RichC | December 13, 2025
AFTER a photo from my daughter, who was very proud of her husband, and his “Teaching Excellence” award a few days ago (we are very proud of you too, Drew) … I’m going to comment on happiness in America (see previous personal post). First, and for the record, my family makes me happy, very happy. Perhaps […]
RichC | December 13, 2025
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RichC | October 15, 2025
What, another “middle age” birthday for Megan? The “middle age” joke has taken on a life of its own when it comes to our adult children. It is kind of fun when “we” are young and in our early 30s (Megan’s 30th Birthday), but I’m starting to think that it could be both an insult […]
RichC | August 12, 2025
As the saying goes, “better to have a birthday then not to have one.” Yet most of us watching the years tick by wonder, why do the years seem to tick by so much faster the older we get? So, Happy Birthday, Brenda – here’s a George Meredith quote to ponder. It has been a wonderful […]
RichC | June 10, 2025
Although this is a photo from “my” birthday with Taylor and Megan last month, I’m using it for his birthday greeting today — we’ll see him soon (and may add the photo later below?) Nevertheless, Happy Birthday, Taylor, another year has passed. The thought that you are nearly middle age is frightening. I am very […]
RichC | May 21, 2025
My daughter shared some photos from her new bird feeder birthday present, from Drew and the girls, and access last weekend through the BirdBuddy app. BTW, today is my brother’s birthday, Happy Birthday Ron! (poem below) The WiFi camera connected birdfeeder (see previous non-smar homemade birdfeeder) for the Oostra backyard which is full of “everything […]
RichC | May 14, 2025
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RichC | May 8, 2025
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RichC | March 4, 2025
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RichC | February 20, 2025
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RichC | October 29, 2024
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RichC | September 29, 2024
It isn’t as if I think about missing my mom everyday, but when her birthday approaches, I definitely do. In that way we are a lot alike — remembering her missing her mom. Brenda and I often comment, “oh how my mother would love this or that” … usually when talking about preparing the table […]
RichC | September 9, 2024
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RichC | June 9, 2024
Taylor and Megan for Birthday golfing at Beckett Ridge (he worked there when he was in college) The weather was cooler than normal for a June birthday get-together for a few of our 35 year old sons’ friends, their spouses and now young families. It wasn’t a formal party per se, but it was a […]
RichC | May 14, 2024
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RichC | March 19, 2024
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RichC | December 19, 2023
This past weekend was enjoyable for our family as we celebrated Brenda’s sister Chris Skinner‘s 70th Birthday. It was a surprise party planned by her grown children and it was pulled off wonderfully. Ann and Gary drove up to our house from Atlanta and we drove 30 minutes to meet up with the family and […]
RichC | August 14, 2023
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RichC | August 12, 2023
Although by the time “we” get to these years, celebrating another birthday isn’t the same as it was when we were pinning tales on donkeys, wearing cone shaped hats and eating as much cake and ice cream as we wanted. I asked Brenda how she wanted to celebrate her birthday and it was more like […]
RichC | July 30, 2023
Brenda’s birthday is in August and after remembering her riding the small kids bike (a joke) and seeing that our granddaughters are both growing into bicycles, it seemed like a good idea to find something reasonably priced for her to ride with them (and me) — and kill two birds with one stone considering it […]
RichC | June 13, 2023
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RichC | June 10, 2023
It is hard to believe Taylor, our youngest, is celebrating another birthday (although better than not having them) and that he was born AFTER the long running television show (1952-1989) American Bandstand ended. It just so happens that Taylor was born a month after Dick Clark finished the final episode … it does not seem […]
RichC | May 14, 2023
Blooming love’s embrace,Mother’s heart, radiant grace,Forever cherished. While listening to a news program a couple of weeks ago, the morning hosts talked about receiving too many long, overly wordy interoffice emails and notes; I assume journalists can be longwinded? A Haiku challenge ensued. Haiku (俳句) is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. […]
RichC | May 9, 2023
Although few of us getting older really want to spend too much time highlighting “yet another” birthday, last weekend was mine … so I celebrated by hauling 68 pounds of aluminum cans to the recycler (above). Since we were with KDAE the previous weekend … and Taylor stops in regularly (twice this past week) and […]
RichC | March 7, 2023
For years now, I’ve been planning to make a set of Cornhole boards for the backyard when entertaining in the summertime, but never really wanted to just slap together construction grade 2 x 4s and plywood. So when thinking about a project gift for my granddaughters 3rd and 6th birthdays this year, who are now […]
RichC | March 5, 2023
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RichC | February 20, 2023
My youngest granddaughter turns 3 years old today … WOW! Happy Birthday Ellerie. We wish we were spending it with you, but we will be calling you on your way home from Michigan (photo above on Sunday) and celebrating soon for your combined birthday with your sister. For Music Monday today, I was thinking about […]
RichC | December 13, 2022
My daughter is great at sending links to items she thinks would be great for the blog. The other day Katelyn sent an “Ohio Turnpike Name-A-Snowplow Contest” story that had some pretty creative names — well actually, like her mom, she had her husband send it 😀 (BTW, Happy Birthday Drew!). Here are the winners: Ctrl-Salt-Delete, Nicole […]
RichC | August 24, 2022
While Brenda and I were in Atlanta celebrating her sister’s birthday, Taylor was once again at another wedding clear across the country. One of his elementary school friends (they stayed in touch) gave a bunch of friends a chance to get together in a nice location – Lake Tahoe. Of course this wasn’t the first […]
