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My 10th Anniversary Of Being Diagnosed With Cancer
Originally published January 8, 2019 Ten years ago, I received some life-changing news – I was diagnosed with having stage 3 throat cancer and was given only a 40% chance of surviving. At the time, I was 59 years old – and I remember thinking that I probably wouldn’t survive because I had never in…
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Here’s My Reason For Hugging People
Originally published February 12, 2016 Okay, so maybe I haven’t hugged you yet, but here are a few reasons why I hug people, dogs, cats, horses, cows, and even the rare, elusive flying squirrel that I sometimes see in my backyard (although not since I stopped mixing Scotch with Orange Juice): However, you might disagree…
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Have You Ever Wanted To Hug A Stranger?
Sometimes, I get an urge to do something that may appear weird and inappropriate to some of you. So, here’s my question: “Have you ever wanted to hug a stranger?” Some of you may, but it might depend on whether the stranger is of the opposite sex or other criteria. I have been writing this…
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Hands, Hugs, & Hearts
A couple of days ago, I was greeted by my gal pal, Anita, who had just pulled into the driveway. She flashed a giant smile and requested a hug from me. I did not hesitate and quickly replaced a ‘welcome smile’ with my open arms. “I never refuse an opportunity to hug a beautiful lady,”…
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A Long Sentence
This was the first year that I did not go to the police station to get my fingerprints taken, as I do each year, to confirm that I do not have a criminal record and that allows me, as Santa Claus, to show parents and others responsible for children’s welfare, that their charges are safe…
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A Moment of Fear
If hope was like the fuel gauge in a vehicle, my optimism gauge would have been almost empty when I visited my doctor a couple of months ago. Dr. Robin Wilson is one of the best doctors that I have ever had, and I have a lot of trust in him. As mentioned previously, my…
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A May Day Call
Today, I did what I swore I’d never, ever do. I was sitting in the waiting room of the cancer center in Vancouver, waiting for a good friend, who was having her radiation treatment and I was cursing to myself at this terrible disease. I have known too many people who have suffered from this…
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A Wet Kiss
This morning, I awoke to a tongue licking my face and it made me smile. If you’ve never experienced a wet, wake-up kiss before – I recommend that you get a dog. Cats are okay but they’re ‘wired’ differently than dogs, and they would rather ignore you. And today, Holly let me sleep until 5:00…
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My Animal Friends, Care Dog Heroes, and Cancer Patients
Whether you are a friend or a regular reader, you know that I love all animals, particularly dogs, and many are my animal pals. And if you’ve walked with me, you know how much I enjoy taking pictures and videos of my animal friends. I feature my animal pals on Danny’s Videos page and cancer…
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Ramblin’ Thoughts
Although I never write about religion or politics, and I try to avoid expressing negative thoughts in both my written and spoken words, I’ve decided to share one of my pet peeves with you – namely, self-service checkout counters at grocery stores. What mental lightweight came up with the idea of reducing lineups at cashier…
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When A Fifty Dollar Walk Is Worth It!
It was a brand new downtown route that the Vancouver ‘Venturers Club scheduled, and I wanted to be among the inaugural walk’s first participants – but I needed to determine the best transportation mode during Vancouver’s dreaded rush hour. I had no idea it would cost me $50 to get from the Sky Train station…
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Skagit River Park Walk
I was standing near the corner of the street, with three of my gal pals, in downtown Burlington, Washington, when I suddenly noticed something I had never seen before – a solar-powered garbage can. Now you’re probably more interested in why I was alone in the States, with three gal pals – more than hearing…
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Saturday morning walk in Vancouver
I left the house at 5:15 am on Saturday morning, to meet Philip and Lawrence at the Urban Fare in Yaletown, which is the trendy part of downtown Vancouver where Philip and other affluent hipsters reside. Lawrence and I were coming from the burbs – by train. I caught the Canada Line from the Bridgeport station…
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Why I Never Got Up on Wrong Side of Bed
When I was growing up, if I were ever sad or in a bad mood, people would often ask, “What’s wrong with you – get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?” Because back then, I shared a bedroom with three younger brothers. I mention this only to point out that in…
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Do You Still Believe in Magic?
Dear reader, do you still believe in magic – like when you were a kid? It wouldn’t be an easy day for me to be Santa Claus because I was having difficulty trying to smile. But it wasn’t because I’d be alone on Christmas Day. And it wasn’t because I felt sorry for myself –…
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Notes from the North Pole
In 2009, I was diagnosed with stage 3 throat cancer and given only a 40% chance of surviving. Not knowing how much time I had left and that I hadn’t celebrated Christmas for many years – I wanted to see if I could get that same holiday spirit I used to get when I was a kid. …
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A ‘Nooner’ at the Nat
There was a time, some sixty years ago, that I believed that most families had lives like the Cleaver family, of Leave It To Beaver fame. Mrs. Cleaver would often be seen vacuuming the floor in her dress and ‘high heels’ wearing a pearl necklace and full-makeup. And Mr. Cleaver, mostly wore suits and ties,…