Tuesday, April 28, 2015

What a birthday! 71 and still kicking


Decorative and delicious  cheesecake at Coffee Fusion
Some thirty-six years ago today, I had what I consider one of my worst birthdays.

During the course of that day, I came to realize that I probably, if lucky, had lived half of my life.

Those thirty five years seemingly had gone by so fast. Where did the time go? It is not that it was filled with a void, no, it had been an interesting and meaningful 35 years.

But still . . . 

And now, 35 years later, I am still going strong, although there are a few pains here and there.

My wife of 47 years and I have traveled to different parts of the world and have taken wonderful vacations throughout the US.

And we’re still on the move.

Just 12 days from now we will embark on another trip of a lifetime with a flight to Europe followed by a 9-day Baltic cruise. 

Today was a great birthday with calls from my two sons and their families and greetings from other relatives.

 We also made two visits to our favorite coffee shop in Ocean Springs, MS, — Coffee Fusion. 

Manager Anna found out about my birthday when my oldest son called and had them set aside a gift card for me.

And she surprised us with a beautifully crafted birthday desert following our lunch which included a cranberry, walnut and chicken salad.

Getting ready to dig into Italian cream cake

And then later that night we met with my brother and his wife and dug into Coffee Fusion’s Italian cream cake.

It’s been a great day.

Next post: May 5, 2015


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Art for art's sake at the old school

(You mean this isn't Tuesday, April 21, 2015? A trip to a sleep center appointment put me off schedule on this week's post.)



What use to be old fold-up auditorium seats are now works of art
Our hometown of Ocean Springs, MS is home to a wide variety of artistic types.

And helping to promote those genres  is the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center of Arts and Education.

The center sits in the structure that ages ago was the Ocean Springs High School.

The facility, in a rundown condition over the years, previously served as the meeting place of the school district school board.

But then the arts group took over and turned it into a place that one would want to visit. The building was refurbished and now is a jewel in the crown of the city.

On a recent visit for a photography workshop, my wife and I visited what is referred to as "The Mary C" and ran across some everyday items that were turned into artistic creations.

Now, one can not only view art, but also sit on it.

Next post (hopefully): April 29, 2015


Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Piece of the past still remains


My wife and I travel back in time attending a family reunion once a year.

But then there’s new people, there’s repeats, and there are those who have passed on.

I’m not much for crowds and groups, for the most part, but I’ve been attending her family’s annual reunion on her mother's side for some 40 years now.

And we usually take about the same route from our hometown to some 90 miles north. Its about two hour’s drive time, with a stop about halfway for a restroom break.

This year was no different. Over the course of our marriage we’ve seen people come and go and pass on. That’s the way life is.

Each year, going up Mississippi Highway 29,  I slow down a little once we’re about 10 miles from our destination. 

Back on the right side of the road, in a clump of trees, is an old building.

"There it is," we usually exclaim to each other.

It’s not very big. But wifey recalls those times in her pre-teen years when she visited what at the time was the local grocery store.

That was way back in the 1950’s when candy was a penny a piece and a soft drink cost a nickel or maybe a dime at the most. 

Back then stores had machines that held the liquid delight with their bottoms dangling in ice water.

The bottles had to be  grabbed along their topside and slide along a path to where they exited the machine.

It was always cool in there, she recalls, although there wasn’t any modern-day air conditioning.

Those were the good ole days. Those days have come and gone, people have come and gone, but for some reason, the building still stands, although it is empty and just another memory.

Next post: April 21, 2015


Tuesday, April 7, 2015

We're taking a break



There will be no post this week. Please check back on April 14, 2015