I’m late with this blog, and I have no excuses. I do, however, have a reason. I had an idea for this post. I had a fair amount of material to include, but it just wasn’t coming together. I really couldn’t feel it, if you know what I mean. That is until the middle of the week.

You see, I have been following the political situation, and maybe that is part of what was getting me down. Mitt Romney and Joe Manchin have exhibited what is commonly called moral courage. Both stood against the majority and voted Trump guilty.

Continue reading Moral Courage →

Hey! Watch this!

Was there ever a child who didn’t yell this command to a parent or playmate when they were about to accomplish what, to them, was a courageous feat? Well, I’m not about to attempt a cannonball or a jump from some height, but with childlike enthusiasm, I am going to suggest some movies that I have enjoyed over the years. These movies I have watched more than once and am likely to keep on watching them for years to come. Some are the old, old black and white classics, some more modern, with color and everything.

Let’s do this chronologically, shall we?

The Thin Man 1934

William Powell and Myrna Loy star as Nick and Nora Charles. He is a former detective who married wealthy Nora and no longer has to work. Together they investigate murders because they get pulled into them either by knowing a family member of the deceased or knowing the deceased. It is often Nora who wants to get involved and pulls Nick in after her. She thinks investigating is thrilling.

Continue reading You Gotta See This →

This time The Whole Written Caboodle welcomes a new voice to blogging. Bruce Campbell joins with this post about his experience one cold December day about 20 years ago when he worked in downtown Washington, DC.

If the last name is similar to mine, it is because I stole mine from him, about 34 years ago. And did I mention that we met in a creative writing class when we were both adults and the oldest two people in class? 😊

 Upon Visiting the Café Midi, DuPont Circle,
’Long About the Turn of the Last Century

There’s a strange etiquette among the beggars on the streets of Washington, DC. They do not, as a rule, accost passersby, but sit with their cups held out, obvious but not obtrusive. And, if you pass them again on your way back, having already donated, most will politely look away so that you won’t feel obliged to give a second time.

Continue reading Après-Midi →

For many seasons, more than I can remember, I have seen signs and heard ads for keeping Christ in Christmas. It seemed to become a measure of one’s sincerity, belief, or type of religion if you wrote Merry Xmas on your greeting cards instead of the traditional greeting.

Political pundits of a certain leaning were offended by the X, saying the evil leftist, Satanists, atheists, or naughty elves were trying to destroy the Christian religion by removing Christ from Christmas. There was an outcry of “The war on Christmas.”

To all of them I say “POPPYCOCK!” [I’ve always wanted to use that word somewhere].

Continue reading Keeping Christ in Xmas? →