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NAME RECOGNITION IN AMERICA EXPLAINED, TO BE OR NOT

July 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Two nights ago I watched Hamnet from the blue velvet couch. It’s about Shakespeare, which isn’t a spoiler. At least it shouldn’t be. With one of the more helpful movie openings, it explained that Hamnet and Hamet are the same name. The same. So I was set. Hamnet it is?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: belgium, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, college, denmark, education, family, feeling, Florsheim shoes, france, german, hippies, learning, Love, millennials, music, Oregon, paella, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, problems, Shakespeare, social change, Social media, Spain, spanish rice, story, travel, twitter, Vietnam War, wife, writer, writers, writing

NOT LOST, BUT STILL A HISTORY OF LOSING

July 7, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

You are not lost if you still have enough gas in the tank and sunlight in the sky to keep going. But, not everyone agrees. I chalk it up to those who’ve experienced enough losing to know the symptoms. They’ve seen losers, been losers, and know what they’re talking about when they call you a […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: attention, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Death, education, facebook, family, fitness, history, interests, kids, learning, lost, Love, not lost, personal history, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, real life, Social media, wife, writer, writers, writing

ALL EYES ON THE AMERICAN WORLD CUP, JULY FOURTH

July 5, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Did anyone leave a 4th of July gathering to watch some World Cup action? France v Paraguay? Canada v Morocco? Me neither. I had to take my dog home before a bunch of kids filled up the backyard. The games were already on.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 4th of July, American, american world cup, Baby Boomer blogger, basketball finals, beautiful game, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, canada, facebook, family, france, history, July Fourth, morocco, Oregon duck football, paraguay, party house, Portland, red zone, soccer fan, Social media, sports, sports fan, twitter, watch party, wife, world cup, writer, writers, writing, youtube

MY TOP JULY FOURTH: 1976

July 2, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

In 1976 July Fourth found me living in Philadelphia, of all places. I was standing in the audience listening to President Ford address the nation from the Liberty Bell. I was a regular Army private two months from being discharged after two years. My uncle, a career Marine, was with me. It felt different than […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 4th of July, Army, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, facebook, family, July 4, July Fourth, liberty bell, Marine, philadelphia, president ford, Social media, wife, writer, writers, writing

PIECES OF A LIFE TOGETHER, AND ‘THE PAST’

June 30, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

If you spend enough time with someone you may eventually get the feeling of living a life, of sharing a life, together. With that in mind, why wait until the last minute to get, or give, the flowers. Is there a plan for how to do that? How do two people put those pieces together? […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, facebook, family, feeling, fitness, good husband, history, husbandry, learning, life together, living a life, Love, MARRIAGE, marriage husbandry, married, millennials, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, sharing, Social media, story, the past, together, tranquillity, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE TO WRITING AN EVERYDAY BLOG

June 25, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

An everyday blog is just what it sounds like: Every. Day. Like most things worth pursuing, it takes tenacity and creativity to make something worth writing into something worth reading. No problem, write. Right? But, there’s more.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, creativity, culture, culture shock, dream, education, English major, everyday blog, facebook, family, history, late seventies, learning, life, Love, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, proper perspective, Social media, tenacity, travel, wax museum, wife, writer, writer dream, writer's block, writers, writing, youtube

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

A SECOND LOOK AT “THAT AIN’T RIGHT”

June 22, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

What’s a second look at this garage arrangement tell you? What’s missing: a fitness area with a treadmill, squat rack, work bench, maybe a couple of cars stacked on a lift, and a designated music area with guitars, drums, and amps all ready to go. Not to say this garage is lacking anything, but it […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accidental hoarder, aspirational goal, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blog, blogger, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomer please, boomerpdx, clutter, education, family, generational clutter, goal, mt hood, mt.st.helens, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, portland mountain, second look, story, writer, writers, writing

CLEAN LIVING FOR A QUIET LIFE

June 13, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Clean living is an art form, and like all art it takes practice. Yes, we’re talking about practice. It takes practice to talk without a particular tone, without too much edge. Do that and you may have a productive conversation. Go ahead and save the tone and edge for people you don’t know, who don’t […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, clean living, education, family, fear, learning, life experience, life story, MARRIAGE, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, quiet life, wife, writer, writers, writing

I READ THE NEWS TODAY OH BOY

June 12, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The news today is all about world events. News organizations deliver it every day with the same hype and urgency. News hounds consume every detail and load it onto the pile they carry in case someone asks them ‘what’s up?’ That’s when you brace yourself for the headlines as if they’re coming from an anchorman. […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boyfriends, education, family, family reunion, girlfriends, good life, grandkids, high school, kids, learning, life, lifelong guide, married, memory, news, news today, sassy, smart, stories, story, women