Fall of '87, living off of Hillsborough Street in Downtown Raleigh, I (Gerry) was excited to see my first Replacements show, which was held at The Bear's Den, Mission Valley. They were out promoting their "Pleased to Meet Me" album. They were introducing their new guitarist, Slim Dunlap, who was taking the place of founding… Continue reading Westerberg
Like most people, I was tasked to read Hemingway in high school, never appreciating his writing until I became an adult. Gerry and I began visiting Key West a few times, also the home of Ernest Hemingway for a number of years, so he became part of our yearning to know more about Key West,… Continue reading How in the World Did Hemingway Become Such a Big Part of Our Life?
I (Shannon) came home from work today, changed into my "outside clothes", took Betty White out for a stroll, and when we returned, she sat on the porch and watched me as I unraveled the hose to water the plants. It was a scorcher today, so it took longer than usual to quench all of… Continue reading When A Hibiscus Makes You Cry
I (Shannon) was recently reading the book, "Southern Lady Code" by Helen Ellis, and a chapter resonated with me. It was a chapter called, "Free to be...you and me (and childfree)." It moved me so much, that I thought I should write about how it made me feel, as it may inspire others who are… Continue reading It’s Okay to be a Dink
My (Gerry) thoughts often wander to the idea of religion and how it guides us through life. It seems my views change daily, as I struggle between what I was raised to believe, and what I have learned in many years of absorbing other ideas and teachings. Naturally, I lean toward the Christian faith of… Continue reading For Now, I’ll Stick to Monotheism
It's National Tea Day, in addition to it being Easter, so this morning has been especially comforting. Tea, like my (Shannon) own personal faith, is like a warm blanket, though it hasn't always been that way. Let's start with tea--that road isn't as complicated. I never really appreciated tea until I went on a backpacking… Continue reading The Loveliness of Tea and Faith
I (Gerry) have enjoyed cycling as far back a I can remember. As children, we started off on tiny 3-speeds, with long handlebars and seats, referred to as "spider bikes". Those with the slightly sunnier disposition may have used the term, "banana bikes". View from Shannon's cruiser- bike route sign in site I lived for… Continue reading Cycle of Life
Ah, the weekend. We countdown the days each week until we finally arrive to that magical time... but how do you spend it? Many try to pack in as much as they can to be sure they eat every morsel of what those two free days have to offer, running around all over town, traveling… Continue reading Minimalist Weekend
Life is short. It becomes more evident the older I get. Perhaps because the obvious conclusion is that it is - getting shorter. This past weekend, my mother turned 60. I remember when 60 sounded so old. Now, I can hardly believe how quickly the years fly by. I am amazed that my own mother… Continue reading Life is Short…
We used to do spend the last few days of the year looking up all of the things that bring good luck for the next year, and implement them. There was that one year with the red underwear. Yep, google it. We've been pretty creative with our New Year's resolutions, too, only to have most… Continue reading 2019- A Time for Reset
