Most mornings I go early to the pool and swim a mile. Where I go this means 36 laps, a lap meaning down to the far end and back. It isn’t a very social activity, and some people consider it boring. But a person whose Myers-Briggs type is INFJ can easily enjoy the solitude. This writing actually began while swimming laps. I had noticed a new sign at the entrance to the locker rooms. It warned of the wet floor.
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I thought about not reviewing My First Mister. I think I was a little embarrassed about liking it. The absolute worst thing I can say about a movie is that it’s “about as good as a soap opera.” Indeed, this film is a little soap operaish–just a little. It is indeed a “tear jerker”–to get that out as well. Now that I have disclaimed myself, let me tell you why I found it a worthwhile and thoughtful tale.
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The North Chickamauga Creek Gorge, located 15 miles from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a beautiful deep central gorge cut into the sandstone plateau of Walden’s Ridge. It is approximately 10 miles long–steep, and rugged with forested slopes and very limited access. This gorge is the upper portion of the 32-mile North Chickamauga Creek, one of the main tributaries of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. …
There is a man on my commute who walks the median of a busy intersection, holding out a paper bucket for contributions. His need is pretty obvious. He limps horribly because one of his feet points behind him. His lower leg is twisted around and it hurts to watch him walk. At least it hurts me. On the other hand, I have rarely given him money. But I have often wondered about the thoughts of my fellow commuters. Do others feel this pain?
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One of my first puzzles on beginning Seducing Dr. Lewis was its location. Set in a small coastal fishing village, the place looked much like Battle Harbour, Labrador, where I have stayed and roamed with my cameras. The treeless tundra-like terrain and starkness of the tiny surrounding islands was remarkably similar. When the film was over, I searched the credits eagerly for the location. Harrington Harbour, Quebec. Close! Harrington Harbour is just below the Quebec/Labrador border and therefore down the coast from Battle Harbour. Now, of course, I want to visit Harrington Harbour. I’m reading up on in already. But I’ve digressed before even getting started.
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I learned most of what I know about trout fishing on an overnight trip in the Tellico Wildlife Management Area in East Tennessee. My buddy lived nearby and loved to follow the trout streams high up to their source. We caught them by day and cooked and ate them by the evening campfires. As you will see, the following poem both is and isn’t about trout fishing. …
If Kristin Scott Thomas (from “The English Patient”) doesn’t have the most expressive face in the motion picture world, who does? With no words spoken you can follow and feel her thoughts, her pain, her sarcasm, her weariness, everything.
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I found “Ladies in Lavender” a charming and fascinating story. Imagine two older women, sisters, living in a small remote 1930’s Cornish village in a lovely house overlooking the sea. One night comes a violent storm, not all that unusual for such a setting. But next morning the sisters discover a washed up body on their little beach. Next they discover that the young man is still alive. They get help, take him in, and begin to tend to him.
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I was the youngest of three brothers. During World War II, my oldest brother, David Jr., volunteered for the army. He was 17.
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Despite the Pennsylvania trends, Bedford PA is not a left-leaning area. One clue is the big “Jesus Is Lord” sign (with photograph of Jesus) that preaches to the Pennsylvania Turnpike as it angles through town. People support the NRA here, and disapprove the ACLU. Christian values are promoted in the local paper alongside church suppers, county fairs, and yard sales. Compared to where I live and work in the Washington, D.C. area, this is a safe and peaceful place. The crime report tells of of a bicycle stolen from a garage, or a coin box pilfered at the laundromat. …