Skip to content

Family

May you….

“May you always have: Love to Share, Cash to Spare, And Friends who Care.“ Folk wisdom The photo of me with the 20 foot inflatable reindeer is a retake of the one I posted a few weeks ago without me too show the relative size. Size matters!

The Keys to Happiness

“The keys to happiness are high hopes and low expectations.” This maxim has been revised many times over the 20 years or so I have been writing this blog. I like this new version and I like the idea of thinking about what makes people happy. Other versions of the key to happiness The photo is of Jack Gold’s key collection. He was my father-in-law, he had strong opinions and lived a full life. Much of my happiness I owe to him since he was… Read More »The Keys to Happiness

Happy New Year One

We mourn the death of some of the heroes of our generation. My Auntie Florence was 102 when she died in November. She was the last survivor of my mothers siblings. She was gracious, alert and kind until tthe end. Other deaths in November included; Henry Kissinger, Rosalyn Carter and Charlie Munger. The photo taken in August, 2023 shows Auntie Flo, her son Roger, my brother Tom and yours truly. We were blessed to spend time with her and hear stories of life before and… Read More »Happy New Year One

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my two favorite holidays.  It is not mixed up with any particular religion, there is no requirement to buy gifts and most stores are closed.Have a wonderful day.  Focus on positive things.  For instance we live in a meritocracy.  Most of us have enough to eat.  In our country most civilians are safe and opportunities are abundant.My Thanksgiving wish is that you are surrounded by family and friends and that you can disagree without animosity.

Give Thanks

“Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.” Hansa Proverb Happy Thanksgiving Simon Photo is of a plethora of pumpkins at the Dallas Arboretum a few years ago. Hansa refers to the Medieval Hanseatic League in central Europe.

Encyclopedia

“I’ll look it up in the encyclopedia.” A common phrase from about 1911 until about 2000. Now the encyclopedia has been replaced by Google and the phrase sounds archaic. I call the smart phone the Knows Everything Machine. Photo is of my historic encyclopedia. It is from 1914. At home growing up in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s we had the Encyclopedia Americana. My parents bought it on the installment plan. I remember spending hours reading arcane articles.

Neighborhoods Matter

“A lovely house cannot survive in a bad neighborhood.” Israel has tried to improve the neighborhood and has been thwarted at every turn by Palestinian leaders. They just want all of the Jews gone and are unwilling to compromise. Maybe the countries that emerged from the mess that was Yugoslavia offer some ideas of how to do it. The photo is the oldest know picture of Nurit’s dad and his brother. It’s nearly 100 years old. I don’t know whose profile is above them. It… Read More »Neighborhoods Matter

Auntie Florence

Tom and I went to visit Auntie Florence. She is 102 and is my mothers older sister. Tom is my brother. You can occasionally see Auntie Florence on Facebook, she lives alone but has lots of family nearby to support her. She teased me about being the only one not carrying a fashionable cane. She has collected thimbles her entire life. This photo shows part of her collection: Note the third thimble in from the left on the top row is from Rt 66. I… Read More »Auntie Florence

Happy Anniversary

Forty six years ago we got married and from my perspective it has worked out much better than I had a right to expect. Life is Good

Happy Saguaro Bloom

May 1st is Nurit’s birthday and is roughly the beginning of Summer in Phoenix. The Saguaros begin to bloom which is a wonderful event and this year the Palo Verde trees are covered with yellow flowers. Soon it will be far to hot to spend much time outside after 9:00am.

Pages: 1 2