These are a few of the thoughts I recently shared with my nephew Brian. He graduated from high school at the end of May 2018 and begins university at the end of August 2018. Dear Brian, We like to think of graduations as a major milestone in our lives. I have come to think of…
Tag: Family
Sorting Glass
Snipping off the thin ring of metal. Brown, Green, Clear? Underhand toss with a high enough arc to clear the upper rim of the bin. In the 1970’s recycling was a Do-It-Yourself affair. No curbside pickup, no co-mingling. You drove to the dump and sorted it yourself. While not a regular family outing some Saturdays…
Never Too Late to Dance
Dad only began ski lessons when his children began lessons. He had learned on the slopes with friends in the 1950’s. As an athletic young man he managed well enough. Mom mentioned that she had taken lessons when she took up the sport. The long trips to mountains north of New York City may have…
Movie Sharing with Sean
Last fall I arranged a stop in Tucson, Arizona to visit my brother and his family. My nephew/godson Sean would be appearing in his high school’s production of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s “You Can’t Take It With You.” While his was a small part (one of the G-men,) it created a lovely excuse…
Learning that Diction Matters
How does an engineer become good with words? One word at a time. Long before I knew the word diction, I understood the impact words have on everyday conversation. A simple change of a word could clarify a request or a direction. Adding a few adjectives made the meaning more precise. An adverb communicated the…
Meditation on Enjoyment Over Capital or State
Last fall I arranged a visit in Tucson, Arizona to visit my brother and his family. My nephew, Sean, would be appearing in his high school’s production of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s “You Can’t Take It With You.” Though he had a small part as one of the G-men, it created a lovely…
Thank You, Gore Mountain Ski Instructors
I wrote this letter as part of my Gratitude Project and mailed it on January 24, 2017: For Gore Mountain Ski Instructors who taught the Meixner Family (1967-1992) Dear Joan, Joan, Jack, Nick, Wendy, Bob, Tim, Gail; Over fifty-five years ago my parents, Betty and Ray Meixner, married in New York City between snow storms….
Inauguration Walk in 1977
Forty years ago my family and I attended President Jimmy Carter’s inauguration. In what seemed an unprecedented event, my siblings and I had January 20th off from school. As a Washington, D.C.-based federal worker, my father also had a holiday. Our family adventure to D.C. started with a drive to the Silver Spring Metro station….
An Almost FAO Schwarz Christmas Job
I came back from Manhattan to Grandma Elizabeth’s house and told her my adventures for the day. It included a stop at the toy store, FAO Schwarz. She proceeded to tell me of interviewing for a Christmas job at the store. Her story ended in my mouth dropping open. The time frame: World War II….
Tapestry Holes Never Completely Close
We live, we love, and then our loved ones die. The pain of grief comes and creates a hole in our life’s tapestry. Carole King so aptly sings about life’s journey in “Tapestry,” which begins with: “My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue; An everlasting vision of the ever-changing view. A…