Huh? What's Up With That?

oddities, observations,& ?'s...#10                           Venice was the final stop on our four city tour of Italy last October and it was just as memorable as Florence, Rome, or, Assisi.   Serenissimo  is a place unlike any other we had seen because of its waterways and canals where roads and streets would be in any other city in the world.  The Adriatic Sea supplies the water to the canals.    Walking out of a building in Venice onto a sidewalk the width of a two-lane road was the norm unless you exited a structure that wasn't facing a canal.  If I had walked beyond the width of the sidewalk, I would have been taking a dip in an avenue of water.  Cross streets (canals), were crossed on arched pedestrian walkways.   Gondolas and water taxis were our transportation for 48 hours.     Our first  night in Venice, a water taxi ferried a group of us to a lo...

    nashville art...                     One of our favorite events in the fall is the St. James Court Art Show.  The weather has been perfect the past two or three years, but, regardless of the climate, the show goes on.      According to its own website, The St. James Court Art Show is a juried fine arts and contemporary crafts show featuring over 600 artists from around the United States.      The setting for the show is the country's largest collection of Victorian homes located in historic, Old Louisville.  Typically, in excess of 300,000 people attend the three day event.    As we walked among the crowded streets among yesterday's mansions last October, we were passing judgement on various creations highlighted in different booths when Regina noticed a particular piece of art and said, I think this guy would be a great interview for you.   The two of us   were st...

 volunteering...                      I have spoken to a number of people who prefer to do volunteer work as an Encore Performance instead of seeking a parttime income stream     In a previous blog, I talked with a man who travels with the Red Cross to disaster sites and does whatever is asked of him.  It was a humbling conversation.    In all of my conversations with POS (people over sixty) ,  I have had few people tell me they would not consider volunteering.  Perhaps there are more who feel that way, but, didn't share those feelings.    HUH ?   What's up with that ?       All of the prime suspects to benefit from the labor of volunteers are accounted for in every city.  Animal shelters , organizations to assist abused and homeless children , Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity , hospitals, and drug rehab facilities to name a few....

hobbies...                                                                   I recall riding my bicycle in the mid 1950s from my home to the Indianapolis suburb of Broad Ripple, a distance of about one mile.  Some of the time, one or more of four guys accompanied me:  Mike Farkas, Mike Kelly, Phil Ward, or David Evans.    It was exciting to walk around and gawk at the new merchandise in  Ed Shock's Hobby Shop . I bought many wooden or plastic air planes, boats, and cars in those pre and early teen years.     The really skilled model collectors and builders could buy blueprints for a vintage  Gato-SS 212   Submarine  or a  Boeing B-29 Super Fortress  at  Shock's.    Shock's Hobbies was where I purchased endless tubes of model glue that inevitably ...

  ghosts of ...                   The four George Brothers, Dave, Steve, Carl, and, Ken got together for Christmas earlier this month at Carl's home in Fishers, Indiana.  Cousins, nieces and nephews were also present.     Joe and Ruth and all the aunts and uncles are gone.  Ruth was the last of that generation and 2019 was her last Christmas.  The brothers and their cousins are now the sole aunts and uncles of the next generation.   HUH ?  What's up with that ?   Carl and Lisa are gracious hosts.  Their home was decorated beautifully and the Christmas tree was worth a couple pictures.  Needless to say, the food was outstanding.  Carl's baked Kibbee and Ken's stuffed cabbage rolls are the new George tradition.  A few of us vowed not to eat like this would be our last meal, but, the half hearted promise wouldn't have been taken seriously if it had been bound in blood.   ...

oddities, observations & ?'s...#9                                                                          Traveling Economy Class to Italy was brutal for two people who are used to moving around and can't sit still for long periods of time. I can't think of any other scenario in America in which groups of people are as blatantly categorized by class as we are when we choose to fly the friendly skies.  Clearly, a class system exists in the United States.    Economy Class  may as well be a synonym for,  The Less Fortunate.  But, I get it.  How many tickets would be sold if the airlines advertised, First Class and The Less Fortunate ?    HUH ?  What's up with that ?    What compounds the inferiority complex I suffered by being squished ...

  it is an investment...                   I hear quite often how POS (People Over Sixty) want to travel during retirement years. However, I am just as likely to be told by any one of my small sample of interviewees he or she doesn't have travel plans or harbor any desire to leave the city.     It seems there are as many different thoughts about the post retirement years and how to spend leisure time as there are people.  Sadly, I even had one man say, I just want to get to the end of it , when asked if he had a Bucket List .      Jamie Farr of MASH  television   fame told me in an interview he wanted to cook Lebanese specialties when he retired.  He said his mother taught him how to prepare his favorite dishes.    Richard Egan, an actor who appeared with Elvis Presley in the movie,  Love Me Tender,  said he was going to travel the world now in case he didn't make it...