Life in the fast lane--where's the on ramp?

By Pat_B - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Thursday, November 28, 2024

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: The day before Thanksgiving as I crossed the parking lot in front of Walmart, I heard the sound system belting out a Christmas carol. "Joy To The World" filled the air -- one powerful solo baritone voice, without any accompaniment. And then I realized it wasn't the sound system at... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

The Housing Office at SIUE: One Student's Story

It was the late 1960s-early 1970s when we got a call from an incoming student. Joe was calling from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, requesting a ride to campus. Oh, he said. Be sure to use a vehicle that can handle a wheelchair. The Americans with Disabilities Act had not yet become law.... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, November 25, 2024

STUNNED BY BEAUTY

We'd gathered for a family dinner at a local restaurant one Sunday afternoon, my son Rich and his two kids. Amy, 13 and Matt 11, sat across from me, and we were all concentrated on the fried chicken this cafe was famous for. A group from the next table had got up to leave when the dad of the family... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, November 23, 2024

Family Feud

Family Feud, "let's hear it for Steve Harvey!" is a major program on the Game Show Network. There are others; Wheel of Fortune, Flip Side, Beat The Bridge, etc. Some use trivia questions, the Feud uses surveys of 100 people on topics that rely on common experiences and typical reactions: what would... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, November 22, 2024

Smarts

Mama brought my baby brother home from the Navy base hospital when I was five years old and put him in my arms as I sat in the middle of her big bed. I thought he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Jimmy was 2 years younger than my little sis Rosalee. Later on, when I was 13, Rose was 10... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Teddy Bears' Picnic

"If you go down in the woods today, you'd better not go alone. It's lovely down in the woods today, but safer to stay at home, for every bear that ever there was is sure to be there for certain because today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic." Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

THIS 'N THAT

We got along ok in the days before social media. Yes, it did take longer to get the news from distant family. Back when Grandma Lucy was a child, around 1899, folks wouldn't learn their cousin had joined the Jesse James gang and become a train robber until months later, maybe only after the... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Well, dammit!

Yesterday I could not think of a single topic to post here. No little merry sunshine ideas to help us all get through the challenges we are facing. No useful thoughts about how to hunker down and manage the holiday season, although now would be a good time to get your covid, flu & other shots before... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Old Dan and Rosie

Old Dan was a plow horse, going on nine years of age, which was the age of respectability on the farm. He'd pulled the plow in the Missus' garden from the time he was barely a colt. He knew the lady's pattern and could have done the job by himself if there'd been a way to hold the plow steady and... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Robert Burns, poet

Mama used to quote the Scots poet she called Robbie Burns, one line I remember hearing her say - perhaps aloud to herself, perhaps for the benefit of her children - was this one. "The best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay." She didn't bother to make it easier for our uneducated ears to... Sign in to see full entry.

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