Living on a Boat #boatlife

It’s been a while since we actually felt like we lived anywhere.I realize that sounds like a strange statement, but it’s true. From the time we left St. Croix a dozen years ago until just this past year we have been essentially nomads. But now we bought a boat, moved on to it and made it our new home…
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It’s been a while since we actually felt like we lived anywhere.I realize that sounds like a strange statement, but it’s true. From the time we left St. Croix a dozen years ago until just this past year we have been essentially nomads. But now we bought a boat, moved on to it and made it our new home…
CONTINUE READING >> 

Traveling is Not a Competition, or is It?

We just heard about a new idea, Competitours.
The idea is to make each tour a competition, à la The Amazing Race, while discovering new places in a unique and exciting manner. Honestly, we can hardly think of anything more up our alley…

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We just heard about a new idea, Competitours.
The idea is to make each tour a competition, à la The Amazing Race, while discovering new places in a unique and exciting manner. Honestly, we can hardly think of anything more up our alley…

CONTINUE READING >> 

Courir de Mardi Gras in Church Point, Louisiana


Chicken chasing, colorful costumes and dancing on horseback? It’s Courir de Mardi Gras in Church Point! You’ve gotta watch the video to believe it…it’s, well, just watch… CONTINUE READING >>


Chicken chasing, colorful costumes and dancing on horseback? It’s Courir de Mardi Gras in Church Point! You’ve gotta watch the video to believe it…it’s, well, just watch… CONTINUE READING >>

What’s Really Important: A Black Friday Antidote

Last year, in our post-turkey bloat, we grabbed the remote and settled into something we rarely do. We vegged in front of the boob-tube. Immediately we felt bombarded.
The blaring onslaught of Black Friday ads was funny at first, but after an hour or so, being yelled at to BUY! BUY! BUY! the commercials didn’t seem so funny anymore…

CONTINUE READING >> 

Last year, in our post-turkey bloat, we grabbed the remote and settled into something we rarely do. We vegged in front of the boob-tube. Immediately we felt bombarded.
The blaring onslaught of Black Friday ads was funny at first, but after an hour or so, being yelled at to BUY! BUY! BUY! the commercials didn’t seem so funny anymore…

CONTINUE READING >> 

The “Cottages” of Newport, Rhode island

It was called the Gilded Age, a time when robber barons built excessive tributes to their self-proclaimed awesomeness. Newport was the epitome of this unbelievable excess, aptly dubbed Conspicuous Consumption…
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It was called the Gilded Age, a time when robber barons built excessive tributes to their self-proclaimed awesomeness. Newport was the epitome of this unbelievable excess, aptly dubbed Conspicuous Consumption…
CONTINUE READING >> 

Medieval Mayhem and Martyrs in Minerve

When we venture off the beaten path we often find that the most interesting places are tiny tucked away surprises that we, and almost everybody else it seems, have never heard of. Minerve is just such a place…
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When we venture off the beaten path we often find that the most interesting places are tiny tucked away surprises that we, and almost everybody else it seems, have never heard of. Minerve is just such a place…
CONTINUE READING >> 

Fear Conquering & Zip Lining 300 Feet High

I have to wonder who thinks up things like zip lining? What kind of sick mind muses – “hey, lets launch folks across a gaping canyon on a wire – that’ll be awesome!”

Zip lining, in my mind, falls into the bungee-jumping, rodeo-clowning, leaping-off-buildings-in-suits-with-wings category of antics. Better off left to the fearless young whippersnapper types.

Not something I’d ever… CONTINUE READING >>

I have to wonder who thinks up things like zip lining? What kind of sick mind muses – “hey, lets launch folks across a gaping canyon on a wire – that’ll be awesome!”

Zip lining, in my mind, falls into the bungee-jumping, rodeo-clowning, leaping-off-buildings-in-suits-with-wings category of antics. Better off left to the fearless young whippersnapper types.

Not something I’d ever… CONTINUE READING >>

Grandchildish Behavior

I’ve had two unexpected conversations recently that have given me pause for reflection. The first was with my father-in-law while dining over Mexican food in Kansas. While catching him up with our kids’ lives, he asked me if they were dating anyone of note. I told him that at the moment there were no significant others. Then, the bolt out of the blue,”Oh, you must be sad that you won’t be having grandchildren anytime soon.”

The next exchange was with my daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

“All of our friends’ mothers are on crazy grandma patrol. How come you aren’t nagging us about having babies?”

It started out as gentle teasing, but… CONTINUE READING  >>

I’ve had two unexpected conversations recently that have given me pause for reflection. The first was with my father-in-law while dining over Mexican food in Kansas. While catching him up with our kids’ lives, he asked me if they were dating anyone of note. I told him that at the moment there were no significant others. Then, the bolt out of the blue,”Oh, you must be sad that you won’t be having grandchildren anytime soon.”

The next exchange was with my daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

“All of our friends’ mothers are on crazy grandma patrol. How come you aren’t nagging us about having babies?”

It started out as gentle teasing, but… CONTINUE READING  >>