There are plenty of cliche things to be grateful for — one’s health, friends, a little cash in the bank… But if you’ve ever had poor health, or watched a love one suffer illness beyond the common cold, you value, and give thanks for, every morning you wake up without …
My American friends don’t — by and large — use the phrase, but in Britain, no birthday goes unmarked without at least a half-dozen folks wishing you “Many happy returns of the day.” This may even include the postman or building receptionist if they’ve seen you often enough to know …
The other day, while cleaning up some Inquisitive Mind Books listings on Amazon (and making sure An Abecedarium of Ornaments was in good order), I decided to give myself 10 minutes to browse the bajillions of music listings on the site. This wasn’t entirely random browsing. I keep a notepad …
When I was small, I fell asleep telling stories to my stuffed animals (primarily Pooh Bear and Rounder the Dachshund). These tales were mostly about Travelling Puss, an invention of my father, or their own toy-like adventures, invented by me. When I got old enough to read real books myself, …
