Christmas and Dogs

I was on the sofa so he had to join me. When I got up he watched my every move. If I wander out of his sight, he will get up and follow. It is difficult to understand that kind of loyalty.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Christmas Eve is special when you can welcome it in as it was and has been for over a hundred years. In the 1800's a Congregational minister from this church in Lancaster, Mass, composed this song and generations have been blessed by its message.

My Tree

Come see my Christmas tree!! He helped his daddy put up the tree and he was so proud! For it proved that he was old enough and big enough to help. The youth are in a hurry to grow up. The grown ups are in a hurry to be kids again.

Christmas Present

Christmas past seems so very long ago. My mother was young and full of the Christmas spirit. This Christmas present she reminisces about the past. She recalls past Christmas memories of me, my brother, my sister and loved ones that are no longer with us. Memories can lift our hearts and carry us.

My Boys

My boys are no longer boys, but no matter how old they may be, they will always be my boys.

Ho Ho Ho

It's always fun to visit Santa. It's fun to pretend that you are a kid once again and try to remember what it was that you wanted so many years ago. But if I could have a wish today it would be for joy and peace!

Sharing With Others

We went caroling at a senior center. So many people are lonely and shut in. They opened their doors and came out to join in the singing. No expensive gifts are required to make people feel better. You only have to give of your time.

Christmas in New England

When you walk into the town hall there is a connection to the past. The ancient town hall with its wooden floors that creak under your feet. You can see the streaks of the radiator steam on the huge wooden windows. You are never far from the past because it is part of the present. Christmas in a small New England town is like stepping back into the past and remembering how things used to be done

Three Of A Kind

A full house can't beat this three of a kind. Simply because they are a full house!

What's In A Name

Our office assists members of our community that are victims of domestic violence. I noticed that a boy named Ethan was asking for sneakers for Christmas. And because I have an Ethan, I felt a connection to help this boy.

Monopoly

When I was a boy, I spent my summers playing monopoly and baseball. We were serious about monopoly. We would immerse ourselves in the game and take it very seriously. When Ethan plays, he has that same kind of attitude. This may be the age of digital games but old fashioned board games were the original social networking games.

Sleeping Over

Why is it called a sleep over when there is so little sleep? They ask questions even when they sleep!

Happy Birthday Brendan

Aunt Darcy made a very cool Thomas The Train birthday cake for Brendan's 2nd birthday. His face lit up when he saw the cake placed in front of him with Thomas The Train on top and puffy clouds on the side of the cake.

Water Slide With No Water

A water slide without water, is still a slide. Parents have to be creative and use whatever they have available. Lots of fun!

Cathedral In The Pines

His plane was shot down over Germany in WWII. His family converted his land into a Cathedral where all faiths can worship. They took their grief and used it to help restore peace in others.

Toys In The Attic

Old farms are great places for storing childhood memories.

Apple Picking

When you walk thru an apple orchard you feel a special connection to nature. I am lucky to live out in God's country, it is so refreshing to the soul.

A Forever Love

Nothing can prepare you for seeing your son in a hospital bed. I talked to him last night and he wasn't feeling well. I talked to him in the morning and he was in the emergency room. In the afternoon he had emergency surgery. You wish you could change places, anything so your son doesn't suffer. Prayers have been answered and he is recovering.

A Faceless Hospital

It is a major hospital in the third largest city in Massachusetts. The information desk is not staffed on weekends. You need a GPS locator just to find the unmarked and unstaffed information desk. There are lots of printed maps at the unstaffed information desk that tell you where buildings and rooms are, but no one to tell you where people are.

Pumpkin Squash

Last year he made a fantastic pumpkin pie, from scratch. So this year he had plans to carve up a pumpkin and to make a pie. He carefully selected a pumpkin but the weight of it was more than he expected. I quickly came over to help him and my future pumpkin pie!

Apple Cider Donuts

I got him a half dozen of his favorite apple cider donuts. He ate one and closed up the bag. He said that he wanted to share then with his mommy, daddy and brother. I was never that considerate when I was a boy. I learn a lot from kids.

Kettle Popcorn

It is fall and it is apple time. The orchards are prepared for all of the families that come to pick apples. They have hot cider, apple pie, apple crisp, and Carmel apples. The kettle popcorn is made in the largest kettles that a little boy has ever seen! It was a great time!

A Hallmark Moment

I received a handmade birthday card. I haven't had one of these since his father and uncle were small boys. Little cards from small boys have a very large impact upon those who receive them. Handmade and from the heart, goes right to the heart.

Breakfast At Wee Packet

She always has a stuffed bird with her, everywhere she goes. She is very responsible, even making sure that they wear seatbelts while in the car!

