POP

I was 5 years old and lying in a hospital bed, all alone except for my new puppet, Pinkie. A Pink Lady volunteer had given it to me when visiting hours were over and the nurses made my mom leave, hospital rules. I remember holding Pinky so tight all night, my body tense and still…

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La Nona’s Sweater

In December of 1967, I was living in the small city of Bergamo in Northern Italy. It was a beautiful place, located in the foothills of the Alps. The people living in this community were friendly and hospitable to our group of young American boys (19 – 21 years old). We were living in a…

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Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

I was in the eighth grade at Lincoln Junior High, which had a reputation as a rough and tough school. Our parents were mostly blue-collar workers who worked long, hard hours at jobs requiring lots of time and physical labor. Only a few students had parents with college degrees and desk jobs. Most of the…

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How to Maximize Your Family Pool Time This Season

Warmer weather is here again, and there’s no better time to blow the dust off the backyard pool. Indeed, with several months of wet, rollicking fun ahead of the entire family, it can be all-too-easy to forget about the difficulties of late and throw all caution to the wind. But of course, if you really…

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I Love You Papa

Normally, when our 3-year-old great-granddaughter, Rebecca, sees Cal, a big smile breaks out on her face, then she runs to him, excitedly calling out, “Papa!” as she throws her arms around him. Even through the pandemic we see her most every week, but only on zoom. It’s fun to connect and watch her grow and…

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He Was 92 Years Old

Several years ago, my 13-year-old grandson, Eddie, and I walked to the park near my son’s house in Stuttgart, Germany. Eddie enjoyed writing and dreamed of becoming an author, writing science fiction. He knew I had a little bit of experience writing and wanted to ask me some questions and get some feedback on something…

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