Monthly Archives: November 2020

The first snow for The Miami Valley of southwest Ohio has arrived and the beauty seems to override the accompanying grey sky. I’ve previously noted how I loathe the end of my deck time with fall’s arrival, but once it’s … Continue reading →

Fifteen months ago, August 2019, just six months after our brother’s passing, my sister, Dena and I lost our dad, David Haas, 78, this afternoon. June 20, 1984, my younger siblings, Dena, 11, Destin, 9, and I, 19, were adopted … Continue reading →

I’m seeing many friends debating whether to put up their tree and decorations before Thanksgiving while others almost apologetic for decking the halls before the turkeys are thawed. Just do it. Who cares what others think? It doesn’t matter what … Continue reading →

In 1987, I decided my college music-composition final project would be a very short oratorio, a concert piece that includes orchestra/instrumentation, soloists, and a chorus. My topic was to be Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign, concluding with his February 1861 … Continue reading →

Last week I posted this meme with some very thoughtful points in maintaining our mental and emotional well-being as the pandemic begins its second wave. I seldom follow recipes; I adjust them. I often hear “redirecting your route” from my … Continue reading →

MIAGD: Make it a great day The three days off seemed to drag, allowing me to accomplish so much, yet they sped so quickly that I wanted more time. I didn’t get to write as much as I had hoped … Continue reading →

102 years ago, November 11th, 1918, at 11:11 AM, The United States entered into an armistice ending its involvement in WWI, The Great War that would end all wars. In 1954, the traditional Armistice Day, with a tradition of standing … Continue reading →

Due to several Alter HS students being on a retreat I am done teaching by two hours and I’m glad to catch a bit of deck time before the night cools down too much. I may need a melatonin for … Continue reading →

MIAGD: Make it a great day For at least thirty-seven years, I was called the nickname bestowed upon me by my maternal grandfather, “Honkin.” Grandpa Leroy and Grandma Donna were 42 and 40 when I was born in 1964, and … Continue reading →

I’m permitting myself to incorporate my utmost personal feelings. This video echos my feelings about some of the possibilities for so many citizens of our nation, especially our young girls. I first heard these words uttered by newly sworn in … Continue reading →

One cold February night in 1973, my Grandma Donna and I assisted Mother in packing her suitcase as she prepared for that anticipated moment when she needed to head to the hospital to deliver her second child. At age 8, … Continue reading →

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote, a right known as women’s suffrage, and was ratified on August 18, 1920, ending almost a century of protest. Following the convention, the demand for the vote became a centerpiece of the women’s rights movement. In a … Continue reading →

One day, while working my part-time job at the Elwood Public Library, Margie Steiner, an adult librarian, called me over from shelving books and introduced me to a gentleman by saying, “Well, this is Red and Donna Barmes’ grandson, Darin.” … Continue reading →

MIAGD: Make it a great day I was so excited to vote in my first mid-term election in 1982 and my first general election in 1984. Thirty-six years later I was just as thrilled as I was each time I … Continue reading →

MIAGD: Make it a great day As a child, I remember the minister reading the names of those who had passed away within that year. Then, we’d sing the majestic hymn, “For All The Saints It’s All-Saints Day, today, also … Continue reading →