The tree is decorated – colorful balls peeking out between strands of silvery tinsel The miniature train tracks run in circles around the trunk of the tree Gaily wrapped presents in all sizes and colors piled around the room The...

An old wooden crate whose paint had long faded Sat in the musty crowded basement Filled with miniature trains collected over a lifetime Long untouched and neglected But it wasn’t always so Some of my fondest Christmas memories include those...

There is beauty in the world I see beauty in the first glimpse of green in the Springtime A promise of things to come A rebirth of nature The first blooming purple crocus that pushes up through the snow Pastel...

Dawn is breaking as I quietly dress and lace up my walking shoes The birds are trilling their early morning greetings to the day I pull the door open and step outside And breathe in deeply the fresh early morning...

I’m seeing more and more articles about mandatory courses that are going to be required in K-12 schools as well as universities. Courses on diversity, racism, etc. I don’t like the sweeping generalities that are being proposed and they often...

They are tearing us apart Pulling our strings and we respond like puppets Emotions flaring with every new report Dividing us by race, religion and political beliefs Driving stakes deeper between us Until we turn on our brothers and sisters...

I grew up in the small village of Grapeville A little place in Southwestern Pennsylvania nestled between Jeannette and Greensburg Grapeville, the village where my Great Grandfather built his house when he moved from Italy Where my Grandfather and my...

I walk though the quiet woods, the pristine white snow lit only by moon light. I make no noise as I walk, the sound deadened by the fresh snowfall.  It seems everything is asleep in this secret spot where there...

There is something therapeutic about a beach Any beach Sand, water, sun, a slight breeze Striped umbrellas or palapas on a Caribbean beach Fun beach towels, blankets and low-slung beach chairs dotting the sand Little birds with long legs running...

It is January 16th, 2016 and I’ve organized another MeetUp activity This time at the Bayernhof Museum A museum full of wonderful musical devices many of which still work after so many years Our group of ten people are all...