RichC | March 27, 2025
It is not hard to suck me in to having an opinion … and politics is one of those topics that I fortunately or unfortunately have formed semi-strong politically opinions over the years. I probably share/debate/argue them too often with my son Taylor (and he usually counters them) or in the past couple of years, […]
RichC | March 14, 2025
The manic markets and crazy movement down and up (today) are enough to have investors pulling their hair out. Thankfully there was a reprieve from the steady down movement over the tariff dispute between President Trump and many of our trading partners (more on that this weekend). Consumer sentiment is not positive and will likely […]
RichC | January 1, 2025
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RichC | December 3, 2024
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RichC | November 12, 2024
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RichC | September 4, 2024
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RichC | August 8, 2024
After noticing a ThrowBack Thursday #TBT post in the “Year(s) Ago On This Date” blog column and recently stumbling across a old automotive photo that I didn’t remember of me with the 1973 Cadillac Coupe Deville … the one that was hit by a train, well pushed off the tracks by a slow moving train. […]
RichC | August 5, 2024
It would be nice “to go back to the islands” … well maybe going back in time to when we took a trip down A1A (Florida highway and Jimmy Buffett’s 1974 album title) and drove down to Key West. I sort of want to do it again, although I suspect Key West is no longer […]
RichC | July 8, 2024
Today’s Music Monday is a redux of a previous post regarding the popular 1973 song “Kodachrome” by Paul Simon song (of Simon and Garfunkel and solo fame). The song came up in a conversation on Sunday afternoon with Megan and Taylor as they were showing a “slides” wall display of hundreds of old transparencies all mounted […]
RichC | May 8, 2024
Late spring yard work and continued Kubota diagnosis and repairs continued over the weekend, but on the 7th, another year for me is in the books; can’t say I’m feeling all that different? But THANK YOU to my family and friends for wishing me a Happy Birthday … and some doing the traditional Howard family […]
RichC | March 3, 2024
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RichC | February 3, 2024
While Brenda and I apprecated the warmer weather while in Florida last month, we really focused on walking more each day after working half days from the condo. Our steady daily beach walks and healthier eating will hopefully pay-off with the shedding of a few pounds and improving our long term health (Brenda’s hip replacement […]
RichC | December 21, 2023
My childhood home on Lake Erie in 1967 It is the time of year when we reflect on the past year … or in my case … the WAY past years. Last month, my brother Ron mentioned that the property (just the land) that our childhood home was being listed for sale. We were both […]
RichC | November 13, 2023
We attended and enjoyed the wedding for Taylor’s long time “birthday buddy” and grade school, high school and college friend Katie Gormas to Jason Kirklin in downtown Cincinnati this weekend. Beside a high traffic parking fiasco that almost made us late, the evening was very nice. Taylor and Megan arrived even a few minutes after us […]
RichC | October 31, 2023
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RichC | September 27, 2023
It is that time of year … Autumn is here and the leaves are starting to fall. I cut the lawn and closed the pool last weekend, hopefully before the bulk of the leaves started to fill up the pool. The weather has been nice and just the right temperature for yardwork. BUT … I […]
RichC | September 7, 2023
To make this a Throwback Thursday #TBT post, here’s a photo from Summer 2022. I used Brenda’s iPhone14 to capture the brilliant Super Blue Moon at the end of August … not bad. It was so bright that it basically lit up the flowering bushes off the rear porch. The late summer heat (90+ degrees […]
RichC | September 4, 2023
Depressing for those of us who grew up in the Jimmy Buffett mindset and have enjoyed his music, concerts, ambitious lifestyle and attitude for our college and adult lives, but his passing on September 1, 2023 hit home. Unfortunately it is starting to feel like the norm (but 76 is way, WAY, too young)? I […]
RichC | August 31, 2023
Brenda and I have transitioned from “mostly news” in the late evening to watching a half-hour of vintage comedy on TV … at least before bed. The repetitive drumbeat of depressing, anger-inducing news is not very conducive for a good night’s sleep. One of the funny shows we enjoy is the late 1960’s sitcom “Get […]
RichC | July 8, 2023
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RichC | May 24, 2023
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RichC | May 18, 2023
Most people spend their lives going to school, focused on work and career, raising their family and after 6 decades or so can plan for the day they shift gears and retire. The question arises, what do you want to do and where do you want to live when you aren’t restricted by school and […]
RichC | April 27, 2023
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RichC | April 11, 2023
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RichC | February 15, 2023
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RichC | December 29, 2022
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RichC | October 9, 2022
Brenda and I have been fortunate to almost always taken an autumn trip to Florida. Years ago it was often to visit my parents who would go to Panama City Beach or take a trip with the kids. After Katelyn and Taylor were in college, it was often to visit Brenda’s parents and then to […]
RichC | August 27, 2022
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RichC | August 6, 2022
