23 Comments

I may need to fictionalize my child hood. What I remember was pretty good, but there may be a few things better left out of the second draft.

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og god syttende mai til alle!

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I've loved - I chose that verb carefully and with absolute accuracy - the way this man writes, and thinks, for four decades now. Since I discovered Lake Woebgone, back when I was working just north of his home state of Minne-noplace, in North Dakota. And it just gets better. He'a kind of Mark wain without the mean streak.

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I've loved - I chose that verb carefully and with absolute accuracy - the way this man writes, and thinks, for four decades now. Since I discovered Lake Woebgone , back when I was working just north of his home state of Minne-noplace, in North Dakota. And it just gets better. He's our Mark Twain without the mean streak

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Ah yes...the essence of childhood...that of invention, and, creation. Perhaps the reason why The Good Lord rested was so that man/woman could continue his/her creation on that 7th day which we are now experiencing. Would that we "recover the seriousness of a child at play.” (Nietzche)

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Thinking of you and wishing you well.

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Stay well. Ballads are my favorite way to make my listeners roll their eyes. Chicken soup for this guy too. I made vegetable soup last week and I still have too much in the frig. What does that tell you?

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You have room in your freezer? Don’t forget to write a date on the container!

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Glad you were smart enough to get Paxlovid! I didn’t…and it took weeks and weeks to get over Covid last summer. Keep eating that soup…I lived on Wonton Soup!

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I was born on November 1, which normally would have been the cut-off date for entering first grade, but my mother insisted that I be admitted a year early. I spent the next sixteen years as the youngest, tallest, least-coordinated and most-socially-awkward kid in my class. But a five-year jump is extraordinary. Did you graduate at thirteen? Congratulations for maintaining your sanity.

-- Tom Sigafoos, Medina, Ohio

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It sounds like you may have picked up the dreaded “C” at the nightclub? Glad you’re feeling better! BTW, I run a boutique publishing house and also use Ingram for printing books, so I can relate to the delay, which happens to us all too often!

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Quote of the day: “The past is so fascinating to me now that I have so much of it”

Thank you for helping me make my wife smile this morning.

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Dad played his 33 1/3 albums of Benny Goodman, et al, but I especially loved his Jimmie Lunceford album. “Rhythm is our business, business sure is swell.”

I gave up ironing years ago. I hate hot weather, and ironing in Kentucky in the summertime- even with AC (also forbidden by the Brethren, according to your books)- seemed to add insult to injury. Buy quality knit polo shirts and add some more sand in your hourglass!

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You sound pretty active for someone who has Covid! Your day seems more accomplished than mine and I am going full steam. But then I’m 81 and you’re only 75! I always love your words! And look forward to reading about cheerfulness. I’ve been a fan for years and years, and I remember a lot of your Norwegian lore from my own childhood. Get well! Susan.

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COVID??? Uh, oh, just another brush with death and you still remain a Rock Star and I can add my two-bits without causing delayed recovery.

During WWII, 4 yr youngsters could start kindergarten, as the fathers were on such as an aircraft carrier, while mothers were riveting madly, so that the boats and planes wouldn't crash and/or sink.

My point is that I started school at 4, was always the shortest, didn't need a bathing suit top until in 7th grade, suffered delayed pride in finally wearing a brassier, and...all the rest of the coming of age delays too grim for posting. The Lifesaver was that I was in the best class in the history of my school...1957, which has salved all the l"late maturing" embarrassments.

Be well my dear GK 🤗

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"We were a happy family that kept many secrets and how does one pry open those locked doors?"

Sir, very pleased to hear you're on the road to recovery.

There is a fairly easy answer to your question, do your DNA. Best place to do it is on Ancestry.com. It's a simple test of spitting in a tube. You will find relatives coming out of the woodwork! A few will chatter with you. Pictures, records, documents - building a family 'tree,' is another form of scrabble!

Beware of that Red Queen, the Cat always smiling from his tree branch and that Rabbit 'I'm late, I'm late!' No mirror in your natural life is like looking into this one; you want adventure, get out your glass cleaner ~

As a writer, you should find the above more than a personal adventure - hard to explain - as one who as done it, you will find your life is full of other lives, other countries, and so on - there is no yellow brick road like this one!

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Sorry to hear about your battle with Covid. I'm just three years younger than you and likewise caught it, despite the 5 vaccinations, mask wearing and distancing, etc.. I had a bad episode, losing 12 pounds in as many days (https://donhmeredith.substack.com/p/swerving-dodging-and-colliding-with). I crashed so fast the doc quickly prescribed Paxlovid to keep me out of the hospital. My recovery took a couple of weeks, but I'm back to near 100% today. All the best for your recovery.

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