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MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE BOYS AT 19

May 25, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Memorial Day is good time to remember what it is and who it’s for. From Google AI: The average age of war dead in World War I was approximately 26 to 27 years old, depending on the nation and the stage of the conflict. While the average age hovered in the mid-to-late twenties, more […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Belgian, belgium, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Flanders field, follow orders, historical, history, history channel, Korea, memorial day, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Stella, stella Artois, story, talking orders, travel, Vietnam, wife, writer, writers, writing, wwi, WWII

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

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS FOR PLUMB, LEVEL, AND SQUARE

May 18, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The high school class I regret not taking? Shop. Woodworking. Construction. Why the regret? I bought a table saw. It’s piece of machinery people in their thirties and forties buy because there’s something missing in their life: They’ve never built anything. The table saw is also famous for kick-backs that send a piece of lumber […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, carpentry, construction, construction industry, education, framing, high school, history, kids, learning, level, Love, lumber, plumb, Redmond High School, safety, square, trades, useful, wood, woodworking, writer, writers, writing

VOTERS’ PAMPHLET OR VISION OF THE FUTURE

May 17, 2026 by David Gillaspie

What do you do when the voters’ pamphlet arrives in the mail? Ignore it because you already know who to vote for? Open it up to see who in the world would put themselves up for election? Or read it in search for better candidates for better representation at the local and national level?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: American, american citizenship, Baby Boomer blogger, best choices, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, citizenship, constituents, dog, education, elected office, elections, future, generations, history, ignorant, mid term elections, millennials, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, Social media, stupid, vote, voter, voters, voters' pamphlet, wife, writer, writing

MY BEATLES MARATHON

May 14, 2026 by David Gillaspie

First off, it didn’t start as a planned Beatles marathon. I hadn’t even thought of it when my wife came home and said, “This is the same music I heard when I left this morning.” Me: Hey Siri, play The Beatles for two days. No, I didn’t say that. Nobody says that, but here we […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Beatles, beatles marathon, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, ed Sullivan, history, husband, LA, MARRIAGE, media distractions, new music, small town, Social media, the Beatles, wife

MAY 1986, THE LAST WEDDING

May 10, 2026 by David Gillaspie

It was a cloudy, wet, day, in May 1986 for the last wedding. Like so many raised on the Oregon coast, a cloudy, wet, day, is good luck no matter where you are. Everything was done, everything set in Sandy, from rented morning coats to a rented preacher. The preacher was a second choice.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, family, history, last wedding, Love, MARRIAGE, wedding, wedding anniversary, wedding day, wedding vows, wife, writer, writers, writing

SHARING SPECIAL DAYS, EVERY LAST ONE

May 9, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Special days have special meaning which don’t hit the same for everyone. For some it’s repeating, “Why bother,” for the fortieth time. Others like to say, “I thought we’ve moved past all that.” But you still find those looking for something special in every day, and keep looking until they find it. Hell or high […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: anniversary, Baby Boomer blogger, bliss, boomer bliss, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, dear readers, education, family, fingers crossed, gift ideas, history, learning, Love, love notes, MARRIAGE, Oregon, party, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, readers, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing, youth culture

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 HEROES START HERE

May 6, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Calling North Bend a small town is a disservice to real small towns everywhere. Driving south on 101 and crossing the North Bend Bridge takes you under this sign. If you’re not paying close attention and keep going the same direction, the entire area of the largest metro complex on the Oregon coast feels like […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Coos Bay, davidpdx, family, high school wrestling team, history, married, memory, North Bend, North Bend Bulldogs, Oregon, Oregon Coast, remember, state champion, still alive, the future, travel, wife, working, wrestling, wrestling team, writer, writing

READING HISTORY LIKE IT MEANS SOMETHING?

May 5, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Reading history is the same as reading a story, but it comes with a bonus: You can check the validity of the history story, check the sources, visit the places history happened and is still happening. When old people check sources it’s because they have nothing else to do? Baby boomers visit historical sites not […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accomplished writers, addiction, America, Baby Boomer blogger, blue book, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, chaucer, college classes, davidpdx, drug addict, drunk, education, energy, history, new yorker, paris, playboy, reading, reading a book, reading history, stoned, story, the Canterbury Tales, time, wife, writer, writing, WWII