Being a grandparent has its perks, especially when around children who are misbehaving. One of the aspects of my behavior that I used for my grandchildren was the "Granny Look." When they saw me looking at them a certain way, they knew to cease and desist with unwanted behavior, or suffer the consequences already mentioned.... Continue Reading →
I figuratively rolled up my sleeves at the card table, ready to get down to business. The penny ante poker game usually was quite affordable, even for us college students. One of my favorites was Acey Deucey, where you were dealt two cards and bet on the likelihood the next card fell between them. Let’s... Continue Reading →
It is astonishing how the rules in Portugal can be so different, with no clue what the rule is. When we drive or park, we run afoul of the rules. Eating out often leaves us mystified. Even hiking on the trails is a game of guess what they mean. For many people, religion has... Continue Reading →
'What I love about being here in Portugal is the preservation of the past, which allows us to connect the past to today, and it will allow future generations to experience the beauty and engineering expertise of generations that lived long before them. In Faro, I was astonished to see the juxtaposition of modern and... Continue Reading →
As we enjoyed lunch at one of the restaurants on the beach here in Quarteria, I noticed a little girl and her mother having an encounter. The little girl, about age 6 or 7, was wearing a helmet and had been riding a scooter. The mother had just taken the scooter and placed it in... Continue Reading →
We sat in on a Bible study on Thursday at the International Evangelical Church here in Quateria, Portugal. I was quite surprised by the combination of a mostly British study group led by two young men with Irish ancestry. Indeed, one of the young men was headed back to Belfast, Ireland in the next week.... Continue Reading →
We sallied forth to Faro to explore the Cidade Velha (old Town.) We entered through the old walls by means of Arco da Vila (The Town Arch.) In addition to a nice museum, and a small castle, we went to the Se, the cathedral. It was posh, truly elegant, gilded to the max, and ornate... Continue Reading →
From experience, I know that the old saying that every man is a dog is simply not true, but I have, unfortunately, met men who qualify as curs, mean and cowardly persons, as unfriendly as mongrel dogs. Having been raised only by women, and never having lived in a house with a male and female... Continue Reading →
When it came to sailing, my dad was a crafty old fox. He was not the most daring, so he never tried to time it so he was one of the first across the starting line. Starting with a 5 to 10 minute deficit meant he had to scheme and plot how to catch up.... Continue Reading →
As a young man in college, one time, some friends needed me to babysit their kids. I did it as a favor, but they wanted to pay me. After refusing money, They asked me if I wanted to partake in smoking weed. After some negotiation, I just left with two joints that I didn’t really... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 