From Grumpy's Garage

Image: pxhere.com (This is the fifth in a series of essays that I wrote in early 2024 in response to writing prompts from  Storyworth .  More information ) I’m frustrated with Storyworth. Or rather, I’m frustrated with the text editor in their web app. It doesn’t give me the control I like to have over formatting. It doesn’t let me chose the font (e.g., bold, italic or underlined), control the line spacing, or wrap text around images (or create image captions). It just frustrates me. I do like their prompts. I like that they let me add family members to a list and handle sending my essays to them, though just saying that out loud (err, writing it down for me to see) sounds narcissistic. (Another benefit might be that, once I move to another platform and remove you from the Storyworth distribution list, you probably won’t see sales pitches coming from them anymore.) But how is Storyworth different from subscribing to a writer’s prompt service (there are a few free ones) and pos...

"Put on then ... compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ..." (Ephesians 4:32) "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you..." (Matthew 5:44) Compassion? Kindness? Meekness? Love? I know that it's the right thing to do, but do I have to? I really just want my enemies to burn in hell. Well, sometimes. But wishing ill on my perceived enemies wouldn't fix anything. I'm looking for ways to effect positive change in the world, not exact retribution. So, on April 19, I went into town to the steps of city hall. My First Rally Speaker after speaker rose to the microphone and exhorted us to unify with others who share our values and our passion for democracy, and to approach our enemies with love and compassion. I was at my first political rally.  We all seemed to have our pet peeves: "RISE UP!" "BRING GARCIA HOME!" "DEFEND DEMOCRACY!"  "HANDS OFF!" "WE STAND WITH FEDERAL WORKERS!" And ...

Image: Google Gemini (This is the fourth in a series of essays that I wrote in early 2024 in response to writing prompts from  Storyworth .  More information ) P.E. Enough said.

Sunrise over Lake Union, near the Google Seattle office (This is the third in a series of essays that I wrote in early 2024 in response to writing prompts from  Storyworth . This essay has been edited from its original.  More information ) I love early morning walks. Let me get ready for a busy day. When I worked at Google in Seattle, sunrises over Lake Union always gave me joy. Or, if I’m visiting family in Maine, I’ll marvel at a sunset over Flanders Bay. Those are magical times. Sometimes I like to just sit near the water’s edge and watch wavelets lap the shoreline. Or ships pass by, if there are any. On one of our several visits to Port Townsend, Stephanie and I found a wine bar with outdoor seating overlooking the anchorage. We captured the moment. It speaks to the simple joy of the moment. Being with my soul mate. Watching boats at anchor. Sipping wine. Port Townsend Bay I enjoy hearing my own thoughts. It seems that many people can’t just be with themselves in silence. ...

Image: Google Gemini (This is the second in a series of essays that I wrote in early 2024 in response to writing prompts from  Storyworth .  More information ) I knew my maternal grandparents (Gowie and Grampa) better than I did my dad’s parents (Grandpa and Grandma Haney).  Grandpa Haney died of a heart attack when I was maybe five or six years old. My only memories of him are of his thumb. I could push on the face of his thumb and make an indentation, like it was Playdoh. I also remember seeing him wearing a carpenter’s belt, he was at church working in a project with other men there (Pilgrim Temple, Oakland, California). All of my other memories of Grandpa Haney were from photographs around Grandma Haney’s house, most taken on their missionary trips to Liberia, where my father was born. Grandma Haney was rather reserved. I’d even go so far as to say she was a little uptight. She had silver hair and a well-kept home in Oakland.  I recall that she had a contraption ...