I'm a planner, and it's always gratifying when the last plane ticket and hotel room have been booked and the last excursion tickets reserved for my trip. At that point there is nothing left to do but patiently wait until Departure Day … Read more

As an avid reader, I have always been a fan of the great detective, Sherlock Holmes, the literary creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I eagerly read — and watched film versions — of how he observed, made deductions, and uncovered crimes … Read more

"This is the last will and testament of me, in this city, in this province or state, dated this day. … I hereby revoke all wills and codicils previously made by me." If you recognize these words, you have written, benefited from, or … Read more

It is normal to anticipate something that may or may not happen. That happening may be something that we want or something that we dread. There is a famous quotation, attributed to Benjamin Franklin in 1789: "In this life, nothing is … Read more

Imagine the face of the family dog, caught red-pawed doing something that it knows is wrong, rolling eyes, hunched shoulders, tail tucked between its legs, all signs of guilt and an anxious pup! It's funny to watch; it makes me laugh, even … Read more

Conversations in a physician's waiting room can be interesting and run the gamut. As my wife and I sat in the waiting room, waiting for her to be called back for her colonoscopy, we listened to the various conversations. One was between … Read more

According to my wife, I eat some strange things. My wife and I come from different regions of South Carolina, and we have different eating habits. On one of our earlier dates, she was fixing my dinner plate. Out of habit, I said, "Make … Read more

In an era of rapidly changing customs and thought patterns, the world of art likewise changes, following trends related to various philosophical worldviews. During my attendance at the college of art from 1961 to 1962, the prevalence of … Read more

A friend of mine called to let me know that her young grandchild, whom they had been worried about, was just diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Along with the diagnosis came training for both parents and child. Amidst the training, it was … Read more

Last Friday, an article was published in the Toronto Star , subtitled, "An Easter Gift". It read in part, "On Thursday, the roughly 6-month-old lamb was spared from his fate at a nearby meat-packing plant, thanks to an unusual agreement … Read more