Nature vs. nurture

So my dear wife Karen, terrific daughter Elisabeth and sensational significant George Three are sitting around the living room of A Bitty Better in the Liverpool neighborhood of Galeville, shooting the breeze and catching up on some TV we all like. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, America’s hour of weeknight game show fun collected on…

Testudo, Kermit, meet Bake

My good friend Bake had the occasion to visit my alma mater for a convention this month. He asked me the day before his trip if I had any hot spots around campus that he shouldn’t miss. It’s been more decades than I’d like to admit since I roamed the beautiful spaces of College Park,…

I rolled along with the Limp Lizard squad this season

Don’t think that I skipped bowling this season. I just haven’t shared about the exploits of our Limp Lizard squad in the Thursday Night Men’s League at Bowling Green in North Syracuse, N.Y. You see, I got off to such a bad start way back in September … Putrid, really. As in, after the first…

Easy choices for birthday gifts for Elisabeth and George

I worked my brain hard to figure out what to get my daughter and her sensational significant George Three for their birthdays this year. His is midway through March; hers is part way through April. We’d meet in the middle and take a trip with my dear wife Karen to try out the new Chick…

You can’t help but feel bullish for Ferdinand

It’s a good thing when a family movie gets it exactly right. Get the bigs and littles together for a feel-good viewing of Ferdinand, why don’t you? The bull who first made a name for himself in the picture-book world of Munro Leaf turned into an Oscar-winning short by Walt Disney some 80 years ago…

Oh, new day, says the dog

Sometimes I know why Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle gets me up so early. And it’s not just because our beloved rescue mutt is hungry. Or needs to take care of what’s built up while we’ve been sleeping in A Bitty Better. More than that. She wants to greet that yellow ball coming over our…

Happy days to KP

The text came in, and I grinned, as they say, from ear to ear. KP was hanging it up from the old paragraph factory. My great pal, partner in words and ideas at the big daily and golf and good times in the world had made it to the good and just and deserved see-ya.…

Our dog and her backyard

Spring is settling into the backyard of A Bitty Better in the Liverpool neighborhood of Galeville. At this point, it’s the turf for Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle. She’ll race right out there at 5 p.m. There’s plenty to accomplish. The property must be lapped. The shed has yet to be opened for any sort…