Category Archives: Meaningful Moments

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

On chilly mornings, Kelly and I will pack a breakfast picnic and take the short drive, or walk, if it’s the weekend and there are no morning appointments, down to Hermann Park. In the park, there is a bridge donated by Tiffany’s Company. We sit at a picnic table near the bridge, drink our coffee, […]

A Winters’ Christmas

Christmas comfort, to me, is in our family traditions. The old Victorian house which was my mother’s home for 56 years – has 12 foot high ceilings and a large mantle over the fireplace. Each year (for at least the past 55 years) a Nativity Scene was displayed on the mantle and a cedar Christmas […]

The Curiosity Switch and the Pause Button

Olivia, our 5-year-old granddaughter, recently arrived at our house and announced loudly – “It stinks in here!” Olivia was noticing the garlic smell from our just cooked meal. Later Kelly, the woman to whom I am married, was talking with Olivia and said – “It did not bother me what you said about our house […]

January Mulligan

January 2018 was not a great month for me. My mom died in early January. She was 90 years old and ready to die — the day before she died I asked if she wanted to talk with a priest, she said, “I have already talked to two different priests!” She had her affairs in […]

Learning From Pumpkins

In October 2016, Kelly and I placed several pumpkins in our flower bed as an autumn decoration. Over time the pumpkins started to decay. As we watched the slow decay it looked sort of like blowing up balloons, in slow motion and in reverse. During our very mild Houston Winter – most of the pumpkins […]

Avocado Trees and Keeping Zipped: Homage to my Grandmothers

I was fortunate to have both of my grandmothers in my life from birth till their deaths. And in a family with 14 children – it is possible that we would not have all survived without the abundant love, support, babysitting and interaction with both Granny (Mom’s mom) and Grandmama (Dad’s mom). My grandmothers were […]

When Worlds (and Cars) Collide…

Note this is the text of Michael’s Houston Moth Story Grand Slam – held on March 4, 2016 I was eager to get back to the hospital where Kelly, the woman to whom I am married, was fighting the mother of all infections. Though in a rush to get to the Turkish restaurant where I […]

At Least Half a Million Biscuits

In my father’s lifetime he made at least half a million biscuits. You see, he made at least 10,000 biscuits a year, every year, for over 50 years. And when you do something over and over – half a million plus times -you get good at it, VERY good at it. His biscuits were light […]

Michael Joins KPFT So What’s Your Story

Michael is the guest and tells 2 stories on “So, What’s Your Story” on KPFT Radio – recorded September 10, 2015. He tells his Houston Moth Story Slam winning story of Chemistry and love and he also tells a story form his grandfather about Christmas in rural Tennessee in the early 1900’s. Listen here

The Hairdresser and the Piano: a Parable

A chemist, a psychologist and a hairdresser were moving a piano. I am the psychologist in the story. The chemist is my sister’s husband, Bobby, and the hairdresser is Ben, Bobby’s brother. Dispel any stereotypes you have of a male hairdresser. Ben is quite masculine and loves women- so much so, that he has married […]