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Featured
Bumble Be Big
“Bumble”. He’s 14 months young, … and huge. Walking by his rather small car cradle the other day outside Sam’s Club, I was drawn to Bumble’s puppy face. You would’ve been, too, had the owner’s permission been granted in your favor as well. The kind gentleman loading boxes of goodies into the back of a… Read more
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Razor Thin
One issue stuffed in a crisis envelope. This stressed, mental note has been finding its destination in my voicemail recently. More than three times these past two weeks, my dad has been calling about this one recurring problem. I am happy to hear his voice. It doesn’t matter to me what the issues are. Most… Read more
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Bob
The Dream restaurant in Hollidaysburg, Pa. will be the same going forward, but not really. Their turkey dinner, meatloaf, and lemon pepper chicken – along with all the other fine meals offered daily – will continue to fulfill everyone’s hungry expectations. Breakfast on Mondays with “my crew”, most certainly, can continue – albeit with just… Read more
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…We’ll Go With That
A few days since writing about dad. Not bad considering dad’s struggle with dementia. Life, for both of us, has been predictable. His life’s schedule pretty much the same: three squares a day, two daily activities, a nap here-and-there, etc … my hours filled with concession events, music obligations, planning and follow-ups. This week has… Read more
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Clearly, You See?
It was strange. When one sees something not right – out of the ordinary, for example – it’s only right to ask, “Why?”. Whether this is silently questioned in an inquisitive mind, or asked out loud, it must be answered. Such was an encounter the other day when I casually walked into a room for a… Read more
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A Lot of Room with a View
Out past Tyrone, Pa., a few miles from Port Matilda is where I find myself. Beside rt. 55ON if headed toward State College is the Way Fruit Farm. It’s an overcast, semi-humid car show, food truck, music festival kind-of day. A lot of room for folks to meander about, sample some excellent food (in their… Read more
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The Hole Truth
There’s a well-worn joke I like to tell: “Why should you always have an extra pair of socks in your golf bag? In case you get a hole-in-one”. Ok, so not bad. Not good. Just so-so? Holes have been popping up lately in various, even homophonic, forms this week. I’ve heard, “You’re not going to… Read more
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Perfectly OK
“Hey, it’s Dad. You should come in. There’s a guy playing the piano in about an hour. Thought you might enjoy it” Hard for me to resist. As a pianist, this message from dad garnered my musical attention. I do get flyers from his facility noting special events and didn’t notice this, however, things change.… Read more
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My Friend at the Tower
(Before reading the following, there’s an update. Ron DiFrancesco is now my friend. He is the last known survivor of the south tower. I didn’t Google. Strangely enough, no more than two hours after posting this blog, a video appeared on my Meta feed. Unsearched. Unasked. And now, unmasked in my world. I have no… Read more
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Twenty-one, Or So
“I have plenty of stuff here that can be used. Whenever you have time to look at it. No big rush”. Another message. Another twenty-one, or so, words gratefully left on my voicemail Friday. I don’t interpret these words to mean anything other than dad reaching out for verbal companionship – for a connection. Words,… Read more
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Buckets and Pails
“With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.” — [Oscar Wilde] I hope this never comes to pass with dad. Meaning, he should never, ever, feel left alone – abandoned by his family. Notably, this son. Dementia has a pail-full of confusing problems. I don’t have a ladle big enough to scoop out enough… Read more
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Nothing Can Be Something. Just Don’t Know What?
There’s nothing like nothing. Pretty much a whole day wasted on bills, errands, to-dos, and miscellaneous, mindless meddling in necessary life’s mundane activities. One planned trip around a corner branched off into two more “why not since here?” scurries to other “whys?” in the road where, of course, another destination awaited. It’s not those payments,… Read more
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Konnor & Kars
It was a Konnor Griffin night at the Altoona Curve ballpark Sunday. Granted, a rehab assignment for the star Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, but an important fan event locally. Over 7,000 fans packed People’s Natural Gas field to see this phenom swing a bat and field a few ground-outs before his expected return to the steel… Read more
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Enjoying the Fine Line
This is a wonderful arrangement of, “How Great Thou Art”. Mark Hayes has to be one of my favorite writers / composers of piano music. His ability to transfer musical ideas into playable, albeit moderate to advanced, finger-fun keyboard merriment is nearly unmatched. I search out his works. My library is stuffed full of well-creased,… Read more
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They’re Little, Little
It’s not uncommon to see a family of deer in our neighborhood. Usually four – a mom, dad, and two fawns. They wander about in back yards, a local graveyard, grassy areas surrounding evening walkabouts, and an elementary playgrond. During this particular evening, an after dinner stroll was, apparently, necessary near our high school. The… Read more
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Is It Just Me?
It can’t be just me. Driving for most of all forty-five years since giving up my skateboard at age sixteen – as most sexagenarians – I’ve been successful at staying in my own lane. Save a few miles of mishaps and minor ticket travesties, vehicular events have been .. well .. uneventful and mundane. Here… Read more
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