Category Personal
Harry’s Three Vacations
August 13, 2006 This is a story about Harry Cross, who I worked with at a civilian agency when I was in the Air Force. Harry went to the dentist every six months, had perfect teeth. He would flash a toothy smile when returning from his check-up and say, “Perfect.” But he also prided himself […]
F.X. Matt
January 17, 2001 F.X. Matt II died yesterday. He was a brewer, a poet, a reader and a gentleman, and my life is richer for having known him. We met when I was writing advertising copy for an agency that had the F.X. Matt Brewing Company account. I was touted to him as someone who […]
My Desert Island Library
Updated April 20, 2012 These are the people that I, as a reader, watcher and listener, have come to treasure. I place them here in alphabetical order, because it would be too hard to rank them, and, after all, this is not a race. Plus, the alphabet provides some amusing pairings. Some writers are special […]
Deckoupage
May 27, 2009 Every summer, I have to paint our porch and deck with Olympic Wedgwood Blue. To begin, I need a sunny weekend and a gallon of the paint from Lowe’s, where I have to pass an annual Trial by Sales Clerk. Last summer, the paint man said flatly, “They don’t make that color.” […]
Adventures in Genealogy
:: My Father’s Side: Winship Family :: Lyonel (Lyonnel) Winship was born in 1587 in Wilton Hall, England and died in 1637 in Walden, England. Edward Winship (1) (March 13, 1613 – December 2, 1688) was the youngest son of Lyonel’s five children. He was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, and died in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He […]
Big Fish
Clair Winship holds a muskellunge he caught in Hadley Bay, Chautauqua Lake, in September of 1955. This will give you an idea of what my grandfather could do with a bamboo fishing pole from a rowboat. The news account noted that the fish was 51 inches long, weighed 32 pounds, and was hooked on a […]
Blueberry
October 6, 2000 I never thought I would bond with a bird, but I did, and now I’m paying the price. Blueberry, our parakeet, died last night and the house seems terribly quiet. For 12 years, he was a good friend and an active part of the household. He greeted us when we uncovered his […]
Falcon Park
A late summer discovery, and don’t I feel like an idiot for waiting all this time, was Doubledays baseball over in Auburn. We caught the last game of the season, and can’t wait for next Spring. Falcon Park, its players and fans are everything baseball should be. Parking is free! Every seat is a good […]
Travel Letters
Excerpts from my travel letters :: Bermuda, 1977 :: My girlfriend made the arrangements; all I had to do was get on the plane. She even arranged for mopeds. Because I had never been on a moped, I drove it up and down the parking lot, just to be sure I could stay upright, and […]
Boom Boom Mex Mex
The next time I get married, I’m registering at Boom Boom Mex Mex. Forget the china, the silver, the crystal; I want tacos. And maybe another t-shirt, because they have great t-shirts; I have seven. But I’m getting ahead of myself. A long, long time ago, Tom Bryan walked away from journalism and photography to […]
Faithful Readers 