An Alligator Where?
My second-grade teacher kept an alligator in a trap door under her desk. At least that was the rumor, and I for one believed it! This might explain, at least in part, why she scared the heebee jeebees out of me. To make things simple, I’ll call her Mrs. Cinder. I did not do…
Read MoreSafe Habits: How to Help Your Kids Make Good Decisions
Safe habits and healthy choices are something every child needs to learn, but it’s not always easy to show young people the way. Whether it’s how to make good decisions about the food they eat or how to stay safe when they’re behind the wheel, it’s important to help your kids understand the value of…
Read MoreA Boy’s Life
As the only boy in my family, I always felt sorry for myself because I was surrounded by three sisters and no brothers. I love my sisters but truth be told as I was growing up I had very few commonalities with them. For example: I was not interested in spending time talking about boys;…
Read MoreTrain Station Musings
In December 1966 I was living in Italy and had just moved to the small city of Salerno, about 50 kilometers south of Napoli. I met up with another young American with whom I would be working, and we had just set out to hunt for an apartment when it happened, a sudden attack of traveler’s…
Read MoreBut I Saw It with My Own Eyes!
Our daughter Ally was four years old, and it was Christmas Eve. The stockings were hung (on the chair – no chimney in our little basement apartment). The cookies were baked, carefully arranged on a plate, and set out for Santa with a glass of milk and a letter (and a carrot for the reindeer).…
Read MoreBraggadocio
A group of hunters were sitting around the campfire after a hard day hunting. Eventually the conversation turned to their dogs and who had the smartest one. The first hunter started the bragging by talking about his Irish Setter. “When I send him to the store to buy eggs, he knows me so well…
Read MoreChoke to Death
Mrs. Bouck, my fifth-grade teacher, had a profound and positive impact on me, even though many of her teaching techniques would no doubt be unacceptable today. In fact, if she were one of my grandkids’ teacher, I’m certain I would be leery if she was still using some of her same approaches. However, my grandkids…
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