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BEING USEFUL LIKE ROBERT FULGHUM

June 23, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

This isn’t Robert Fulghum, it’s me being useful in my Robert Fulghum beard which has gone the way of every beard that dared show itself on my face. He is probably a better beard steward than me. My enthusiasm for grooming an extra pet in the house lasts about six months. The last dog lived […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, banality, be useful, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, continuity, education, family, keep writing, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, rational answer, repetition, Robert fulghum, Social media, story, tedium, travel, useful, well known, worth knowing, writer, writers, writing

BETTER LISTENING SKILLS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING

June 16, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

If practicing better listening skills isn’t a life goal, it should be. How hard is it to pay attention? You did it in the classroom with the encouragement of a teacher. I still remember Mr. Kraus singing ‘Toot toot tootsie goodbye’ when he tossed little tootsie rolls to students with the right answer in algebra. […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, better understanding, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, brag, bragging, bro, education, good answer, grave robber, GUITAR, guitar player, history, listening, listening skills, North Bend, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, science, Social media, story, teacher, understanding, wife, writer, writers, writing

OFF THE HOOK IN GOLDEN YEARS?

June 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

As the golden years of retirement stretch out before you there are a few things to keep in mind. Probably more than ten line items, but this is a start. You don’t have to agree with any of them, but pick and choose in any order. I’ll start:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, cooking, education, family, fitness, food, GOLDEN YEARS, history, kids, kitchen, learning, married, mental stimulation, millennials, music, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, recipe, relax, social interaction, Social media, sports, story, twitter, volunteer, wife, workout, writer, writers, writing

SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO WHO?

May 20, 2026 by David Gillaspie

I’ve heard the right message all of my life: Do this and this; don’t do that. Sometimes the right message comes from the right place. Other times?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accountable, alone, Army, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomer blogger, boomers, committed citizens, community, hard part, helpless, message, Oregon, out of touch, personal pride, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, right message, self esteem, travel, vote, voter, wife, writer, writing, your dignity

REMEMBER TO VOTE: BE SOMEBODY

May 19, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Remember to vote at this late date. Late? Well, this is the last day to drop ballots at collection sites. Mine dropped yesterday. Felt pretty good.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, dolled up, education, family, learning, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, remember to vote, Social media, travel, vote, vote today, wife, writer, writers, writing, your house

WRITING TOOLS: THE SHORT LIST

May 15, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Writing tools were easy in the beginning. Either write something worth reading. Or, do something worth writing about. Is there more? There’s always more.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, belief, believe, believer, blog, blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, confidence, family, paint, PAINTER, paris, Picasso, time well spent, wife, writer, writer's confidence, writers, writing, writing habit, writing tools

BASHING CIVIL DISCOURSE TO NEW HEIGHTS

May 13, 2026 by David Gillaspie

How often do you catch yourself in civil discourse and regret what you’ve said? It usually goes something like, ‘this would have been better if I had just stayed on topic.’ That’s the polite self-talk. The other? Not so polite.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, civil discourse, facebook, journalist, muckraker, next time, ON TOPIC, polite, public figure, public life, reporter, self-talk, Social media, stupid, under educated, writer, writing, young people, youtube

THE RUBY ANNIVERSARY LANTERN

May 12, 2026 by David Gillaspie

What’s a ruby anniversary? We’ve all heard of the silver and golden anniversaries, but ruby? Weddings are funny things, and now so are anniversaries. You don’t want any missteps or mistakes, so in service to all matrimonial celebrations:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: anniversary, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, flowers, Meaning, nurture, nurtured, Nurturing, purpose, red light, remember, ruby, ruby anniversary, ruby lantern, ruby the dog, treasure, wedding, wedding anniversary

OLD PORTLAND, YOUNG PARENTS

May 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Make that old Portland, youngish parents. Or not so old Portland, and not so young parents. We weren’t teenagers, but if you ever want to feel like one push a stroller around downtown. With two kids it’s like a double punishment, like sent to your room AND missing dinner. What else?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, education, family, history, kids, Love, MARRIAGE, married, old portland, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, young parents

NORTH BEND IN THE OREGON HISTORY CENTER

March 10, 2026 by David Gillaspie

This is North Bend in 1940. Something is missing, though. I-5 is missing, but there’s something else. These baby boomers and their memory, you never know what you’re getting.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blogger, book, boomerpdx, boomers, family, hwy 101, kids, memory, museums, north bend bridge, North Bend Oregon, Oregon, Oregon Coast, oregon historial society, Oregon History, story