Author Archives: joyocala

I knew a man named Bernie. He never used his full name, Bernhard, because he hated being named after a dog. I tried to convince him that he was probably named after  Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, but he never accepted … Continue reading →

Paulette and I enjoy watching Antiques Roadshow. One of the more interesting items we’ve seen was an ancestral Civil War letter written home from a military hospital. Apparently, many people have Civil War letters, but this one was special, because … Continue reading →

Some questions naturally lead to a good “verbal tussle.” This is one of them. It is a controversial question, which is sadly regrettable. It polarizes Christians into camps: the mainline, stoic, denominational church pitted against the Pentecostal, holiness expression. Mainliners … Continue reading →

You probably recognize that phrase.  It’s a line in the lyrics of “It is well with my soul.”  But what is a sea billow?  I found a definition that it is a large sea wave surging in a moving ridge, … Continue reading →

Funny how, as a youngster, I could watch this particular pair of cartoon characters (Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote by Looney Toons and Merrie Melodies) over and over. Wise enough to know the Road Runner would be saved and … Continue reading →

Today I celebrated my “Medicare” birthday as my recently Medicared friends have dubbed it.  I looked forward to this birthday as much as other milestone birthdays like turning 16 or 18 or 21, but for a different reason. The big … Continue reading →

I never want to lose the sense of wonder that I feel when I look at the world around me.  I stare across this wide beautiful lake at sunset and see the “purple mountains majesties.”  Shaded in glorious hues from … Continue reading →

Today commemorates two nurses, Florence Nightingale and Clara Maass. Unless you’re from New Jersey where the Clara Maass Medical Center is located, you’re probably unfamiliar with Clara. I didn’t know about her until I was working in a contract post … Continue reading →

            The workout center in our development, Stone Creek, has been closed due to the pandemic, and for exercise I have been riding my bike early in the cool of the morning.  There are surprisingly quite a few people out, … Continue reading →

 He is one of our favorite heroes from Saturday afternoon matinees. I watched him on Saturday T.V. with only a casual interest. I think I was more intrigued by his “man Friday”, Tonto. This is how “Kemo Sabe” came into … Continue reading →