The meaning of Altered States brings to mind a drug familiarization lecture I once attended, presented by a DEA Agent. To gauge our beginning level of knowledge, he asked a few questions of the group.  One was, “What is a narcotic?”  Several answers were shouted out, all met with a short explanation of why they… Read More

I had never been much of a runner.  In high school PE classes, when told to run laps around the baseball field I would hide behind the backboard until the last lap then re-join the group to cross the finish line trying to look tired so the coach wouldn’t catch on.  In boot camp we… Read More

I am one of the earliest born of the Baby Boomer generation which still left me too young to be aware of the pioneers of the Rock and Roll phenomenon as it was being born.  I missed the early years of the likes of Bill Haley and the Comets, Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, The Big… Read More

She promised a $1 an hour and guaranteed 3 hours work each week. Read More

My childhood pets included dogs, a pair of gold fish a free-range parakeet and a friendly chicken.  Unfortunately, all of whom – or which – met tragic ends. The gold fish story first, as it is the first pet I remember.  There were 2 of them living in a little round globe.  My brother and… Read More

Although I am sure most people relate “Faith” with their religious beliefs, I was not raised within any religion other than for a few months in grade school when I attended a Lutheran church with a neighbor.  All I remember from that experience is playing a Shepherd in the Christmas pageant so, that’s how I learned… Read More

Other than possibly a bicycle I got for Christmas when I was 11 or 12 years old, I cannot recall any gift I ever received as being so special that I’ve kept it, or remembered one so fondly that I’d consider it my best ever.  It might just be that I did not pay enough… Read More

Under the Andalusian Sky We booked a biking vacation to Spain based partly on the romantic sounding name, Under the Andalusian Sky. The itinerary included Seville, Cordoba and Granada and the catalogue hinted at their exotic and diverse history.  We did some research and learned Hispania – today’s Spain – was ruled by Romans then… Read More

I grew up during the 1960’s and ended that decade married. It was the beginning of the era of the Hippie, that sub-species of the Genus Young Person who included among their attributes a fascination with hair grown to broadcast their membership in that faction of my generation.  Hair was everywhere.  Men grew theirs long,… Read More