehab center. She’s been there for several weeks now, since she fell and broke her ankle. Maybe in a couple of weeks she can go home. Before Christmas, God willing.
The rehab center is a wonderful place. It’s called Falling Waters. It’s full […]

First of all, let me apologize for getting this posting up late.
It’s late because I forgot to write it last night. I forgot to write it last night because I was asleep on the sofa. I was asleep on the sofa because I totally conked out after raking my leaves. I guess I slept a […]

One of these days our house is going to disappear into a big hole in the ground with a resounding kerfluuumph.
Not because we live on an earthquake fault or over some old abandoned coal mine. Because of the books. The ever-growing number of books.
They come at us from all directions. Bookstores, garage sales, libraries, friends […]

Well, here it is – the heart-grabbing opening lines from my newest manuscript:

“Mexico by any measure is a giant. It’s population, now nearing 110 million, ranks 11th in the world. It is about three times the size of Texas ― 2.0 million square kilometers, or 761,600 square miles. Its large urban population and growing middle […]

Well, the last of the trick-or-treaters have vacated my neighborhood. Let’s assess the sociological damage:
To my surprise the candy grab started at five and not six. When the first group showed up at the door, my dogs went absolutely berserk. Dudley bit me on the leg and Nellie fled to the basement to hide.
We had […]

I love words. Hard to believe, ain’t it, me being a writer and all? But it’s true enough. When I see a word or phrase I don’t know, I reach for my big American Heritage Dictionary. Or my Roget’s Thesaurus. Or my Random House Dictionary of American Slang. Or one of the many other […]

Casey’s recent “Week in the Life” blog has inspired me to keep track of my own exciting life. Here goes:
Monday: Today I have to get serious about the big marketing report I have to write for my friend in New York. He was my boss back when I was managing editor of Beverage Industry […]

When my father came home from World War II he took over the family farm in Bennett’s Corners, Ohio. It was in shambles. He remodeled the old century farmhouse. Fixed up the barns. Got things growing in the fields again. Found time to marry a “city girl” from Grafton, Ohio. My brother, Don, […]