One of the best-selling toys our culture has produced is the ever-pretty Barbie, by Mattel. As the father of a former young daughter, I have experienced first-hand the playing, dressing and accessories that Barbie brings to our world. It was a positive time of fun as well as social exploration and learning. When my daughter… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Favorite Things
No way to play a guitar
I love music, and I always have. It makes my body move and my spirit soar. I have many favorite songs and passages, and I can listen to them repeatedly — thrilling to the skill and nuance of the performers. My brain plays songs I’ve heard, like a tape recorder in my head. But sometimes… Continue Reading
A Poem for Raking Leaves
My Twitter friend, Mike Todd (miketodd07), was out raking today, and sent this tweet: Raking leaves in the sunshine, listening to Owl City on the iPod, thinking about poetry. So I wrote this poem on Twitter: Leaves & sun, together, sounding crisp & smelling soft, like earth and summer memories, fallen but still remaining and… Continue Reading
The music we love
Rooted in the deepest parts of our brains is our love of music. Starting with our body’s natural rhythms and love of patterns, music winds its way through us, to us, and from us. Everyone loves music — some type of music. And everyone makes music, whether it is a skilled performance on an instrument,… Continue Reading
My father’s hammer
Stepping into my father’s workshop always takes me back in time. Not only are my parents collectors of memorabilia, but they continue to make good use of the things they already have. So when I look around my father’s garage I see tools that have existed since I was a boy, including a vice, a… Continue Reading
Air is thick but sensitive
One of the biggest things we never see is all around us — the air. We know it’s there but we don’t think about it much unless it smells wonderful (like dinner) or smells terrible (like when a farmer is spreading manure on his fields). While air usually looks clear it is much more than… Continue Reading
Smells like home spirit
There is no place like home, and no smell as inviting and soothing as a home-cooked meal. My great fortune is having a Mom who shows love through her cooking, and she loves us a lot! This past weekend my wonderfully extended family made the drive to visit my Mom and Dad — an experience… Continue Reading
Trees only get one channel
When we get out into nature one thing becomes clear: nature is a fantastic experience, in all its variations. Nature is reality TV in its purest form. A friend and I went walking yesterday in a hill-top park that holds our city’s water supply, suitably called Reservoir Park. It is an inspiring combination of urban… Continue Reading
Maybe Smarties maybe balloons
Things that look alike can turn out to be very different as we get closer to them, and get to know them. I have always been a fan of Smarties, the colorful candy-coated chocolate treats (Wikipedia). Round but also flat, small but easy to grab — they are fun to eat and easy to share. … Continue Reading
Cookies make us kids again
There is one thing that can bring people of all ages and cultures to a shared smile: cookies. Our local deli-restaurant is a gathering place on Sundays, where family and friends get together. Everyone gets to order their own meal from the various counters so we tend to grab our trays and spread out when… Continue Reading