When I was a boy there was a lake you could walk on in the Winter to take the shortcut to school. Mom always told me that she had a friend who lived in an apartment right by the lake and would look out her window and could tell if we had been on that lake. Well, one day it was so cold that the ice froze and there was a large tractor on the lake. I figured it was safe and guided me and my little sister behind the plow...taking the shortcut to school. When I got home, Mom immediately said... Read more ..read more

It was a nice spring day when I experienced something a little strange. I was working in the yard and had a daydream. It stopped me at what I was doing for what seemed like minutes. It kind of felt like a brain fart when you think “what was I doing?” It left me with a question “What are my gifts?” I pondered my green thumb and my ability to build things and then the thoughts drifted away as I trimmed some low branches and busied myself with the yard work. Three days later I was sitting... Read more ..read more

When I was 4 or 5, I beat my cousin out as the youngest member of my family. Then came along a bunch of younger cousins. But that was my grandparents family. When they passed, it was my mom & dad's family. When they passed, my older brother was the oldest. Now, I'm the oldest. My 10 years younger brother is next. Did you go from being the youngest to the oldest in your family ..read more

Sitting have a coffee at Macca's in the outdoor area, young couple walk in, sit down, She has a look I can not describe, pure anger ,mixed with sadness, she says something to him, he picks up her milkshake and tosses it against the wall, gets up, "F..k you, B.tch and storms off. She follows him out ..read more

At a clinic where I have gone for 2 years the business assistant sometimes says flirty comments even though I am over 70 and she is about 40. I say there's a sale on roses she says buy me them. A joke? I say I want to go out to celebrate and she subtly implies with her with eyes. One time she came in posed in the clinic room very sexy hips then left. She is very professional at her job The age gap is too much. And I stopped dating 10 years ago. I'd feel so shy embarrassed to say anything... Read more ..read more

Bringing up children is a stressful thing. There is a young mum I know, we are friends. She has a two year old boy who is adorable. However, she's struggling hugely. I can see it's because she has made him the centre of her life to an excessive level. From her chat I understand she is constantly out of the house with him, spending a lot of money entertaining him. Meanwhile her house is a tip - I've had a cuppa with her a few times and couldn't believe the mess . She openly says she hates... Read more ..read more

I think maternal connection is crucial. Mine was an over demanding, criticising, patronising mother who I grew to resent. She was just never happy for me no matter what, and was a classic narcissist. She undermined my confidence. Do you think your mother shaped who you are today? Mine certainly did ..read more

I'm reading a book about a high profile woman who became ill with a joint disease that she didn't want anyone apart from family to know about as it would impact on her business. She did keep it secret for a long time and she described how surprisingly easy that was. She realised that most people are so focussed on themselves, especially in show business, that they barely notice anything about anyone else. As long as a person smiles, looks ok, it goes unnoticed. It's easy to act a part if you... Read more ..read more

What a great way to volunteer. Much needed health are In a hospital in the Argentine city of Cordoba, a wonderful and obvious initiative is giving babies a more natural environment when they are born into circumstances that are anything but. Placed in an incubator, with mother and father absent due to work, substance abuse, incarceration, injury, or death... Read more ..read more

Today was our 62nd wedding anniversary. A pleasant, quiet day. No big celebration (at our request). We met at age 19 and 17 and married 2 years later. The wedding was very small. Our parents, couple of friends who stood up with us, and the pastor and his wife, Held at the pastor's home on a rainy, cold day. I was given 4 days leave from my ship so our "honeymoon was only 2 days in length. I guess missing all of the trappings didn't hurt too much. We went on to have 4 kids, all in... Read more ..read more