I first met him at the monthly potluck. He was pleasant and affable, willing to engage in social conversation at the drop of a hat. My first impression of him was one of warmth and friendliness. I could tell in just talking to him for a few minutes that this was someone with whom I …more

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My legs were aching as I trudged up the slippery stone steps. The enclosed spiral staircase, dank and claustrophobic, ascended one-hundred and twenty steps up to the top of the ancient castle. It was proving to be more of a challenge than I had anticipated. Occasionally I would thankfully step aside and lean against the …more

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One thing about retirement is that it gives you a lot of time. Suddenly you have to come up with something to occupy yourself during the hours and hours of those long retirement days. For some it’s easy. They just transition into retirement by throwing themselves into a lifelong hobby which they could only dabble …more

Green! That is what I remember most about that day; the vastness of the empty space, the long trudge to the grave site, and the green lawn sprawling out in all directions. What a lonely place, I remember thinking, for my grandfather to be laid to rest. I was seventeen years old and had just …more

I love the movies! Ever since I was a boy growing up in our small farming town in Southeastern Idaho, I’ve been enthralled with the big screen. My mother would drop me off at our local theater on Friday nights with a quarter in my pocket; 20 cents for the movie ticket and a nickel …more

Section 107, Row 23, Seats 22 & 23. There they were! Sitting on my desk in two neat folders. Two sets of fifteen tickets. Each in three gleaming, colorful perforated sheets. It was exhilarating to see them there … next to a pile of bills, a couple of pieces of scratch paper with some scribbling …more

Have you ever gone to a place that leaves you speechless? Have you ever seen something that makes you stop what you are doing and causes you to sit up and take notice? Have you ever turned a corner and suddenly found yourself muttering “oh my God” under your breath? The setting, the scenery, the …more

The words were strangely out of place. Amid the whir of the air blowing from the overhead air vents and the cranking, sawing sound emanating from underneath us, the young man’s cheerful voice extolling the virtues of eating a pine cone every day distinctively caught my attention. It was the night before Thanksgiving and everyone …more