Category Archives: Uncategorized

     I always have held an appreciation for one-liners. Sarcastic. Clever. Pithy. Concise.    So I bellylaughed recently on the basketball court when I was playing like an inept old man – fumbled passes, missed all my shots including an airball, threw a lame pass that was intercepted.     Then I made a heartening play.Continue reading “We love the sarcasm, quick wit of the humorous one-liners”

   When I stretched and stooped to save a loose basketball that was rolling perilously close to the sideline, you could almost hear my muscles creak and groan. My back tightened, my legs locked up and my arms refused to extend another millimeter. My body resembled an aircraft carrier trying to turn in the wind,Continue reading “The incident of the yoga rookie with the testy digestive tract”

     My favorite month is here. The snow is melting on the golf courses. Baseball’s regular season begins before the calendar turns its page. Yet the biggest happening arrives March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day.    There will be a moment in the coming days when I’ll meet someone decked out in green clothing orContinue reading “Did your mother come from Ireland? No DNA test needed”

    I shivered through a booster shot of Olympic euphoria last weekend.  Sure, I watched the jubilant dogpile of hockey players, skates and helmets on the Milan ice arena surface when the U.S. stunned Canada in overtime for the gold medal. I saw the ecstasy of San Francisco native Eileen Gu’s gold medal in freestyleContinue reading “The joy of sport rules Olympics from Alps to the Finger Lakes”

  The trip to the doctor’s office resembled Groundhog Day. Two years ago, my long-term blood sugar, A1C, had climbed to a risky 9.0. After she delivered that grim number, I worked to cut out carbohydrates and sweets and reduced the number to 6.2.    My doctor was ecstatic. I joked that I should be “PatientContinue reading “From patient of the month to the A1C poster child”

  After 20 years of refereeing basketball, the job becomes easier. Fouls and violations are spotted readily. You know where to position yourself and what to look for in most situations. You develop confidence in dealing effectively with players and coaches. You’ve seen just about everything.    Still, there are evenings when I don theContinue reading “Sideline critics dub me ‘the worst referee in the world’”

   Lisbon native John Moore has reported and written thousands of stories in his career, but the retiring television newsman says one of his most memorable occurred as a radio reporter in Ogdensburg.    Moore was still a relative rookie newsreporter in the summer of 1980, long before he anchored the “FIRST at 5’’ showContinue reading “News anchorman’s career spans Lisbon, Ogdensburg, Watertown”

   We bid farewell to my aunt, Rosemary Maxwell, last Saturday with minor fanfare but heartfelt gratitude for her place in our lives and her contributions to my mother’s side of the family.    By my estimate, perhaps 50 or 60 of her Maxwell descendants showed up at the Catholic church in Newport, N.Y., thenContinue reading “With my aunt’s passing, we lose another connection to a Greater Generation”

  I once heard a saying about grandchildren: Play with them, spoil them, send them home. Add a phrase to all of that – report to the urgent care clinic.    Our glorious Christmas holiday began with such promise. Our daughter Claire and her husband Brian arrived with Wesley James, 5, and Vivian Grace, almostContinue reading “Sweet, innocent granddaughter left trail of bacteria, infections”

   Editor’s note: This column appeared Nov. 27 in the Advance-News in Ogdensburg, N.Y., but was withheld from further publication to preserve two surprise songs for John and Carol Dady’s weekend celebration.     As soon as the plane touched down from Ireland, I knew I was back in the songwriting business.   Our friend ErinContinue reading “Birthday? Anniversary? I’ll customize an Irish folk song”