Several years ago, we lived for a time in Arizona. Going there we thought it was going to be this arid, unforgiving place. But, we found it to be alive and vibrant – especially when in bloom! Recently, when I told people I was going on a hiking trip to Death Valley National Park they looked at me as if I was…
Author: BobBuddy
Joy In The Ordinary
Upon my mother’s death in 1989, William Sullivan, the obituary editor of the Patriot Ledger, called the house to tell us they occasionally write “feature obituaries” that recount the lives of everyday residents. He wanted to write one about my mother. I explained she was a very modest woman who never really wanted the spotlight on herself – she was proud when her children…
John E. Morgan: The Pastor/The Man
John Ellsworth Morgan entered my life when I was a child. In 1953 he was called to our family church, Union Congregational in Wollaston, Massachusetts as its pastor. Years later, I came to know him more intimately as my father-in-law. I commit these facts and thoughts to “digital paper” so my children, grandchildren and future generations can learn about, remember and appreciate this man. Source material consists of archival…
Why I Volunteer
“Don’t volunteer for anything!” was the advice I was given as a young man about to join the military. Today, according to the Urban Dictionary, the Air Force [my branch] only teaches you two things: “Cheese tastes pretty much the same coming up as going down, so it’s OK to eat before a bumpy flight“, and “Never volunteer for anything“.…
AT&T Stadium – Home of the Dallas Cowboys
Our tour guide Mike, a retired Arlington high school football coach, told us we were standing in the largest air conditioned room in the world. It’s maintained at a comfortable 74 degrees, even when the outside Texas temperature exceeds 100! I’m not a fan of the Cowboys, but was most interested in seeing inside their stadium. My son Rob arranged a VIP tour of…
Monterey-to-Santa Barbara and Beyond
On a trip to explore the National Parks in Utah, I met Marguerite and Diana. We hit it off almost instantly, enjoying each other’s company as we traveled and hiked Utah’s Grand Circle of Parks and Monuments. They spoke of their love of hiking in the hills around Santa Barbara and invited me to head west someday so they could show me around.…
Utah’s Grand Circle of Parks and Monuments
In 2004, Joanna and I visited Arches National Park on a trip out west to spend time with our granddaughter Megan In Phoenix. We happened on it almost by accident driving back to Denver to catch our return flight to Tampa. We stopped for the night in a small Utah town and were having dinner when we struck up a conversation with…
A Week on St. John, USVI
Joanna and I visited the US Virgin Islands in January of 1998 — spending a few days on St. Thomas, taking a day trip over to the island St. John. We finished up with several days at The Buccaneer on St. Croix. That day trip to St. John left us wanting to spend more time there. Although Joanna was no longer with me, the chance to…
My Friend Alan Shaw
Thirty-seven years ago Joanna and I lived in a neighborhood (Parco Palumbo), in Italy on the shores of Lago Patria (Home Lake). The Parco was a mix of Italians and foreign nationals. Many of the Italians had summer/weekend homes in the Parco. The foreign nationals consisted of mainly civilian and military that supported the NATO mission in the area. It…
From Lionel to Amtrak
My early fascination with railroad trains began when I received a Lionel train set one Christmas. Dad gave me a corner of the basement where we placed a piece of plywood on a couple of sawhorses. We set up the oval track; added a few buildings, a station, a tunnel, trees, crossing gates and a coal dispenser. There were little pills to put down the…