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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 Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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

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

HISTORICAL ACCURACY? IMPORTANT, OR NOT

June 6, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

I’m a fan of historical accuracy, of a story that stands up to scrutiny not opinion, My feeling is that the people involved in historical events deserve the decency of applied history. How to apply history? It’s all about the sources.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accuracy, applied history, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, casual killing, D-Day, decisive leaders, dismissive death, education, family, historical, historical accuracy, history, history sources, Internet, leaders, learning, married, opinion, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, respect, scrutiny, settled history, Social media, story, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing, WWII

FENDER TELECASTER, MORE THAN A FEELING

May 31, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Playing notes and chords on a Fender Telecaster is an act of history. Even more if it’s a butterscotch Tele. Why? Because it has a legacy. It’s an historical artifact, a throwback, brought up to date every year. Playing one puts you in the legacy no matter how long, whether from 1950 to yesterday. But […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: boomer blogger, boomerpdx, dreams, family, fender, fender guitar, fender telecaster, historical legacy, history, hopes, kids, legacy, MARRIAGE, millennials, music, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, story, telecaster, telecaster guitar, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

HELPING OTHERS DO THEIR JOB?

May 26, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Helping others has always been a trend. We are remembered if we help others and you want to be remembered don’t you? Remembered for more than your stunning good looks and colorful repartee? Be helpful. But not too helpful. There is a standard, after all.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, caregiver, customer service, education, family, family caregiver, help, helping, helping others, history, learning, Love, Oregon, over Dave, people pleaser, raving kook, Social media, story, wife, writer, writers, writing

Time beginning, the MIDDLE, and end

May 23, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Where is time beginning every day? Somewhere in England. I was there during one of my drives through the English countryside in a tiny Vauxhall with my wife and two gigantic teenagers inside. Did they enjoy their historical moments in the olde country, their strolls along legendary paths? Yes, they did.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Death, education, end, end of time, English countryside, family, history, kids, learning, live it up, Love, MARRIAGE, middle, new ways, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Social media, time beginning, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

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