Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene has come and gone (more or less, if you're THAT far north at this hour); we're finishing up the "response" phase and moving into the "recovery" phase (phraseology borrowed from a Southern governor). Taking chain saws to downed trees, moving limbs and shrubbery pieces, cleaning the yard, setting lawn furniture back outside, getting the grill back in its place. Bright sun, bit of a breeze - but Hey! that's a GOOD thing today, it's warm outside. Just about time for a… Continue

Oh Irene, what a start to this years 'Water Event Season' (some of us who've lived on/near the coast for many years - and still come out on the Up side of certain storms - just don't say that "H" word outloud any longer). No need to tempt Fate. We've commiserated with friends on their losses....parts of houses, cars, outbuildings, yards, boats, farm equipment, livestock, whole houses...to those kinds of storms, and said a very reverent prayer of Thanks it wasn't us....this time. Living in…

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Dancing should be comfortable -- loose clothing, weather not too hot or too humid (lots of variation in what's "too hot" or "too humid" between Northerners and Southerners, true colors really show). But it's all about the shoes. Remember learning to dance the shag? Sand on a concrete floor, or just sand, depending if you were under the covered pavilion or not, flip flops/zories/beach shoes or just barefoot. But dancing indoors during non-summer months required shoes. As kids, we always…

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Is the whole world tired in August?

Seems like there's been a spate of television commercials recently showing adults in the afternoon reaching for a pick-me-up, usually some kind of energy drink or pill. Been there; for me it was always plain, long over-brewed black coffee-sludge by that time of day. It was the fuel of the office machine, didn't matter what the type of office was. No pfou-pfou kind of berry tea or 'flavored' coffee (Question: if you don't want coffee that tastes like…

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