A big smile is the best present

My terrific daughter Elisabeth let me pick out the place for our Father’s Day meeting, so I chose Mac’s Local Yolk, the joint that the Syracuse owner transformed when IHOP pulled up its stakes down the road from Shoppingtown. It worked for my dear wife Karen and I when we tried it our first time.…

Can’t see with the moon in my eyes

All this daylight at this time of the year, just two days past the summer solstice here in the northern hemisphere. In fact, we’re still at the point where the sun won’t rise later or set earlier for a day or two. Beautiful. So a few days ago I awoke with a jolt. No, it…

The other side of the fence

When my dear wife Karen was pulling weeds and sprucing the spot we call our backyard butterfly garden behind the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood, Good Neighbor Tim saw her from his side of the fence. She was struggling with the stuff coming over from the dead spot behind. He offered…

My daughter’s got Soul

The text came in Wednesday night, with the happy photo. My terrific daughter Elisabeth was at the car lot. She’d been handed over the keys to her first brand new car. At 26 years old, Elisabeth drove home her Kia Soul, the one she picked out herself. Yes, wonderful significant George Three shared some of…

Coming up red and yellow

The reds and the yellows look quite nice sharing space in the hourglass garden in the front yard of our beloved Little Bitty in the Syracuse City neighborhood of Syracuse. And the red bush in the corner of the back porch is springing up rather nicely, too, despite the attention that spot gets from Ellie…

Polish Fest pride

As I worked a Saturday morning for the library, I tottered back and forth about plans for my dear wife Karen and I to meet my terrific daughter Elisabeth and wonderful significant George Three at Polish Fest. Dash down James Street to Channel Three in the rain to a morning newscast interview for Outreach Clerk…