It was the Fourth of July. Why not roast a pig? Never mind that I had never cooked a whole pig before nor did I even have a pig cooker, but I suggested the idea to my friend John Savides and he agreed. The problem with having friends like John is that they will agree to most anything. “Wanna go sky diving without a chute?” “Sure,” John would say. “Sounds like fun.” So I bought a … [Read more...]

  By Marilyn Norford   I don't like spiders and snakes. That’s pretty much my mantra, and that of most of my friends of the feminine persuasion. That being said, one of the most convenient features of my house is the laundry room. It is good-sized and in addition to housing a convenient, deep laundry sink and the obligatory washer and dryer, there are wonderful enclosed … [Read more...]

It was the summer of 1973 and we had made close friends with Donald and Janice Ramirez from church. We ate at each other’s house, went out to eat together and had kids about the same age. It was destined to be a great friendship. They had even asked us to watch over their house in Woodbrook while they spent a week with family back in New Orleans. “I’d be delighted to feed the fish and the cats … [Read more...]

  In this corner, we have the undisputed leader in sales of pancake mixes -  the one and only Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mix, a 32-ounce box of pancake goodness. In the other corner, we have the contender - a box of Bisquick Mix. So, who’s the baddest pancake mix on the planet? On Sunday mornings, Nancy and I often splurge on breakfast. We’ll have bacon or sausage, cut up some … [Read more...]

Nancy and I are playing the “Bird Game.” Let me explain. During our marriage we have had cats, English Setters, beagles, mutts, rabbits, gerbils, fresh and saltwater aquarium fish, turtles, ferrets and frogs. A few years ago, we got our first birds. A friend of Nancy’s told her told about two love birds that had lost their original owner and were now confined to a basement in a room without … [Read more...]

Each year for Christmas, I always put cigars at the top of my list. If I’ve been particularly good that year, my kids usually spring for a pack or two and they are always good cigars, not like the cheap stogies I normally buy. This past Christmas, my daughter Laura came through with a 4-pack of Cubans. They were specially packaged and looked great. I horde cigars like that, waiting for a … [Read more...]

A fellow died and found himself standing in the long line to judgement. As he stood there, he noticed that those marching to the right went through the Pearly Gates into Heaven, while those heading left went to Satan, who threw them into the fiery pit. But every now and then, the devil would toss one aside into a small pile. Curious, the man strolled over to Satan and asked: “Excuse me, Mr. … [Read more...]

Sportsmen face many obstacles in their outdoor careers. Driving a Jeep down a muddy, rut-filled logging road deep in a grouse covert comes to mind. But that’s not the most difficult challenge. Stepping squarely on a hornet’s nest while creeping in on a spring gobbler is no walk in the park, but worse can happen. An outdoors type might even find himself or herself between a mother bear and her cubs … [Read more...]

I saw on TV last week that someone had developed an app for I-phones to remind forgetful parents that they had a baby in the back seat and not to forget and go to work and leave the infant there in a hot car with the windows rolled up. I’m not making this up. And I have an app for those parents. Use your brain. Anybody who can’t remember they are hauling an infant around should be removed … [Read more...]

  We chose the Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of America to tour the Hawaiian Islands primarily because it is the only liner that cruises the islands. There are no other choices. They’ve got you by the short and curlies. Our goal for this vacation was to see as much as possible, not necessarily do as much as possible, and we thought that island hopping by ship was the best bet. The Pride … [Read more...]