Archive for January, 2010
A Death In A Family
Each day the Christopher Smith family placed a marble in a jar, counting the days their son was deployed in Afghanistan. Less than twenty lined the bottom of the jar when two military officers arrived at their doorstep. Marine Lance Corporal Zachary Smith, 19, and three comrades were killed by a roadside bomb in the [...]
How Mark Twain Saved Heidelberg
In 1945 Allied and Russian troops crushed Germany from the west and east. Berlin, Hamburg, and all the major cities were destroyed by bombers and artillery. General George S. Patton’s 3rd Army roared through the Rhine Valley pummeling Frankfurt and Manheim without mercy. The army raced south and lined its tanks and artillery along the [...]
My Goddaughter
Tomorrow is the baptism of my niece, Alexandra Paige King, and I am the Godfather. Lexi is not a blood relative, but our families are close so ‘Uncle Mark’ comes natural. I am so proud, but a little nervous. This is a Roman Catholic service and according to the rules, “A Godparent must lead a [...]
Perils at Copacabana Beach
Imagine waking just before dawn. The tip of the reddish-orange sun is barely breaking the horizon. Across the street lies an absolutely gorgeous beach curving around a bay of emerald hills. People are gathering at water’s edge enamored with the kaleidoscope of colors lapping on the shores. You join them. Back home there is at [...]
Worst Books of 2009
As a youth I was in the habit of borrowing more library books than I was able to read. My mom insisted that once I opened a book it must be completely read before I started another. This rule was not only a good habit, but it really reduced my library fines. The rule is [...]
Snowfall Derby
For those worrying about the relevancy of newspapers the local Rochester Democrat & Chronicle offers its daily ‘Snowfall Derby.’ The cumulative snowfall, as of today, is 47.9 inches – a six-year high. Unfortunately, we are behind Buffalo and Syracuse, who respectively lead with 48.7 and 57.7 inches. We are not even at the midpoint. The [...]
A Bag of Books
A very welcomed present from a dear friend is a laptop backpack. There are at least three other briefcases, gathering dust somewhere, to protect my PC. This one is a bag for my textbooks. There are four, ranging from eight ounces to five pounds each. Add the computer, notebooks, chewing gum and other needs, and [...]
Romancing A Roll Top
I first became enamored with a roll top desk while browsing through a Norman Rockwell print book as a teen. In the artist’s sentimental style there was a couple applying for a marriage license, a golfer sneaking out of his office, and a doctor diagnosing a little girl’s doll. An oak roll top desk is [...]
