A former Wells Fargo colleague of mine, Linda, is in the hospital and needs some extra love. A month ago she went to have knee replacement surgery, which was successful. However, a couple of days later due to unusual sleepiness and headaches, a CT scan revealed a baseball size brain tumor. On Jan 24th the tumor was removed during an 8 hour surgery. The tumor was found to be a malignant … [Read more...]

A lot of you don't know me that well, so here is a disclaimer in advance to my posting below: I was brought up Baptist, and my family was "religious" such that we attended church a couple of times each week, all thru elementary, JR and SR high school. That is, until high school ended and I then stopped going to church soon after. Since then, I guess I also stopped "believing" due to a variety of … [Read more...]

Ever have a favorite toy that you grew up with, that you absolutely loved playing with, but due to being "old", you have forgotten what it was called? Well, I had a few favs when I was a kid, and for the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of them - and if a person can't remember the name, it's pretty hard to look for them on eBay... One of my favs was a set of three robots - which is why … [Read more...]

I've spoken a few times before, about a former colleague of mine - where we meet about once a yr for lunch, and we always welcome each other with a huge hug, and it's as if it were "just last week" when you saw them last - and the conversation picks up where it left off, the last time you saw them, etc. Today, I saw a different colleague and friend - and looking back (afterwards), I now realize … [Read more...]

This past year, I did something that I've never done before that was very unusual and not at all typical. Without getting into the gory details, let's just say I believe I put some surprise and (hopefully) joy into the lives of a couple of my former HS friends - two special and wonderful people whom I've not seen in more than thirty years (AA and DR). These two persons played a very important and … [Read more...]

It's midnight here in the Twin Cities and I wanted to share a short story (and some thoughts). I woke up this morning around the usual time, and looked out the window, and saw a most beautiful thing: Snow on the ground. This apparently occurred overnight while the Big Guy (me) was sleeping. It just wasn't an inch, it looked like 4-5 inches to me. And, it looked truly wonderful. I'm not a huge fan … [Read more...]

I wrote the following a month ago, on or around Sept 9th. I received an email from my brother Keith this past Monday: My father passed away that morning – that’s all it said. He was 86, he died after being in a nursing home in Florida for several years. Please don’t feel sorry for the passing of my father. Feel sorry for me since I’ve been estranged from him for close to 35 years. I don’t … [Read more...]

My BFF Rick and his partner John got married a few days ago, I am so happy for them. I met Rick a year after moving to the Twin Cities and have been BFFs for close to 25 yrs now. He's been with John for ten of those years, I am so happy they found each other back then and now finally able to make it a real partnership in every legal and loving aspect. Congratulations, Rick and John. … [Read more...]

One of my best friends went thru a rough patch this past July and I had previously asked my friends to keep him in mind (and you did). Thank you very much for your support at that time. He called me a few nights ago, telling me he's had a relapse and asked for my support. He doesn't like FB and he's never even had an FB account and I know only a few of you know who he is and/or have met him, but … [Read more...]

A serious topic today – coming from my blog/website. Kelsey and I went to see “The Butler” last night at MOA. I had heard some good stuff about it and knew what it was going to be about, but didn’t know who was going to be staring in it, and did NOT read any reviews before seeing it. Having seen “The Great Debaters” (2007), and “The Help” (2009), I knew this was going to be another … [Read more...]

I ran across a posting by my former co-worker Terry Olson on FB about the following. I then searched for the original posting and I think I found it here: 10 Myths About Introverts I wrote this list in late-2008. Around that time, I was lucky enough to discover a book called, The Introvert Advantage (How To Thrive in an Extrovert World), by Marti Laney, Psy.D. It felt like someone had … [Read more...]

I am agnostic, I was brought up Baptist from age 4-5 to age 18-20. I still do not know whether God exists or not. HOWEVER, ever since 9/11 (and maybe before that event), I have strongly believed for many, many years, there is true EVIL in this world AND that there is a Satan. If there is God, I hope the people responsible for these bombings today in Boston will learn that Good will always triumph … [Read more...]

Ok, here are some “tall tales” from the life of BSW – one didn’t really happen to me, but the other three did.   Story #1:  It’s my birthday when I was a youngster, and someone close to me gets me two shirts, one blue, one red.  The next day, I put on the blue shirt to wear and “come downstairs”, and the persons says (wait for it):  “What’s wrong, didn’t you like the other one?”  Story #2:  … [Read more...]

Friendship. It comes in so many different ways.   You may have worked with them, or known of them while working at the same office, but may not have had a whole lot of interaction with them at the time. Then, something happens, one or both of you lose your jobs (at different times), and somehow, reconnect, giving each other support and encouragement during that difficult period of joblessness. … [Read more...]

Well, I am so amazed by the kindness of my friends at Unisys who dropped by tonight at my mom's visitation. Thank you, Deb Russell for coming by (totally unexpected - it was so very good to see you again - a few minutes after you left, the rest of the Unisys gang dropped by, I'm sorry you missed them). A big thank you (so much) to Tina Gondoly Goocher, for bringing my very good friend, former … [Read more...]

My mother, Evelyn J. Williams (née Mullins), born in 1924, passed away an hour or so ago, January 17, 2013. She grew up during the great depression, graduated from high school in the early 1940's, immediately went to work, contributing toward the war effort (WW II). Continuing to work after the war ended, she met a man by the name of Darwin Williams - they met at a "tip toppers" club for tall … [Read more...]

I got word a week before Christmas that my mom was taken to Saint John's Hospital (Detroit).  I went out there first weekend in January to see her.  She looked so exhausted and frail.  She knew I was there, but she was too tired to hold a conversation with me.  They moved her back to her nursing home a couple of days later, under Hospice care.  My cousin, Lisa called me a day or so later, saying … [Read more...]