Listen to Clarke Smith, age 9, describing the pandemic: 

    "Like looking both ways 
     before crossing the street 
     and then getting hit by a submarine." 

Wow. What a great quote. 

Can you relate? Did you get hit by a submarine? Was…

Hooray For Dads 

"If you ever want to torture my dad, tie him up and right in front of him, refold a map incorrectly." 
- Cathy Ladman 

"I asked my dad for a BB gun, but he said we were…

This piece about the Five Universal Laws Of Human Stupidity had me laughing out loud in a couple of places. It's more perceptive than funny, but still quite amusing, and explains a LOT.

The Five Universal Laws Of Human Stupidity

…

Still hard to believe this actually happened. But I have proof! (See link below to article.) And I still have the 45 rpm record I caught when Roger Daltrey threw them into the audience from the stage.

I was in…

I hope you're in the right line!  😁 

In This Issue: 

1. May The Month Be With You 
2. Great Opening Lines 
3. Scotland Tour Update 
4. Bonus Humor

"In honor of Tax Day, Hardee’s offered free breakfast biscuits if…

"Best Travel Memoir of the Year!"
- Greg Tamblyn Officially Unbiased Book Reviews

My sister Claudia and her husband Roger spent 2 years in a remote outpost of The Ivory Coast, West Africa. Roger is a talented, published writer. A…

I'm coming up on a big milestone birthday, and honestly, I can't believe it happened so fast. 

Maybe you can relate. 

This is NOT to say I'm bummed, discouraged, or otherwise moody about this. I'm actually okay with it. My…

SILENT CELEBRATION 

It's nearly midnight on the 5th of July 

Some fireworks still boom in the distance 

But here in my yard it's quiet and dark 

And all I can see are these beautiful sparks 

…

About once a year I get a group of fun-loving, forward-thinking folks together for a group adventure to someplace exotic or interesting. In 2019 it was Ireland. 

I can safely say we had a blast. It's hard not to…

Here's a lovely little piece of poetry I heard while hosting a group trip to China:

Let all things be healthy,

Let all things be peaceful. 

Be sure to count your blessings at least once a day.

Forgive those who…

Just about everybody wants to get more sleep, right?

Well, turns out it helps to know if you're a Lion, a Bear, a Wolf, or a Dolphin.

No, we're not talking totem animals or cub scouts. We're talking chronotypes…

Probably because it's almost Easter, I just received an email about a brand of candy called Peeps. Honestly, I had to google it. Never heard of it. But it seems to be a big deal. Very big seller.

Amazingly…

If you're still in circulation, still on the market, doing the dating tango, here's a bit of helpful advice.

"Follow your dreams.
Except for the one where you're naked in church."
- Rev. David Ault

For reasons which will become clear, that's an especially apt quote to begin this little story about big money - or the lack thereof.

…

People ask me all the time what's an easy way to be more playful and spontaneous. How can they have more fun every day, when their lives are so busy and the news is so serious?

I tell 'em that…

The Navajo have a unique tradition which sums up everything good and noble about us humans. 

When a baby is born, it is regarded as the ultimate, precious gift and must never be abused. From the moment of birth, the…

Today you are You, that is truer than true. 
There is no one alive who is Youer than You. 
- Dr. Seuss 

There’s a part of every thing that wants to become itself; the tadpole into the frog, the chrysalis…

A few days after 9/11, I was scheduled to give a presentation to 200 people. Everybody had been watching TV all week, and their heads were filled with those tragic images. People were depressed and shell shocked. There was no…