My Life shared with Five Cats! Oh My!

So we have five cats, four of them are male and one is female, One cat, Fenwick, the neurotic, stays away from the rest and lives in one room in the rear of the house. He used to be picked on, and was terrified of the other cats, but now he is happy in his little room. Often he is hard to find as he hides places you would never think he would fit, especially when he knows the vacuüm is coming! Of the other four cats one, Liam, is beloved.One James is semi-beloved. James is the brother of the neurotic Fenwick. The other two are Cow and Gabrielle. Cow, is black and white and the size of a small heifer. Think Kliban cat…… Read More

Books that “Rocked Your World”!

Narcissus and GoldmundThis morning is was thinking about reading and books that “Rocked your world”, well maybe not rock your world, but those that opens your eyes, maybe make you see the world in a new light. Books that touch you! One of the first books of mine that came to mind was, Jonathan Kozol’s Death at an Early Age. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve read but I remember at the time, this book revealed conditions that I really didn’t know existed and I remember being so touched by Kozol’s actions! Just recently that’s what Stones into Schools did for me. It smacked me in the face with the conditions that people live under in both Pakistan and Afghanistan and their need for and their thirst for education particularly for their daughters! The Imperial Cruise did it, too, by opening my eyes to US actions both in Hawaii and the Philippines! Read More

Life’s Soundtrack – A tough run – but an Introduction to Pendragon makes it better!

This year has been a bad running year, I just find myself finding other things to do than ponding the pavement. But today I talked myself into getting out there and running for only the second time this  month! I don’t know if it’s because my knees don’t feel right or I’m disappointed in how slowly I run. What I really have to do is just remember that Nike slogan and “Just Do It!” Like I’ve done over the last few runs is plot out a new course one where I get to run over the same roads, just in a different order! My time over the 3.6 mile course was about 10 minutes per mile for the first mile or two and then 11 minutes over the last two for an average of 10:30. Again I will repeat my mantra, I just need to build miles and maybe the speed will come around! Read More

Rambling thoughts about my life’s future path! Where do I go from here?

So I guess it’s that time in my life where questioning where I’m going in the future is of utmost importance to me! I’ve spent the last 34 years plus working at the same job, married to a wonderful woman and together we’ve raised four amazing children! But over the last month, as I watched two of my children graduate from college and listened to the commencement speakers, I start to wonder, am I all that I could have been, have I done all I should have! I think the majority of people when asked this question would probably answer no! Last year, I read Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project and in that book she challenged herself to be more happy. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy, she just wanted more happiness, that’s kinda where I’m at.  The question remains, where do I go from here!! Read More

Book 17 of 2013 – The Imperial Cruise – James Bradley

The Imperial CruiseIn 1905 Theodore Roosevelt sent the largest diplomatic mission in US across the Pacific to Asia. The mission was led by his Secretary of War William Howard Taft and the group included his daughter Alice.  James Bradley’s book about this mission The Imperial Cruise is Book 17 of 2013. During the trip Taft on Roosevelt’s behalf negotiated a series of secret agreements – which were unconstitutional – that laid the groundwork for future Japanese actions over the next 30-40 years. The details of these agreements remained secret until after Roosevelt’s death and really have been absent from history books. Read More

Graduation II – Peter graduates from Rutgers – Camden

So it’s not often that you get to see two of your children achieve major milestones in their lives in the same month, but that is what we’ve been able to do this month. First, Elizabeth graduated from William and Mary and tonight our son Peter graduates from Rutgers – Camden!! The one good thing about tonight is that we don’t have to drive 8 plus hours to get there, we only have to drive to Camden. The one bad thing about tonight is that we have to drive to Camden. But seriously we could not be more proud of both of their achievements! Read More

Lunchtime Music from David & Steve Gordon!

The Relaxing Drums of Dave & Steve Gordon

Often at work and, well, anywhere for that matter and I just need a little relaxing music, on goes the music of David & Steve Gordon usually, it’s the Garden of Serenity album and sometimes it’s Sacred Drum Visions. Today I tried their 2012 release Celestial Zen and it was a perfect fit for today as I worked in the soils lab! For those of you who do not know them., from Wikipedia Read More

Book 16 of 2013 Parnell Hall’s – Stakeout

stakeoutThere are several mystery characters in mystery series  that make me laugh, but two stand out first there’s Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum and secondly there’s Parnell Hall’s Stanley Hastings. Stanley’s latest caper Stakeout is Book 16 of 2013.. Stakeout is the 18th book in the series that I started reading in 1991! Like all the others this one is a fine caper, which had me out laughing out loud on more than one occasion! The Washington Post Book World says this about the series: Read More