I like Christmas as much as most people. I think. And I think the goal of keeping Christmas in our hearts the whole year round is a nice touchy feely goal.

But do we have to keep Christmas on our houses the whole year round?

I know the… Read full post »

In my day job a do a lot of graphic work for health care providers, like doctors and hospitals. I do ads and brochures and logos. But I am also really interested in health, wellness and medicine. My dad was a doctor and my mom was a nurse, so medicine… Read full post »

Today the sun came out. The flooding rains washed a lot of the snowy glacier off our yard. Marty finally was able to get off the end of the deck and smell the smells. He can experience deja-poo, smell the stuff that has been on lay-away under the… Read full post »

I really planned to do this as a little music video, playing guitar. I started working on an arrangement but it would have taken forever for me to post it. So try to imagine the Von Trapp kids singing this behind an old guy:

My Favorite… Read full post »

Marty, my basset hound, ignored the big dog show when it was on TV. He knew a basset could not win. He is bored by the Dog Whisperer and questions why dogs would seek his council in the first place. But he is in total support with the rebirth… Read full post »

I used to wish I had a back-up camera... on my butt. I've been an expert at using hindsight to keep going over life's little decisions or changes. The paths I took that maybe should not have. The ones I wished I had taken. The places we lived and maybe… Read full post »

arly in my career in graphics, I was a layout editor and illustrator at a weekly paper in Plymouth Massachusetts. One night in mid-winter, as we were pasting-up the paper, we inserted a photo of a bird – a chickadee. We had some decent photographers and it was nice… Read full post »

_{Maple trees in our yard}

I guess I've lost track of how much snow we have received in this batch of storms. Today we had the sleet and ice on top of the snow. Hampden is a really small town in Western MA. There are hills all around, so… Read full post »

Now that Sarah has given her reply to Michelle's reply to Paul's reply to the State of the Union I'm thinking I should reply. I'm feeling kinda left out but I don't know what to say. I didn't realize the space race was such a mistake or that… Read full post »

 Many dogs like to sing. Some try to accompany fire alarms and police cars. But others love singing to music.

The sound of a basset can be an acquired taste, I guess. Max was strictly a siren dog. Rosco our second basset loved to sing to/… Read full post »

Our first dog was Max, a rescued basset hound. It just happened that way. We love all types of dogs but when it came time to adopt another dog we went “basset.” Living with a basset hound is probably not for everyone. If you tend to trip over low furniture,… Read full post »

Now that the Congress is changing I'm trying to make lemonade out of lemons. I figure if they repeal-n'replace the health bill it is an oportunity for our little graphic design firm to do some graphics for the new health plans. So I've been trying to develop the next generation of… Read full post »

I guess I had been on the lookout for a "regular job" for several years. It would have been great to have some benefits and a retirement plan. Something steady. At my age (pushing 60) and in this economy, there isn't much of a chance. But frankly, things are… Read full post »

I admit it. I stink at math. I can balance my checkbooks because it is mainly just subtraction. (I wish there were more additions, but times are tough.) I eat a lot of yogurt and had a coupon for Activia. Activia may help some folks with their regularity;… Read full post »

I hope everyone got everything they asked for this Christmas. Once again I didn't. I hate to complain but what's with that guy. I don't have a chimney but still....

Dear Mr.… Read full post »

This is a song about Jesus I've always been a little afraid to perform. I believe in the power of faiths but lots of different ones. I worried that it could hurt the feelings of very well-meaning people. Or make others angrier than they already are. But I'm against using… Read full post »

In my little town of Hampden, there used to be a little Cumberland Farms variety store down on Main Street. Kathy and I would buy milk and ice cream there. It was a short walk with our basset hounds. I noticed that when this one kid was working, his girlfriend was… Read full post »

This isn't my first blog. My wife Kathy and I have one that was supposed to be a mixture of serious stuff plugging our graphic design and greeting card business; life in a small town; my folk music interests; and reports about our basset hound, Marty. But… Read full post »