Author Archives: Mike's Fountain Pen

Theodor Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Ted, as he was called by his friends in Springfield, grew up sketching the animals on trips to the zoo with his father.  In college, he wanted to become a writer, and he began writing for a college humor magazine.  He ultimately wrote some of the most memorable, and best-selling, children’sContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About What Is and Was”

I had never snow-skied before, but Nancy liked it and wanted to go.  We made reservations and headed toward the Rockies in my fancy little sports car – two-seater, all black with tan leather interior, and t-tops – a sweet ride.  Our progress slowed dramatically the farther west we got, so that by west-central Kansas, we wereContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Small Towns, Blizzards, Farms, Jobs, and TV and Musical Representations”

Brown. . . .  Dirt.  My son and I were engrossed in a rousing game of “I spy with my little eyes.”  Tan. . . .  Tumbleweed.  It was the fourth Wednesday of November.  We were on our way to Boulder to join my wife, his mother, for Thanksgiving.  Western Kansas in November . . . not a lot of color, notContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Life Off the Interstate”

I sat at my desk near the back of the room.  The desks were lined side-by-side, three across on each side of the center aisle.  We were practicing our printing, the letters along the top of the chalkboard:   A a B b C c D d . . . and so on until Z z. One of myContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Cursive”

I raised the end of one of the blinds to see if the coast was clear.  No, Pajama Man was out there. It was our second winter in Naples, Florida.  Our first had been spent in an Airbnb three or four blocks away.  The woman who owned the house was a delightful host.  She lived on the ground floor;Continue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Pajama Man”

As I accelerated down the entrance ramp onto I-70, I looked at the highway to assess traffic and plan my merge.  There was one car – a highway patrolman.  Darn the luck.  I slowed my acceleration and merged onto the highway behind the state trooper. He was driving at 55 mph, which meant I was driving 55 mphContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Radar Love”

So, did you make any?  Have you broken one yet?  Two?  More?  Said, “Oops, I forgot”?  Given one or more a hearty “Forget about it”?  Of course, I’m talking about resolutions.  And fair warning, January 19th is just around the corner! We were at some friends’ house the other evening.  She proclaimed that her resolution this year is to “get everything done.”  Seems rather ambitious toContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Resolve”

Harry Chapin began a song with “Remember when the music Came from wooden boxes strung with silver wire. . . .”  Now, I’m not old enough to remember those times, but I remember my parents and grandparents and their contemporaries talking about them. Those wooden boxes played more than music.  Many popular programs began there.  For example, theContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Christmas Movies”

We had 13 at our Thanksgiving feast.  We anticipated that we might have 15 (or 16), but 13 stretched our resource of space.  We could have – and would have – accommodated the additional guests.  We certainly had more than enough food.  But a few years ago, we sold our house in a move toward downsizing. Though Nancy refersContinue reading “I’ve Been Thinking . . . About Thanking”