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A BIRTHDAY, VE DAY, FLYOVER PORTLAND DAY

May 9, 2020 by

My dad’s birthday is May 8, so it was a big day before I learned about Victory in Europe, or anything in Europe. It’s still a big day. Sharing his day with the end of the worst war in the history of mankind, where industrialized death became the accepted norm, can’t be easy. Just ask […]

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INVISIBLE BEAUTY: WHAT WE DON’T SEE

April 25, 2020 by

Invisible beauty is all around when I take a walk with my favorite. From the lattice-like leaves of a tiny plant, to clouds, to Mt. Hood, it’s all around for the taking. One of our walks goes past a rosemary bush that needs more trimming than the owner can do, and we love rosemary chicken, […]

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SADNESS AND THE ONLY CHILD ALONE ON THEIR DAY

April 12, 2020 by

The Smothers Brothers comedy team had a routine that fit every family, except only child families, when one said to the other, “Mom always liked you best.” Every brother or sister who hasn’t said that missed a golden opportunity for a guilt ridden jab, deserved or not. In some homes it has to go unsaid […]

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NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY FORGETS THE ONLY CHILD

April 11, 2020 by

Does National Siblings Day mean anything to an only child? I’ve heard talk from only children, about how they long for a brother or sister, how much they miss family when they see others together. If you have brothers and sisters, and hear an adult only child whine about their aloneness, what is your response? […]

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DAD BOSS TAKES A STAND, (with wife’s approval)

April 7, 2020 by

Every dad boss worth a damn had the right woman for back up. Is it true? Sift through the sands in your hourglass for the outstanding influencers in your life. Go ahead, I’ll wait . . . If you remember that teacher, that coach, that neighbor, for their insight on situations good and bad, men […]

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LASTING FRIENDSHIPS FROM ACQUAINTANCE TO UN-DITCHABLE

February 13, 2020 by

Try and remember the first lasting friendships outside your family that left an impression on you; think of someone before first grade. My early years were spent in a college town. My dad was a student with a wife, two kids, and another one born before he got his Bachelor’s.

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BOOMER PARENTS: HOW KIDS LEAVE A MARK

December 19, 2019 by

A peppy forty-nine year old single man was feeling down, feeling the holiday blues. I did what boomer parents do, I butted in; it’s an auto-response. He said he lived too far away from relatives to visit family and make it all better. I could feel his sadness, so I tried to talk him back […]

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LEBANON COOKBOOK IN MY KITCHEN

October 28, 2019 by

The Co-Cooking Cookbook  Growing up in my house, ethnic food meant warming up a can of Spaghetti-Os. More daring was a small town Chinese restaurant that sold more hamburgers than spicy chicken and rice. Then we all grew up and found another way: Books about cooking called a cookbook. Take it another level and invite friends to […]

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CAREGIVER: IT MATTERS MORE IF YOU CARE

October 19, 2019 by

My father in law needed a caregiver when he moved from California to Oregon. Instead of home care, he went to an assisted living home. To mixed results.

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LONDON HEATHROW, LAST LOOK FOR NOW

October 1, 2019 by

The beauty of world capitols like London and Paris shine through on the way out. Not often is the airport one of the most memorable places, and it shouldn’t be, but based on shopping opportunities Heathrow is a must see.

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