Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Summers of Our Discontent (or Why I Hate Daylight Savings Time)

Posted on March 25, 2012 by nowandthenadays

As spring has sprung, I’ve heard many remarks about its beauty, folks proclaiming it their favorite season, and the sound of sneezing as blooming allergens make  their presence known.  The other day, a friend waxed on about how clean, fresh, … Continue reading →

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Seeing Each Other Through Blind Eyes

Posted on March 9, 2012 by nowandthenadays

In the wake of the recent controversy surrounding Asian-American, Harvard grad Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks, I found myself musing about the situation of minority groups who have such difficulty blending into the stereotypical American landscape.   One of … Continue reading →

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Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

Posted on February 19, 2012 by nowandthenadays

I used to understand state government finance, or at least the basic principles.  Having served Mother Texas for some 38 years, I’ve lived through every kind of budget cycle, those during rainy days and those when the economic sun smiled … Continue reading →

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Let’s Be Mad as Hell!

Posted on January 22, 2012 by nowandthenadays

Paging through the December 28th Austin American Statesman, I skimmed headlines until I was stopped on page A-7.  Catching my attention was “Israeli girl’s plight highlights religious extremism” headlining the story of an 8 year-old American immigrant, sporting a pony … Continue reading →

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Foreign Encounters of the Friendly Kind

Posted on January 12, 2012 by nowandthenadays

I anxiously reviewed incoming Christmas cards this year — as I do every year — hoping to see those from folks I’ve met along life’s way whose obituaries would not appear in the Austin paper, my main source of bad … Continue reading →

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The Proof is in the Pudding

Posted on December 31, 2011 by nowandthenadays

Food goes hand in hand, or hand to mouth, with the holidays.  In our family, we generally choose the traditional holiday fare, coming together for Thanksgiving at my Uncle Bob’s and Aunt Jerilyn’s house to eat turkey, her inimitable cornbread … Continue reading →

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We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Peter Pan

Posted on November 25, 2011 by nowandthenadays

Unlike our more youthful co-travelers on the road of life, those of us of the mature persuasion tend to think more about our days being numbered.  We begin accumulating numbers that serve to focus our attention on this fact, such … Continue reading →

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The Annual Feast for Minds and Souls

Posted on October 30, 2011 by nowandthenadays

The spoken words of authors who appeared at the recently concluded Texas Book Festival are still ringing in my ears, especially as I start reading their books.  My favorite of Austin’s perennial events, the festival — held at the State … Continue reading →

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The Inescapable Shades of Gray

Posted on October 12, 2011 by nowandthenadays

Human beings are purposeful animals.  We decide to do something, set a goal, put something in motion.  The funny thing about life, though, is that what we do doesn’t always work out as intended . . . we get blindsided … Continue reading →

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Of Burros, Barbarians, and Brain Snatchers

Posted on September 20, 2011 by nowandthenadays

In sleepy Austin, Texas, I came to consciousness during the “wonder years” world of the 50s and 60s, and like everyone around me, I was proud of my nationality, believing in the superiority of all things American.   My 21-year old … Continue reading →

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