Tag Archives: Family History

Tempus Fugit: Thinking About the Tyranny of Forced ‘Joint’ Birthday ‘Celebrations’


Hi, there, Dear Reader. It’s Tuesday, March 7, 2023 – two days after my 60th birthday and three days before my older half-sister Vicky’s 73rd. In the last decade of my mother’s life (2005-2015), this would have been the “compromise” date on which we’d celebrate both occasions. I say “compromise” because Vicky, for reasons thatContinue reading “Tempus Fugit: Thinking About the Tyranny of Forced ‘Joint’ Birthday ‘Celebrations’”

Tempus Fugit: On the Occasion of My 60th Birthday


“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” ― Andy Rooney So, today I turn 60 years old. On the day I was born: “I’m not ready to let the youthful part of myself go yet. If maturity means becomingContinue reading “Tempus Fugit: On the Occasion of My 60th Birthday”

Tempus Fugit: Hazy (But Happy!) Memories of Christmas 1972


Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time. –  Laura Ingalls Wilder I wish I had vivid memories of my first Christmas as a permanent resident of the state of Florida after our unexpectedContinue reading “Tempus Fugit: Hazy (But Happy!) Memories of Christmas 1972”

Tempus Fugit – Hurricane Andrew + 30 Edition, or: Remembering the Day After Landfall, August 25, 2022


Andrew Plus 30 As I sit here in my dimly lit bedroom/writer’s room/mancave in Lithia, Florida, it is another stifling hot late August morning where the heat seeps through the walls and warms my stocking feet underneath my desk. And even though the temperature outside is “only” 85°F/30°C, the bright subtropical sun and the highContinue reading “Tempus Fugit – Hurricane Andrew + 30 Edition, or: Remembering the Day After Landfall, August 25, 2022”

Tempus Fugit: Remembering the House at 1001 in Coral Estates Park


Half a century ago this week, in the Miami suburb of Westchester, my mother and I moved into the house we would call “home” for the next five years – a one-story, 1505 square foot, single-family house that sat on a 7,777 square foot lot: 1001 SW 102nd Avenue. Built in 1963, the house wasContinue reading “Tempus Fugit: Remembering the House at 1001 in Coral Estates Park”

Tempus Fugit: July 1972, or: More Fragmented Memories from 50 Summers Ago


“Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well.”― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones 50 summers ago, I was almost nine-and-a-half years old and getting accustomed to living in the hot, humid, and often rainy conditions in Miami after living for six years in the colder climate of Bogota, Colombia, a huge metropolisContinue reading “Tempus Fugit: July 1972, or: More Fragmented Memories from 50 Summers Ago”

Musings & Thoughts for Tuesday, June 14, 2022, or: Tempus Fugit Redux!


Hi, there, Dear Reader. It is late morning in Lithia, Florida, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. It is a hot and muggy early summer day here in the Tampa Bay area. Currently, the temperature is 88°F (31°C) under sunny skies. With humidity at 72% and the wind barely blowing from the north at 3 MPHContinue reading “Musings & Thoughts for Tuesday, June 14, 2022, or: Tempus Fugit Redux!”

On Movies & Movie Watching: Happy – and Bittersweet – Anniversary, ‘Star Wars’ Prequels!


On Monday, May 16, 2022, many Facebook groups devoted to Star Wars – including the Non-Toxic Star Wars Fanbase and igrewupstarwars.com – featured a plethora of posts devoted to the 20th anniversary of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones’ theatrical release. Today, May 19, 2022, also marks the anniversary of the premiere –Continue reading “On Movies & Movie Watching: Happy – and Bittersweet – Anniversary, ‘Star Wars’ Prequels!”

Musings & Thoughts for Wednesday, March 9, 2022, or: Waiting for ‘West Side Story’ to Ship (and Other Concerns)


Hi there, Dear Reader. It is late morning in Lithia, Florida, on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. It is a warm, muggy spring day here in the Tampa Bay area. Currently, the temperature is 85˚F (30˚C) under mostly cloudy skies. With humidity at 70% and the wind blowing from the south-southwest at 13 MPH (22 KM/H),Continue reading “Musings & Thoughts for Wednesday, March 9, 2022, or: Waiting for ‘West Side Story’ to Ship (and Other Concerns)”