I don’t own an umbrella – the hand-held, folding umbrella. To be honest, I kind of see an umbrella as…
Recently when I was in Tampa Florida at a Marriott hotel, I had an experience that shocked me. I went…
Have you seen the movie The Help? If you have not, see it. Based on the 2009 historical fiction book…
Whenever I spend time in the South I am struck by Southern manners. It is so gracious. And it is…
I became exposed to beignets during my recent trip to New Orleans Louisiana and Jackson Mississippi. Believe it or not,…
Charles R. “Charlie” Morris Charlie was so special. He was so special to me. When I think about mentors in…
Something happened to me recently that just shook me. In fact, it shocked me. I got up at 4am to…
We all have metaphorical mountaintops that we want to climb. But to actually summit a real mountaintop is another matter.…
I love peaches. I do so for two reasons. One, my sister Judy has been called Peaches for more than…
What ever happened to finger bowls? Finger bowl — a bowl of water that dinner guests use to rinse their…
Do you want to live to be 100? Assuming that I have all my faculties and my health, I sure…
A heat wave in Seattle Washington is three days in a row when the temperature gets over 85 degrees. Yes,…
I have about had it. What has happened in this world? People don’t return phone calls anymore. Am I the…
Where are the great hotel lobbies? Immediately I think of the Peninsula Hotel in Manila in the Philippines. What a…
When you think about all the airline flights that you have taken in your life, did you ever have a…
I not only did not attend church this past Sunday, but I have come to realize that I missed the…
Ben Johns is the best male player. Anna Leigh Waters is the best female player. Today I had the opportunity…
Whatever happened to postcards? My childhood friend Clipper and his wife Ellie are leaving next week for what appears to…
Or more accurately, a bad 4 hours. As you may know I am a glass half full type of a…
My Bartell drugstore in Seattle closed abruptly two weeks ago. When I say “my drugstore” I am sharing my feelings,…
During my two weeks in June on Martha’s Vineyard I ate out for lunch six times. Each time in a…
I never expected to learn a lot about ticks this summer but I have. You may ask why. I am…
As all of my readers already know, I love DQ – Dairy Queen. My love for DQ is unabashed and…
You never know whom you are going to see or run into when you are doing the most mundane of…
Who knew that making ice cream could be so easy? I sure did not until this past week when I…
What a jolt to my system. Let me explain. Around 5:30pm yesterday I hailed a taxi near Grand Central Terminal…
Kelsey, Henry and I were treated to a breakfast spread during our stay in Budva Montenegro that was out of…
Look at these masks! They are so phenomenal. They capture your attention immediately. They are so intriguing. They are both…
Who thinks of going to Albania for vacation? Kelsey, Henry and I just spent most of three days in Albania. …
Kelsey, Henry and I were surprised the other night when we realized that we were the only Americans staying at…
My travel partner for the last two weeks, my 34 year old grandson Ian, has left me for other pursuits.…
Cats are everywhere in the cities adjacent to water in southeastern Europe – in the countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia…
For the last 30 days I did not turn the television on. Not once. Not for local news, not for…
We traveled to Bosnia-Herzegovina a few days ago, and I am still processing the experience. On the one hand, the…
I love waterfalls. I am a cataractophile – a person who loves waterfalls. Waterfalls are wonderful. The rush of water…
This is my first trip to the country of Croatia, but one thing is obvious – namely, that there are…
There is definitely an Italian influence in the countries of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. You know how I…
When was the last time you focused on World War I (WWI)? Personally, it has been a long time since…
The last night that Ian and I were in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital city, we had the good fortune of hearing…
What a gem!! What a surprise!! A hidden treasure!! How many Americans have even heard of Slovenia? How many can’t…
As I conclude my two week stay in Paris, I have a few observations that are random and not necessarily…
How can you go to Paris and not go to the Opera? A few nights ago I did just that.…
You are not going to believe this. Yesterday I went into a department store and proceeded to the floor that…
I have now gone to my second museum in Paris on this trip – Paris’ modern art museum, which is…
I, for one, am very aware of the hesitancy and sometimes tension that exists in the relationship between some Americans…
In the past when you traveled and were looking for lodging you had a choice of which hotel to stay…
After spending the last 8 days in Paris without going to a museum, today I finally broke down and went…
My visit to Paris this time has been much different from previous trips to this great City of Lights. In…
I am struck by some of the cultural differences between the United States and France, or I should say, to…
Wow! Have you ever seen anything cuter? Heck no. A rubber duckie. Holy cow! How can anyone resist getting one…