Has anyone ever asked you to pray for them ? I'm always surprised whenever I'm asked. I guess I'm a bit surprised that anyone would believe I have built up favor points from above. However, prayers are not simple. Comedian Kathleen Madigan explains it best when she points out that unlike Southern Christians that claim …
Mirror Lake……
Mirror Lake, nestled in the heart of Lake Placid, NY, is a place of serene beauty, its calm waters reflecting the surrounding Adirondack Mountains like glass. I swam its length during an Ironman competition in 2015, an experience etched deeply in my memory. Amidst the cold mountain water, I found myself beside another swimmer, whose …
The Bowl Makers Wife
Each day and night, he honors you,The love behind each bowl he'd hew.With wood and hand, his quiet art,Crafted by love that you impart.Each curve, each grain, each gentle line,Speaks of a bond both deep and fine.For though his words may seldom flow,His hands reveal what hearts bestow.Just as he shapes each piece with grace,You …
Legends without oars….
At Lowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury Massachusetts, history flows as deep as the Merrimack River. The tide rises and falls beneath the dockside embrace. On this crisp morning, three painted dories rest on the weathered dock, their stories etched into their wooden frames. Each its own personality, its own life, was as much alike as …
The Widow’s Walk Diaries
Prologue The Widow’s Walk Diaries are a work of fiction. As most parents do, I used to read stories to my daughter Izzy at night before bed. After a long days work, many nights my prospects of staying awake while reading where, between slim and none. To keep my mind active and to capture Izzy’s …
A Crank, A Quote and A Buddha
Authors Note: This is a repost of a story written on June 18th 2015. I think you may find motivating if not inspiring ...It has been updated these many year later with a response for the subject's wife of this story posted at the end.... I've been blogging for close to 20 years and have …
Sometimes you really need a joint… replacement that is.
It's day 19, post total hip replacement (THR) surgery and I believe the darkest days of the recovery process are behind me. To be fair when I refer to the dark periods, I’m not referring to physical pain. The toughest part of this process has been the side effects of not being able to care …
Continue reading Sometimes you really need a joint… replacement that is.
When hard things stack up on you….
Ever feel the weight of being at rock bottom? Lately, my life seems to be full of those type of issues and has left me physically and mentally flat. And with good reason......I've let them. I own it, but to be honest it has taken me months to recognize that my mindset during this period, …
Cambridgeport’s Greasy Village
Using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to understand the old Greasy Village neighborhood. Trying To Get StartedEvery once in a while I get writers block, meaning I can't think or get excited about things I want to learn or write about. When I began writing this article I wanted to know more about the Greasy Village neighborhood …
Sweet Memories
"Life and candy are reminders that the world is full of sweetness" It's amazing how a bit of candy from your youth can stir up memories. I received this box of assorted goodies as a gift and what I found inside was more many more memories than sugary treats. Anyone growing up in Cambridge Ma. …
Memorial Day ……to be remembered.
Rest in peace Harold ....we honor your memory...Sgt. Donald J. Ferguson USMC On Memorial Day my mind wanders through the Cambridge Cemetery's 66-acre site on Coolidge Avenue. I don't know if most who pass this place realize that it is the resting place of Medal of Honor recipients Joseph F. Scott and Alphonso M. Lunt, prominent …
The bow legged runner
I believe that running is only one string of the bow and that I must use what's left to still play music. What happens when a runner becomes unable to run? The answer is simply, they experience guilt. Runner’s guilt is a familiar feeling for nearly every runner. It’s the visceral sensation of incompleteness that …
Book Love….
I often get lost in a neighborhood bookshop, but I often find myself in a good book. Don Ferguson Everyone has their own taste in authors. My mom was an avid Danielle Steel fan but, you couldn't pay me to read any of the 190 Trashy novels she was so great at writing. I'm not …
You can take the kid out of Cambridge but…..
I just got home from a Cambridge High and Latin, high school class of 73 reunion for those who live full time or are snowbirds in the Naples Florida area. Although it was a small turnout, considering we were a class of over 600 seniors back in 1973.... small when it comes a gathering of …
Continue reading You can take the kid out of Cambridge but…..
The Golden Days.
You get the age you have earned..... Lately, my bladder is not the only reminder that I'm getting older. My daughters have grown into adults, my grandkids are nearing middle school ages, remembering names, dates and times elude me more and more as the list goes on..... I tend not to focus on aging, as in my …
Having the ‘craic’
Like most people I enjoy the company & loving embrace of my family and the times spent with my closest and dearest friends. The Irish have a specific word for what I'm talking about here and that word is ‘craic’, pronounced simply as ‘crack’. It means simply having fun enjoying each others company. The pronunciation and the …
Growing up older…that door is optional.
"Growing up" means maturing .....this happens by gaining a better understanding of the world you live in, your relationships, your goals and how to affect them. "Getting old" often implies a negative or undesirable process, focusing on the physical and mental changes associated with aging. On the other hand, "growing old" or as I like …
Quotes
Being a woman is no job for a man..... I heard this quote by Robert Horn (Tootsie / Playwright) while attending a performance of Tootsie at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine. Tootsie is the story of a difficult actor whose reputation for being argumentative drives him to adopt the identity as a woman to land …
Grounds for happiness
The suggestions below are not mine.... I was listening to a pod cast which focused on motivation and these simple statements stuck with me so, I'm sharing them with you over coffee. * Stop focusing on things we cannot control....The news, world events, climate, other people...* Stop focusing on the things we do not have....... …
Taking and giving compliments
I often have time to think about life while driving alone. This week I was thinking about doing hard things like bike, run and swim training. The reward for hard work is gaining perseverance. Perseverance is the power to push past the obstacles that get in the way. When I think about perseverance, I think …
Involuntary Musical Imagery
Music that's stuck in your head Songs, melodies and jingles get stuck in my head. If it happens to you also, you know how maddening it is ... It's got me wondering why it happens to me so often, and how can I fix it? This morning for instance, a Gregorian Chant "Regina Caeli" popped …
Mad Hatter’s Day 10/6
Have you ever wondered about the meaning of the card in the Mad Hatter's hat? The 10/6 refers to the cost of a hat — 10 shillings and 6 pence, and later became the date and month to celebrate Mad Hatter Day. So what is Mad Hatter's day anyway? Simply stated ....It's a day to act …
Other People Mindsets….
You may have heard about people see the world using either a Growth Mindset or Fixed Mindset. Someone with a growth mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through effort. On the other hand, someone with a fixed mindset views those same traits as inherently stable and unchangeable over time...... …
Through The Looking Glass
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome Long ago, I read about a neurological syndrome called "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS)" where a person experiences change in perception. It's the feeling that things are too big or too small in respect to reality. This past weekend I attended my 50th High School reunion and I believe I spent …
Triathlon – Sometimes you get more than you give.
Triathlon may seem it but, it is not a solo sport. OK, technically on race day, you swim, bike, and run yourself through each event and you cross the finish line by yourself. But, before and after that, a support network is a critical component in the triathlon journey. Working with a someone with experience or a …
Continue reading Triathlon – Sometimes you get more than you give.
