I pride myself on having a great memory for what was happening around me while growing up. Little details about my mom and dad, my sisters and brother and classmates of mine at Saint Cecilia Grade School come up in vivid color. Compared to many kids who grew up in the 40s …
One wonderful aspect of my semi-retirement is the opportunity to read more. I’d rather read than watch television, although I’m not exactly sure why. I currently have four books next to four of my favorite chairs. I can just plop down, pick up a book and let it take my …
So I have this new toothbrush. After eight years of service, my old one had lost most of its bristles. I thought it was still okay because my tooth count had matched the bristle count, but Sherry splurged on a new one for me. Then this mint green toothbrush called Gum Great …
I think I went over 70 years without making a single to-do list. I was too busy doing what was in front of me. If I missed something, it was okay. Most times, I didn’t know I messed up because there was no leftover list letting me know what I forgot to do. No one …
“You just can’t trust that Don Kuhl anymore. He has missed numerous blog posts over the last few weeks. Has he quit aging on Monday, Wednesday and Friday?” I owe loyal readers an honest explanation. I had a few minor health and personal issues pop up that made …
My mother, Irene, died on May Day 1999. I briefly spoke at her funeral in Boone, Iowa, recalling the highlights of her beautiful life. My dad, Vern, died later that same year and a small service was held in Carson City, Nevada. My siblings asked me to say a few words in his …
The skunk is back on our property. An unmistakable smell hangs in the air. Our dogs have been sprayed again, and it’s my job to clean them up. By the end of this challenging task, I smell like a combo of skunk and tomato juice. I know when I’m in over my head. I hire …
I’ve never paid much attention to my hair. In my youth, it was a dark brown. Then it became speckled gray, then all gray. I don’t ever recall one person saying, “My Don, what great hair you have.” Since the age of 70, I’ve noticed I’m losing some of it. I don’t think I’m …
I rarely read a book twice. “The Art of Dying Well” by Katy Butler is an exception. I just started a third reading of certain chapters. It’s changing how I view the few or many years I have yet to create. The beauty of this practical guide is in the title’s second word – …
I know all of you are poem lovers like me… right? I fell in love with a poem by Mary Oliver titled “I Worried.” A crucial message came home to me in a beautiful manner. I can’t come close to saying it as well as Mary did, so I’m sharing her poem: I worried a …