Prince Harry

After Prince Harry was caught partying in Vegas, there was an alleged sighting of the prince partying with Iron Man and some Transformers.

Apple Cider Donuts

It's September and up here in the great North, that means apple picking. But no trip to the apple orchard is complete without some apple cider donuts.

Outsourcing Yogurt

He is looking forward to riding the tractor and cutting grass. So we are making yogurt while waiting for the grass to dry. The fun is in doing things together.

Comfortably Numb

Blue sky above and blue ocean below. Feeling anything but blue.

Hunger Games

Every aspect of breakfast is a game. It begins with walking in the restaurant and ringing the ship bell. Then building pyramids using half and half containers. Then opening and emptying the half and half contains and re-building the pyramids. Then there are the partially opened jelly containers so when you pick them up they spill on you.

Why We Serve

It is a small veterans park in a small town. They asked what was written on the monuments. I told them they were the names of people who served in WWI and WWII that never returned home. They asked if they could play and I said yes, that freedom was what it was all about.

Concert In The Park

Summertime and free concert music at the town center in Harwich, in Cape Cod. It is doing the little things that make for the longest childhood memories.

The Bear Necessities

Cape Cod is heaven on earth. Where children sit and listen to bears that sing and strum the guitar.

Steel Birds

In the middle of Hyannis is a bird made from old silverware, coffee makers and toaster parts. This bird will never fly. But standing behind the bird is a boy who will someday stretch his wings and soar!

Cape Cod Five-O

The Hyannis police department gave junior badges to the new members of their police force. However, there was some confusion as they were expecting to be issued guns to go with their new badges.

Spelling Bee

Her name has two E's and two L's. But the inflatable alphabet letters only have one of each letter. So she improvised. She turned a W sideways so it could be an E and she used an I to be a letter L. She is quite a speller!

Ahoy!

Breakfast with kids is like driving a car with your feet. You are never in control.

Transformers

Deep in the heart of every boy is the desire to be a knight, a cowboy, a baseball player, a transformer or an accountant.

Thus Saith

This was supposed to be Happy Birthday, Jon, David, Faith and Pat. Spelling ain't what it used to be!

Whatever

I was exhausted and closed my eyes to shut out the world. But then I heard her say Grampy! And that's all it took to make me open my eyes and invite the world in. No matter our human condition, the desire to want to be able to enjoy the company of loved ones can lift us up and out from wherever we are.

Taccos

Kids do things that are silly, crazy and funny...and adults don't.

Spell Bound

Some people can read a story and then there are those that can tell a story. They have the ability to hold their listeners in a trance as they make the story and the characters come alive. You can see the excitement in the eyes of the children as they follow along.

Magic Beans

I was treated to a thrilling performance of the Magic Beans. A story about a boy named Jack who bought some magic beans and who had an encounter with a giant! The story was told with such passion! Pillows were piled on the floor to demonstrate the height of the beanstalk. Train tracks were clutched in each hand to act out the battle with the giant. It truly was a moving performance that involved moving every piece of furniture!

Diesel 10

Diesel 10 is a villainous Diesel with a roof-top hydraulic grabber named "Pinchy", that is part of Thomas the Train. Sometimes the best stories are told while waiting for your pizza to be made. 

At The Lake

One of the nice things about Massachusetts are the many lakes. You are never far from one. You can put your blanket under the shade of a tree and go build sand castles. You can look into the clear water and find fish! It is very peaceful at the lake.

Is It Ready?

While in the process of making breakfast I was asked when breakfast will be ready. She then took off her sunglasses, smiled and crossed her eyes. She is very funny!

Dental School

The things we learn from play-doh! After making ice cream that creates cavities, we then learn how to fill those cavities. They had a lot of fun making dental molds and filling the cavities. I do believe that dried play-doh is harder than any dental implant material on the market.

Ice Cream Shop

The creative folks at play-doh, have an ice cream maker. The best part is the sprinkler maker that takes a block of play-doh and grinds it into crumbs. I had green sprinkles, red sprinkles, blue sprinkles, pink sprinkles and rainbow sprinkles. The best part was that no sprinkles went to waste. Why even the rug had a topping of sprinkles. I only wish that the toy engineers that created this toy could share my joy in picking the play-doh out from the rug.

How The War Was Lost

The military experts from the Maine artillery company took defending the coast very literally.

Super Heroes Wear Capes

I was told that super heroes wear capes. And that the good guys have turkeys on their shoulders. Heroes have changed from when I was a boy!

The Chef

The difference between a cook and a chef is the chef's hat. If a man is going to wear an apron, it is best to wear a chef's hat to go with it.