Such a Typical Male

"I spent the day with our grandson Cole (age 8, soon to be 9)...mostly on the golf course, the rest of the day shopping and working on his throw to first base.

Anyway, on our way to the golf course, I said, "Hey, remember that hole-in-one I got last summer in Prince Edward Island when we were golfing with your cousin Jack?"

So he replies -- in a manner that reflects the way all of us guys think, but later in life work to cover up politely-- "Yeah, well it barely went in."

I'm happy to report that today I beat him...by two strokes! Take that, Mister "Barely Went In" - Merrill

Up in flames!

"Don't hesitate to burn your bridges behind you. If you're doing things right, the place where you are is probably better than where you were anyway. And besides, you can always swim back -- it's good exercise." M&M

(Photo: "Merrill takes a hands-on approach to photography in Chennai, South India"

Don't leave it too late

"I'm trying (hard) to work on developing a sex addiction -- but Martha thinks I may have left it a bit too late." -Merrill

(Photo: Martha contemplates her options at The Horizon Hotel (her favorite) in Palm Springs. Sex followed.)

Half empty? Half full?

"Half the battle is knowing you've got a good thing." -Martha

(Photo: Snow! In Twentynine Palms! Bring it on!)

Overheard in a recent conversation about religion: "It's not a matter of whether your myth is bigger or better than my myth... let's face it, neither one of us thinks our myth is a myth!"

(Photo: Hearts connect at Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, South India)

Susan wins the lottery!!!

Did you ever wonder what it's like to be with someone when they just found out they've won the multi-million dollar lottery? Let me tell you what it's like: our friend Susan (our neighbour in Twentynine Palms, shown here with Martha and husband Norm) called us two days after Easter. She was calling from the hospital where she had undergone surgery in which they removed part of her lung after a diagnosis of cancer.

She said, "Come to the hospital at 11 o'clock. I'm going home! And the results of the biopsy show no more signs of cancer!"

Now there's a woman who just won the freakin' lottery of life! She said that when she finally was discharged and the sunshine hit her face and the smells of the desert air filled her lungs, "I felt like a flower that was opening up," she said, "I cried."

And with good reason. Thanks to good old western medicine, a brilliant surgeon, and her incredible positive spirit --unlike anything we had ever seen before -- her possible death sentence had been lifted. You go girl! Go spend your winnings!

Easter '07 in Palm Springs: reflections on retirement

"Retirement: it's kind of like that feeling you used to get at the end of August when you had to go back to school and wished you could start the summer all over again. Well when you're retired -- you can!" -Merrill

(Photo: Martha with Brad & Brigid at Horizon Hotel, Palm Springs)