RING, RING GO AWAY CALL AGAIN ANOTHER DAY!
To misquote Perry Como:“Catch a ringing phone and put it in your pocketjust let it fade awayCatch a ringing phone and put it in your pocket Save it for a rainy day.” ...
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Author: Vince LaBarbera
AND THEN IT WAS WINTER
I’m not into Facebook but a friend sent this the other day and I just have to pass it on since Senior Citizens Day is fast approaching on Aug. 21. I tried to research this writing but no one seems to know who the author is but I’d guess it was a senior. ...
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WHAT’S IN A (NICK)NAME?
A nickname is a familiar or humorous name given to a person instead of or as well as one’s real name. A nickname often is considered desirable, symbolizing a form of acceptance, but sometimes it can be a method of ridicule. ...
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MY PET PEEVES
A pet peeve is a minor annoyance that an individual finds particularly irritating to a greater degree than would be expected based on the experience of others. The phrase analogizes that feeling of annoyance as a pet animal that one does ...
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‘THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT’ AND OTHER MISCHIEFS
“School days, school days, dear old golden (prank) days” …college pranks, that is, under the Golden Dome at the University of Notre Dame, where I matriculated some 10 years before N.D. became co-educational in 1972. ...
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THE IDES OF MARCH, REVISITED
Last year I penned a story for the February 28 issue of The Waynedale News titled: “Should we ‘Beware of the Ides of March’?” It was a lighthearted piece referencing the aforementioned expression found in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in 1601. ...
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BEFORE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD
With the unofficial holiday titled “Employee Appreciation Day” observed on the first Friday of March this year, I can’t help but recall the first real job I ever held. ...
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THE TWO-FACED ‘FROSTY MONTH’
The first month of the year is named after Janus, the two-faced Roman god of doorways. With one face he guarded the front door and with the other he also watched the rear entrance. A duel-dimensional designation for January is appropriate since, ...
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OOOOHHH CHRISTMAS TREE!
“O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches…” ...
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MY APOLOGIES TO PRIVATE JOHNSON ON THIS UPCOMING VETERAN’S DAY
One of my most frightening experiences occurred when, as a new Army recruit, I was marched off for Basic Training. ...
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O WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE…
…not only “when first we practice to deceive,” as Scottish Novelist and Poet Sir Walter Scott (1731-1832) said, but in everything we think, say or do. ...
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IN GRADE SCHOOL, PEN WAS MIGHTY LIKE A SWORD & ALWAYS BUSY
The saying “The pen is mightier than the sword” was first written by novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, in his historical play “Cardinal Richelieu.” ...
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THOSE DELECTABLE COLLECTIBLES
Do you collect stuff, such as coins, comic books or even cars? ...
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A FEW FOURTH FUN FANTASTIC FACTS
It’s the most patriotic time of the year, which means it’s time to stock up on beer, hot dogs, fireworks and apparel with the American flag plastered all over it because Independence Day is nearly here! Before you fire up the grill and set off those ...
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STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF
Perhaps you’ve heard of the musical making up the title. The 1962 show, set against a circus backdrop, focuses on a character named Littlechap. Each time something unsatisfactory happens, he calls out “Stop the world” and addresses the audience. ...
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SHOULDA WOULDA COULDA
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the daily lives of us all, we may be asked to continue social distancing, only occasionally venturing out for groceries and necessities. Gatherings with family, relatives and friends may still ...
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THE WORK OF OUR HANDS
Look at your hands. What can you do with them? Maybe you’re adept at carpentry, quilting, playing a musical instrument, drawing, golf, cooking or just bathing a puppy. These skills, and many, many others, all require the work of our hands. ...
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HOLY SMOKE
I lost a childhood friend on Jan. 13. His name was Allen Shepard. Many of you may have met him since he was the paint expert at Connolly’s Do It Best Hardware on South Calhoun Street. And if you did meet him you would know he was a kind, gentle soul. ...
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SHOULD WE ‘BEWARE OF THE IDES OF MARCH’?
The month of March contains some events which to look forward, namely, St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th for those who enjoy being “Irish” for a day and the first full day of spring — the Vernal Equinox — on the 19th when you can try to stand ...
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CELEBRATE THE SPECIAL, WACKY DAYS OF FEBRUARY
February is the third and last month of the meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. And, even though there are 29 days in the month because of leap year, February is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon. ...
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WHAT’S IN STORE FOR US IN 2020?
It’s hard to believe we’re living in the year 2020 (MMXX)! It’s a leap year in the Gregorian calendar containing 366 days with February 29 as the extra day. It’s also an Olympic year with summer games in Tokyo. This new year, in fact, is marked with ...
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HEY, SANTA, WHAT’S IN YOUR SACK FOR US OLDER FOLKS?
When we’re young – that is, before retirement – there seems to be plenty of goodies in Santa’s bag to satisfy even the pickiest present person.
For youngsters and teens, it’s any gizmo that’s electronic, especially if it’s a gadget fresh off ...
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IS THANKSGIVING BECOMING A LOST HOLIDAY?
The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day,” also known as “Over the River and Through the Wood,” is a Thanksgiving poem by Lydia Maria Child, originally published in 1844 in Flowers for Children, Volume 2. And although most people ...
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CARDBOARD CAPERS
Some say Halloween is for children. But they haven’t met my friend, Rod King. ...
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IN SEARCH OF AN OPENING SONG OR … SOMETHING
Many years ago, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see a show in Las Vegas starring the late comedian George Burns. The only disappointment about his appearance was that it didn’t include his wonderful wife, Gracie Allen, who died ...
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