Well if one has to stay at home … looking at our backyard “storm is coming” pool photo … and we aren’t to be out and about, there could be worse places to be isolating? The summer storms continued rolling thru this past week and and after testing positive the previous week, I thought a […]
RichC | August 1, 2022
Well it looks like COVID19’s BA.5 subvariant has found us … or we found it. Fortunately for us, we have been vaccinated and at least I have one of the boosters … so hopefully the more serious and severe illness seen by many can be avoided. As of my writing (over the weekend) the symptoms […]
RichC | July 13, 2022
Instead of starting a rant on our nightmare return trip from the Canadian Rockies flying Air Canada … I’m going to let the stress dissipate for a while. It was painful travel. So instead I’ll archive a couple exciting photos from Katelyn and Drew as their builder has started clearing the trees from their lot […]
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 | June 5, 2022
A poor quality scan of our 1982 wedding with DadH, MomH, MomC and DadC Often a 40th Wedding Anniversary triggers a husband or wife to make the comment “thanks for putting up with me” or something to that effect. Although there is truth to it, spending the rest of your life with another person is […]
RichC | April 7, 2022
While clearing out a few more old boxes and tossing junk in preparation for new floors in my office (and guest bedroom) last weekend, I just couldn’t throw this 1963 “fine artwork” colored by yours truly without taking a photo and archiving on my blog. A digital image take up far less space then paper […]
RichC | February 24, 2022
Last week I was talking to an online friend from Alaska about outdoor cold-weather activities who shared a winter camping photo. He was complaining about the freezing rain and less than ideal weather this year on his 20 mile snowmobile trip, so he cut it short and drove to Wasilla to watch the start of […]
RichC | February 20, 2022
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RichC | January 5, 2022
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RichC | December 26, 2021
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RichC | December 8, 2021
Since part one of a couple of blog photo posts will be pubic and not include family, I’ll archive it first. I finished (hopefully) the NINE trailer loads of leaves I mulched and raked in the front yard this year. Oh for the pre-Global Warming and now Climate Change days of burning leaves rather than […]
RichC | November 20, 2021
Brenda and I flew to Florida with a “use it or lose it” expiring Southwest Airline ticket …and hopefully as a way to earn a future companion-pass ticket (we’ll see how that goes). We were there for a long weekend and to enjoy a couple days at the condo and the beach. Unfortunately I wasted […]
RichC | November 11, 2021
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RichC | October 30, 2021
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RichC | October 2, 2021
As summer turned to autumn, Brenda and I found ourselves enjoying a few more evenings and weekends walking around and working in the backyard. Last week it was cleaning up “the mound” (although we have a few) and getting it ready for winter. I dug out some deeper rooted plants that had spread and planted […]
RichC | September 23, 2021
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RichC | September 9, 2021
Last month when we were together with the kids, they were talking about enjoying trips to Michigan for long weekends during the summer (Drew’s parents have a house on Lake Michigan). It brought back memories for us and I mentioned that once-upon-a-time we thought about buying cabin property in the Upper Peninsula on Lake Huron […]
RichC | July 20, 2021
Figured I would archive a couple leftover photos and an animated gif from a nice weekend working out in the yard. Since the concrete crew has not started the driveway project yet, I am continuing to clear brush and cut low branches (contemplating large concrete mixing trucks). Once again, the bonfire brush pile is starting […]
RichC | July 11, 2021
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RichC | July 10, 2021
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RichC | June 24, 2021
Brenda and I have always admired art and after 39 years of marriage have collected quite a bit of it. From antiques, carvings and sculptures to paintings that likely have only meaning to us. When I saw the self-portrait above, I was immediately drawn to it. Hm, an artist painting himself, painting himself? I like […]
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 | June 6, 2021
For years now … no, it is now decades … my buddy Jeff and I have gone out for lunch ever other week and almost exclusively to a Mexican restaurant … primarily for the chips and salsa (and relaxed conversation). Before that, we lived in different cities (he in Florida and then Alabama … and […]
RichC | June 5, 2021
Brenda and I are still a year away from a milestone wedding anniversary, but we aren’t taking our 39th for granted – Happy Anniversary Brenda! This past year has been challenging … but an improving year on all counts. Everyone has been dealing with the COVID19 pandemic, but thankfully for us, we are coming out […]
RichC | May 28, 2021
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RichC | May 26, 2021
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RichC | May 18, 2021
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RichC | May 14, 2021
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RichC | May 5, 2021
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RichC | May 2, 2021
Although I know much of the country has lived locked down for much of the year, Brenda and I have probably done a little more than most. She has worked in the pharmacy without much of a break and since the COVID19 vaccinations have started, has been very busy. We had planned a trip to […]