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STILL LIFE CONVERSATION FROM A NOW LATE AFTERNOON

A still life painting is every painting, but not according to the Tate Museum. One of the principal genres (subject types) of Western art – essentially, the subject matter of a still life painting or sculpture is anything that does not move or is dead. A painting may depict action, but when’s the last time […]

SANDCASTLES AT SUNSET

Sandcastles, from the most ornate to a bucket of wet sand turned upside down, all have one thing in common: They don’t last. But instead of mourning the loss of the castle, think of this: You have a chance to build another one, a better one, one that will last. Knowing it won’t last never […]

DESPERADO DAYS, AN OLD SONG FOR CURRENT TIMES

Desperado days come into focus when you ask a millennial if they’ve heard the song before. Maybe it depends on how you ask? “This is my anthem song, my guide in the ’70’s, the song that rang true then and now. Ever hear of Desperado?” I’ll be honest here, if someone asked me like that […]

HOMEWARD: THE DREAM AND THE REALITY

Homeward bound isn’t so much a destination as it is a memory. Sure you can go home, but is it really home if you’re gone a while? Yes it is, and it’s the memory that defines your relationship to where you are. Are you home? Close to home? Check your look in the mirror to […]

DAD VALUE: THE MISSING INGREDIENT IN FAMILY RECIPE

Dad value fluctuates day to day, but one thing is certain: Father’s make a difference. Disagree? Then ask someone you know without a dad, or never knew their dad. I read an article about being raised with love and how it makes a difference when you love someone raised on survival. Had we known then […]

ANGRY MEN: WHAT HAPPENED TO MAKE THEM SO ANGRY

Angry men all come from the same source of disillusionment: “This isn’t what I expected and I’m pissed, y’all.” No one respects you? Grrrr. You don’t have a celebrity lifestyle? Feeling hot. Someone told you you’re getting replaced? Grab a torch. But where does this all start? Look at self-esteem.

LOVED ONES FOR A LIFETIME, AND MORE

Our loved ones leave a mark that doesn’t wash off. After reading about a family losing a son twenty years ago in the World Trade Center, a lifetime doesn’t seem long enough to spend together. From one stage of life to the next, parents stand as witness to their contribution to the human race. The […]

CHECKING OUT THEN BEFORE CHECKING BACK IN NOW

Checking out, dropping out, call it what you will, but leave the back door open. Why the back door? Because you may want to check back in and avoid the scrutiny out front. The nice picture above was not taken at an Amish farm last week, or a pioneer homestead in the 1860’s. Nope, none […]

BABY LOVE: HOW TO SURVIVE THE OUTCOME WITH A SONG

Baby love isn’t about babies, it’s about the first time we feel something about another person. What was ‘that something?’ Baby love, because from a distance, a fourteen year old or fifteen year old is a baby. Big, but still a baby fifty years later. Maybe fifty-one. Was it a special teacher that kindled those […]

AWAKE AMERICA STARTS AT HOME, YOUR HOME ON THE RANGE

After last year it’s time to awake America, time for an awake America? Or time to find a new boogieman? Who remembers the first time someone yelled, “Wake Up,” in your face. If it’s never happened, then never mind, go back to sleep. But if it has happened, was it helpful? Were you asleep at […]