I can juggle. I actually had Cat Scratch Fever as a child. My parents thought I had cancer. Still remember the needle they used to drain the lymph node under my arm. I was captain of my high school football team and got to kiss the homecoming...

Today I became the parent of a high school graduate. Of course I knew this day would always come but now that it's actually here, it's almost surreal. Just like most parents, I always want the best for my daughter. I want her to be respectful of...

When we last visited my life, I was growing up on Catalina Island, where I graduated from High School in 1942 from Avalon High School. There where 13 of us in my class. I was 18 years old at that time and with the U.S. in war with Germany, I was...

How Much is the Body in the Window- No matter how old we are, we probably know someone who hates the way they look. Even if I were a size zero, I would still have issues with the way that my body looks. The countless squats and yoga moves don't change the...

Every year there is a get together in Cocoa, FL called Mosquito Beaters to preserve the history of Central Brevard county and renew friendships. In recent years classmates from Cocoa High School have been getting together there for mini reunions. This...

My "caboose baby" is graduating from high school tonight. I'm nowhere near ready. I still need to iron his graduation gown, prepare dinner, take a shower, do my hair. But even if all that were done by magic wand...I still wouldn't be ready. I don't...

I was asked to write about my early years involving Baseball on Catalina Island and after. All I can say is, it was a great life for any one that grew up there. Once a year, during spring training, the Chicago Cubs would come to the Island for spring...

A Tribute To Craig A friend is a rare and wonderful thing. I have had the opportunity to call a very special, incredibly unique man, my friend. Among his many characteristics and amazing accomplishments were the following:...

ONE FOR THE ROAD- In sixth grade we had a police officer come into our classroom and tell us the dangers of drugs and alcohol. It was the first time I had ever heard of drunk driving. In high school drinking was definitely "the norm". My mother made it...

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY Money. It seems to be the only thing we hear about these days. Except, of course, reports on the octomom, which is a whole other subject. Money. Personally, I hate the subject. I was raised having to beg for everything and...

HEY MOM, CAN I BORROW YOUR CAR AND TWENTY BUCKS?I NEED TO GO GET A PREGNANCY TEST. Whoa Baby. When I was a senior in high school, a girl in my class got pregnant. Not only was it a shock to the seniors but also our school because her mother was also...

SING OUT LOUISE- When I was little, I competed in dance competitions. Hair plastered to my head, three costumes changes and make up fit for a queen. My mother was unlike all the other mothers in my dance troupe. My mother was not a "stage-mother." I was 9...

At the urging of my eldest daughter, I will try to write something that makes sense. Born in Long Beach, Calif., my parents, Al & Emma Pallas, moved to Catalina Island, Ca. in 1930. I was five at the time. It was at the tail end of the depression and...

Hi All – I belong to an on-line support group for patients with Charcot Marie Tooth Disease. (CMT) With each posting by a parent whose child has had to endure unprofessional, unpleasant, uncooperative, unresponsive behavior from the educational...

I want to share with you a little something that may be of interest to anyone who is into weather, such as storm chasing and the like. On my most recent trip back home to Illinois (my home state), I stopped in Belvidere, which is about 65 miles northwest...

BFF's No More- When a guy walks into a room, he doesn't think much about it. When a girl walks into a room, she knows every other female eye will be on her immediately judging. Girls always pit themselves against other girls, no matter if they be friend...

I didn't have my own car until after I graduated from high school in 1953. It was either the bus or my dad's car, which was a nice new 1952 Mercury Monterey. We moved to 54th and University during my senior year, so I used the bus a lot in 1952 and...

PAINT ME A PRETTY PICTURE I had tried to take classes for years but every time I did the memory of that art room from long ago stopped me cold. I knew I had it in me to take advantage of what was offered in other rooms like that but the memories...

I was surprised whenI went to my reunion that I had forgotten so many people. I had not thought...

As I was talking to my son Brandon's girlfriend today I realized I ask her quite frequently "is this what is really going on out there?" Even though I am a therapist who sees a great number of adolescent girls for various issues and keep current with the...

As young people prepare for high school graduations around the country (my own daughter included) I thought it would be cool (do they say that word anymore?) to come up with a Top Ten List of Baby Boomer Graduation Songs. These are the songs my...

The modern era is generally considered to have started in 1500 A.D. with the start of the printing press. From 1500 to 1830, all known knowledge doubled. From 1830 to 1930, all known knowledge doubled again. A few years ago, all known knowledge was...

Levels in Sports I have always been intrigued by the phenomenon of levels in sports. My mission is not to write about the obvious levels in sports such as those demonstrated by the likes of Lance Armstrong and Michael Phelps, but to expound on...

What do Successful Kids really N.E.E.D? The 4 key strategies of highly effective parenting By Dwight Bain, Nationally Certified Counselor & Certified Life Coach Hundreds of times I’ve been asked questions after talk shows or speaking...

It's fall TV season and for me that means a loaded DVR! This season, I'm watching: Top...

Hi everyone: I'm a newby here on growing bolder, and Bill suggested I blog my story about my recent marriage...so here goes. About 4 years ago, I was going through a tough divorce (oxymoran, all divorces are tough) and had recently signed up for...

There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the "Old South." Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and of Slave. Look for it only in books, for it...

Note: The following was a semi-personal Email that I wrote to a dozen of my former classmates...

Was there ever a more chaotic decade than the 60's? I mean, it's like the '70's never had a chance!!! Imagine being squeezed in between the '60's and the '80's! It's no wonder the '70's wandered around like a lost little puppy looking for a place to call...

The other day I came across an interesting article about parenting and college students. Since I am now the baby boomer mom of a college freshman, I took note of what it had to say.The Professor from Emory University offered some tips on Parenting Your...

Growing up in a house where our mother was a strong, dominant figure it took us by surprise when...

The Florida Senior Games has quite a few husbands and wives working together to stay active and healthy, but the first couple of the Florida Senior Games in Lee County has got to be Danny and Neva Weisskopf who have registered for a combined 14 events in...