Oh To Be A Singer
I have lots of dreams and fantasies that go along with my over-active imagination. But if I had to pick one dream that stands at the top of my list it would be to be a singer with a really great voice who could belt out a song to an audience of listeners and touch them in some way. Remember how you felt when you heard Whitney Huston sing the National Anthem... I know I was blown away with emotion. Or more recently I saw Van Morrison in concert... we took our two middle children who are fans, and they were completely overwhelmed. Though his voice isn't the best voice I ever heard there is a distinctiveness and a confidence that is beyond compare. How great to share such a talent! I know when

How to Iron An Oxford Button Down Shirt
I know to some it might seem very elementary, however there is a certain knack to ironing a man's button down shirt... especially if it is not the wrinkle free kind that just requires a quick hang up after coming out of the dryer. If you're kinda absent-minded like me, you rarely catch those beauties in time and they will require a pressing too. First it helps to have a good solid iron with a pronounced point... I use the Rowenta Focus, a sturdy German made model of excellent design. This has both a steam blast button and a spritz button to ward off those stubborn wrinkles... especially the ones you create when your not being careful. I keep a small bathroom cup handy to fill the water cham

When Sorry Just Doesn't Cut It Anymore
There is nothing so heart warming as a sincere apology delivered after an honest human error. We have all rendered them from time to time and hopefully have received our share in due measure... it's the first step of forgiveness. But there comes a time when "sorry" becomes just another weary word, uttered in the same breath as an absent-minded "excuse me." Too often we become habitual offenders of insensitive words, actions, or behaviors that we inflict on those most willing to accept the inevitable apology. Mistakes are a given in the human condition, but repetition of the same mistakes over and over wear down the defenses of even the most saintly of forgivers and over time will erode all

Treasures on the Beach

A Poor Me Day
Do you ever get one of those days when nothing is really wrong but you feel sad, lonely, and utterly useless. Maybe it's my age, or this new onset of insomnia... or just maybe I always felt this way and just never admitted it to myself. God, forbid anyone should tag you as a "poor me"... a really horrible insult... and so you force yourself to shake it off and get cheerful and stuff those hidden insecurities away in the glovebox and go about your business. TV makes the hidden feelings worse, as you see all the beautiful and successful people getting accolades for all their many talents, when you sit there in the realization that you don't even have one damned thing that you excel at. Athlet