As the story goes, when two dominant jungle cats – a tiger and a lion – met in the wilderness, the lion slowly retreated. Was it afraid? No. Each had the potential to kill the other; but, each valued life more. My mother use to say my uncle Lyle, “… had a temper if he wanted to use it.” Her deference for acting out in anger might have come from … Read More

It must have been around the time my folks broke up – I was about 14 – when I first experienced acne. This has been such a routine problem with teenagers, that adults can often forget how devasting it can be to a teen’s psyche – the emotional toll on one’s self-esteem. And, I’m sure if I had grown up with my mom, this affliction would not have been allowed … Read More

John Lennon’s lyrics filled my heart today as I gazed out the restaurant window to see the hectic holiday scene outside … cars racing about parking lots, people in hurried motion and trains going on through. And so, this is Christmas, and what have you done? Happy Xmas (War is Over) by J.Lennon I was resigned to turn away from all this ‘sound and fury’, when I noticed some solitary maple … Read More

This month – on YouTube and elsewhere – an athletic shoe manufacturer promoted the message: ‘Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.’ But, doing something bigger than yourself is not original. “Just do it”, is something that persons of purpose have done forever. We’ve seen evidence everywhere – from St. Mother Teresa to philanthropic billionaire, Warren Buffett.  They represent people wanting to make a positive, sustainable change for the … Read More

“Instant Karma’s gonna get you Gonna knock you off your feet Better recognize your brothers Ev’ryone you meet” – Instant Karma (John Lennon) Enjoying a morning coffee at our local farmer’s market, an elderly woman came and sat next to me. Her bags were filled to overflowing with carefully selected produce: meats, cheeses, breads, eggs… a morning’s worth of effort. Suddenly, getting up, she asks me to look after her bags: … Read More

Sitting, enjoying a beverage at one of our fav places… just getting into the patio season mood… the same waitress, over the years, attending to every need… what could be better! We ask about summertime hours and she used the word “I’m” when explaining her plans to do this, that and the other…  as in, I’m the new owner. Whoa… what! As the evening goes on, intermittently between serving other … Read More