A Life of Words

In all my years attending pro baseball games, I can’t remember ever going to one alone. That streak ended Tuesday night at 62 years and six months. Oh sure, there were people around me, mostly Texas Rangers fans, and all MUCH younger than me. But no Houston Astros fan friends sitting with me to join … More A historic night for Jose Altuve and the Astros – and a first for me in attending a baseball game alone!

With the temperature topping out at a scorching 104 degrees outside, Sunday was a great day for indoor baseball in Arlington, Texas. And although I’m not a big fan of Globe Life Field and still miss the beautiful outdoor stadium where the Rangers played their last game in 2019 after only 26 seasons, a ballpark … More Great company and the great game: Introducing my new friend Hamed to the sport I’ve loved for a very long time

What a week. Four days, anyway. I just had a memorable stay in the Denver area, spending quality time with my 79-year-old brother Crys and 68-year-old sister Terry and their families. We did a lot of catching up, hugging, laughing, eating great food and sharing love. I flew from Dallas Love Field to Denver on … More The mountains were calling and I went … well, not exactly, but my sister, brother and I made it to the foothills during a memorable birth family reunion

It was Betty. Beautiful Betty. “You’ve seen this photo of Mother, right?” my sister Terry asked as she went through a small stack of prints while I sat with her this week at her home in Arvada, Colorado. It took no more than a second to know that I hadn’t. It was a photo of … More I traveled to Colorado to visit my wonderful biological siblings and their families — but I also got to see Betty

It’s always a big deal to me when life events involving my birth family happen. Whether it’s seeing my siblings and/or other family members in person, a video chat with my sibs, birthdays of family still here or gone, hearing about something happening in someone’s life, finding a person who’s able to share a memory … More Celebrating birthdays of lost loved ones, and driving 6 hours for a wonderful visit with an awesome great-nephew and his family

When I knew Julia Heaberlin as a colleague at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in the mid- to late-1990s, she was a seasoned journalist and outstanding editor who oversaw a Features staff of mostly veteran reporters/writers offering readers engaging, entertaining stories every day. I never worked on her staff, spending the bulk of my 13 years at the S-T in … More From newspaper journalist to bestselling author, my former colleague Julia Heaberlin is on a thriller ride

We all have anniversaries that mark important moments in our lives — weddings being the biggest and most special. LinkedIn even reminds us when we and our career connections have work anniversaries.  For me, June 10 and 11 will always be marked as anniversaries on the calendars in my heart and mind because they’re the … More Wedded to these June anniversaries — because they brought me to my biological family and changed my life

If you believe in miracles, you can believe, like I do, that Hayden Skaggs and Kevin Curnutt are living, breathing, inspiring miracles. Hayden, 20 years old, has been one for only a matter of days, after surviving a horrific accident while driving home to North Texas from Eureka College in Illinois. He was on his … More Two miracles, 42 years apart: Kevin Curnutt’s story is now a book; Hayden Skaggs’ story is just unfolding

Saturday (May 6, 2023) was the anniversary of my commencement at Texas A&M a mere 40 years ago — not that I would’ve remembered the date. I’m just going off what my journalism degree says. I guess this constitutes a milestone? And to think I almost screwed things up for myself, cramming photojournalism, broadcasting, and … More 40 years after graduating from Texas A&M, thankful for a professor’s mercy that helped me reach the finish line

Kay and I were treated to a very special evening of music Saturday. I’ve bragged about this amazing pianist here before, having marveled at the gifts she brings to our congregation each Sunday at The Welcome Table Christian Church near our home in SW Arlington. I’ve seen online videos of her displaying the classical training … More Enjoying a chance to see our gifted church pianist in another venue — showing off her classical chops