RichC | August 23, 2022
It was a nice weekend to drive to Atlanta, even though it was only for a short birthday visit for Brenda’s sister Ann. As always, we had a very nice time together, had a great day hiking up to Indian Seats (panorama above) and our favorite part, catching up on the life of their girls. […]
RichC | August 12, 2022
It has been a perfect summer week with Ellerie and Annalyn and all topped off with our family together to celebrate Brenda’s birthday. Katelyn and Drew are taking the girls to Kings Island today while we recuperate and I try to get a few things done that have piled up from phone calls, emails and […]
RichC | June 10, 2022
Taylor last weekend at the Cincinnati Zoo with Megan While typing the subject line of this post, I wondered at what “age” is respectful to NOT mention a number when sharing a Happy Birthday greeting? Hopefully not at 33 yet, since from memory those were the years I pretty much felt my best (pre Menieres!) […]
RichC | May 24, 2022
My buddy Jeff Pitts is my go-to source for interesting books to read. For my birthday this year (we had lunch last Friday … a Mexican restaurant, of course), he gave me an older 1950’s era book by Robert Ruark called “The Old Man and The Boy.” I passed on reading my other books and […]
RichC | May 17, 2022
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RichC | May 14, 2022
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RichC | March 15, 2022
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RichC | March 12, 2022
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RichC | March 6, 2022
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RichC | February 20, 2022
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RichC | December 16, 2021
The years go by quickly and I’m not sure how to keep up with the time anymore, except maybe by watching our granddaughters grow up … or noticing gray hair and elbow wrinkles. UGH! The 8 years and 8 months our son-in-law Drew has been married to Katelyn and part of our family have been […]
RichC | August 17, 2021
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RichC | August 12, 2021
Today is my wife’s birthday and I do my best to remember and marked the day on MyDesultoryBlog.com. This year I remembered one of my favorite photos of Brenda from one of our cruises (actually an ani gif … wait for it) – this one is west of Gibraltar back in 2009. Since it’s from […]
RichC | June 10, 2021
We had a great time celebrating Taylor’s 32nd birthday last night after work at Pepp and Dolores restaurant in Cincinnati thanks to Megan. Brenda and I enjoyed arriving a little early and sitting at the bar talking with the bartender while sipping some Italian wine. We ended up discussing menu since she wasn’t overly busy. […]
RichC | May 31, 2021
This should have been a post for last week’s Music Monday, but here’s a belated 80th Happy Birthday to the legendary singer-songwriter-poet Bob Dylan. What a unique and talented musician. So now they your 80 years old … Mr. Rolling Stone 🙂 … “how does it feel?” Bob Dylan with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band […]
RichC | May 26, 2021
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RichC | May 18, 2021
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RichC | May 15, 2021
Yesterday was my “space-camp” and NASA Sharp daughter Katelyn’s birthday and I had been saving a link that I forgot about just for the occasion … so will post it a day late … along with an amazing 2020 photo of Jupiter and Europa from the Hubble Space Telescope. We share an interest in space […]
RichC | May 14, 2021
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RichC | May 13, 2021
A big thank you to my son Taylor for the Amazon gift card for my birthday last week. When he asked me what I was going to buy with it, I didn’t immediately have an answer … now I do … so I’ll now post a couple new woodworking workshop items that I’m using it […]
RichC | March 9, 2021
While finishing up a small black walnut book stand or bookholder for my son’s birthday later this spring, I decided to archive a photo since Taylor doesn’t regularly read my blog (watch this be the exception). I wanted to make something for him since the granddaughters usually get most projects. He is also the other “sailboat” […]
RichC | March 4, 2021
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RichC | March 2, 2021
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RichC | December 13, 2020
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RichC | November 30, 2020
Today’s Music Monday song is due to the minor chastising from my friend Mark Jones last week. He’s been picking up a few old albums for his record collection and to play on his Crosley record player mentioned before … and because I wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday today. Happy Birthday, Mark! One […]
RichC | October 17, 2020
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RichC | September 29, 2020
My mother’s birthday isn’t one that I mark with a blog post every year, but since I ran across this old photo of my mom in East Tawas Michigan, I set it aside (along with one from me in my new suede coat back in high school). I spotted the Kodachrome slide of Mom next […]
RichC | August 18, 2020
We are really enjoying the time we have to stay around home this summer amidst Coronavirus concerns … although Brenda has never stopped going to work … she works in an “essential business” – pharmacy. We certainly enjoyed having Katelyn, Drew, Annalyn and Ellerie to our house for a mini-vacation for several days earlier this […]
RichC | August 12, 2020
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RichC | June 10, 2020
Wishing my son a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today. I know he is getting older, but I don’t think he is THIS old yet. Yikes! A couple weeks ago Taylor sent a FaceApp photo with his college friends (a post from when they were backpacking together in Kauai). It is frightening how technology can add a […]
RichC | May 21, 2020
Happy Birthday to my brother today. Although it is not every year I mentioned birthdays, particularly for those of us who prefer the year count be ignored, but this year with social distancing and lack of a physically connecting, I’ll post a birthday wish to Ron. Happy Birthday! While I’m thinking about it, I came […]