I blame the American fascination with castles. I think because we don’t have any bonafide royal palaces in the States, we’ve developed an extreme obsession with them when touring countries abroad.
I was recently in an intense discussion – is there any other kind about movies? – regarding the millennial generation’s equivalent to the Star Wars films in terms of popularity and influence. This was an intense discussion not only because it was about movies, but because I, as a hipster-wannabe college student in 1977, so vividly recalled being caught up in the Zeitgeist of the original Star Wars.
What is the best Christmas gift you have given or received from someone? To me, the best gifts aren’t fancy or expensive. They are what I call, “gifts from the heart.” A memorable gift I have given that comes first to my mind is a book I gave to my youngest grandson, Noah, when he was about four years old. It was a book with a recording, so when he turned each page, he would hear my voice reading it to him. I will never forget the baffled look on his face when he realized that it was his grandma’s voice he heard! He put the book down and opened his other presents. But later that Christmas Day, I saw him sitting in a chair in the corner listening to the book over and over again.
As we hunker down for the back stretch of 2015 and enjoy our pumpkin spice lattés, break out our sweaters and root for our local Top 20-ranked football teams, we have much to be thankful for. Reflecting on the recent news brought to light regarding Volkswagen, I am also very thankful that we, residents of Genesee County, can hold our heads high and be proud of the local men and women who are in charge of engineering as well as assembling some of the best made, most fuel efficient and environmentally safe vehicles in the world! GO FLINT! GO GM!
I live in Houston, Texas, so I usually take air conditioning for granted. Everywhere I go – from the car to the grocery store, back to my little townhouse – is excessively air-conditioned to the point of necessitating socks and a sweater in summertime. It’s always hot here, even in the “winter,” when we might only see three days when one can non-ironically wear a jacket.
In this month of gratitude, I cannot help but feel grateful for all of the great mentors I have had in my life. Most of us have a teacher, friend, aunt, uncle, dentist … someone who taught us something that made us better in our careers, or in life, in general.
Is there a veteran in your life? The veterans in my life are my father, Jim Dennison, who served in the Air Force during World War II and my brother Joe, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. My father died three years ago and even though I had asked him to, he would never talk to me about his experiences during the war. Much of what I know has been learned since his passing. The only thing he did tell me years ago was that because of his time in service, he would never fly in an airplane again. And I’ve since discovered why.
We live in an area with a history of greatness! Our roots run deep and our work ethic runs deeper. Our city of Flint, Michigan has had its ups and downs in the past, and thanks to some local entrepreneurs with great vision, we are again on the upswing.
When one ventures to Budapest, one really must visit the spa; which should be simple, as there are 18 of them, not to mention the various smaller, private baths lurking around the city. In all, there are 118 springs churning out 70 million liters of thermal water each day, at temperatures ranging from a cool 68°F to a broiling 172°F (ouch).
Some might know about the association of Benjamin Franklin with Daylight Saving Time. In 1784, his satirical essay for The Journal of Paris, “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light,” Ben lightheartedly proposed that the French would be able to conserve their candles by waking up earlier in the morning and making use of the natural light.
I recently wrote the most difficult thing I’ve ever written: my mother’s obituary. My mom – an artist, potter, equestrian, tennis player, animal lover, golfer, traveler – passed away in August at the age of 87. She lived in my home state of Maryland, which had made it difficult for me to spend much time with her. But when she became ill a few months ago, I was able to travel there to spend a week and help care for her. I spent every minute of that time doing what I could do to ease her pain and make her comfortable. The last thing I told her before I returned to Michigan was how much I loved her and that I’d be back soon.
