A few days before we departed our cruise ship, my throat felt sore. This is normally my first symptom of an oncoming head cold. By the time we docked at Singapore, I had a drippy nose and weeping eyes. My wife, with similar symptoms, tested negative for Covid and the flu. We did not have a fever nor …
Longevity
I am aboard a cruise ship heading northwest along the Indonesian coast towards Singapore, our departure destination. For eighteen days, we have been pampered in a comfortable cabin that is twice daily cleaned and restaurants stuffed with more food and drink than one ought to consume. We participated …
Australia
I am currently aboard a cruise ship heading west along the southern coast of Australia, almost halfway between Melbourne and Perth. This region has few cities and is mainly composed of semi-arid farmlands inhabited more by kangaroos than people. We first flew to Sydney, Australia’s most populated …
Respect
When I turned sixteen, I obtained my Texas driver’s license. I did not own a car, but my parents let me drive one of their cars when I needed transportation. They paid for gasoline, insurance, and maintenance, something I could not afford. In return, I had to run family errands and keep the cars …
A New Year
Another year has passed and 2026 is now here. All the messiness of the past year is replaced by the hope the new year brings. After I reviewed my 2025 goals, I was struck by how few I completed. I am goal-driven and normally, my goals would be dutifully checked off. Yet, last year I rarely glanced …
German Christmas Markets
Last week, my wife and I flew to Frankfurt and spent a week at the German Christmas markets (Christkindlmarket orWeihnachtsmarkt). Our Ft. Worth traveling friends joined us in this adventure. It has been ten years since our last visit and we were not disappointed. We rented a car and after stopping …
Tetherball
When I was in elementary school, I loved recess. No matter how dreadful the weather was outside, I looked forward to playing with my friends. We climbed the monkey bars, chased each other, jumped hopscotch, and shot basketballs. But what I really looked forward to was playing tetherball. I raced …
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. While commercialism tries to infiltrate it, it remains a day of the four F’s: Feasting, Family, Friends, and Faith. I placed the feasting first because food is the central theme for the gathering of family and friends. The kitchen aromas infuse Thanksgiving Day: …
Books
I don’t use social media, although it is a popular way to quickly communicate to the masses. Sadly, there are individuals who disrespectfully write on social media that most people would never say directly. Acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938), the Princeton University Roger S. Berlind ’52 …
Health(y)
Last week, I went to see my physician for my annual physical. For me, this is usually a non-event; my physician spends five minutes doing a physical exam, then quickly goes over my blood work and medications. She crams physicals into her normal busy day and must hurry due to her many patients. I …