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Remembering Poppop

8 Aug 2026 13:47

"I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." I grew up thinking that that quote was authored by my maternal grandfather, Albert E. Salmons. My mother greatly revered her father, was always quoting something he said, and that quote, originally by Voltaire, was the one she referred to the most. Some other sayings that she attributed to him included: "To avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing", "If you're looking for friends without any faults, you won't have any friends", and "The pendulum will swing one way and then it will swing back."

Remembering Harriet

27 Jul 2026 18:49

I grew up like an only child with two brothers who were 12 and 14 years older than me. As a child I longed for nothing more than to have a sister, but I knew it was never going to happen. Somehow that seemed to change when Harriet came along.

Remembering Aunt Bea

25 Jul 2026 00:17

Nothing is more hilarious than the sound of people laughing who are trying very hard not to laugh. That was the sound that came from the back corner of a Norristown cab in 1973. It hadn't been Aunt Bea's night. She had taken Mom and I to the movies with her and her two teenage girls. She found that she had a flat tire after we came out. We had to call a cab to get home and the cab took forever to get there. We waited in a lobby, where Aunt Bea sat in a chair that almost flipped over backwards. When the cab finally came, all five of us had to squeeze into the back seat because the front seat was already filled with passengers. Mom and Aunt Bea shared a keen sense of humor that was like a rolling snowball when they were together. Their muffled snickers were heard all the way home. Aunt Bea handled that night like she handled everything else in life - with good natured patience and grace.

Final Test

15 Jul 2026 19:33

"I can do anything better than you can, I can do anything better than you...." Remember that song? Know anybody who sounds like that? I sensed that kind of attitude last week when I read the comments of a bunch of people responding to a question about schools in the 60's. Most of the respondents seemed to think that schools were better back then. They were convinced that they got a better education that the children of today who no longer have to memorize times tables or recite the pledge of allegiance. I sensed this unspoken smugness in their words about whether they were better people because of it.

A Letter to the Editor

13 Jul 2026 23:40

In January of this year, in temperatures that were well below freezing, a gang of us stood in the snowy grass on Garfield Square. Literally being mocked by Trump Supporters, we were participating in a rally and a candlelight vigil for a young woman who was just shot to death by an ICE agent. A reporter approached and asked us why we were there. I found myself at a loss for words and couldn't give her a clear answer. I had so many reasons for being there that I just didn't know where to begin.

Final Lesson

2 Jul 2026 23:32

It was a proud moment at Kutztown University in December 1989. I was graduating from college - Summa Cum Laude. We, the graduating class, had just come marching in and took our seats in chairs on the floor. Our families had taken their seats on the bleachers above us. I looked around until my eyes landed on Mom, Dad, my brother, Al, Aunt Bea and Aunt Claire sitting to the upper left. Then they asked everyone to rise and sing the National Anthem. I suddenly felt stupid. I looked around watching all the other students singing. Mom and Dad and the rest of my guests were singing, too. It seemed like I was the only person in the world who wasn't singing. How had I gotten through 12 years of school and four years of college without knowing the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner"? On the other hand, when did I need to know them except for singing at ceremonies like that one? I forgot about it as the event moved on. There were speeches, diplomas, pictures and tassels being moved. A fellow student looked at his new diploma and remarked that it cost him ten grand to get it. Somebody else joked that they may be full of BS but their diploma was actually a BA.

Uncle Joe

29 Jun 2026 12:55

Last week Jeanie texted me that she was going to be a vendor at a local community event. "I would love to come," I told her, "But I have so much work to do that I really have to put social activities aside for now". Our friend, Randall, talked to me before he pulled out of the driveway and I told him the same thing. As I began tackling the items on my to-do list, I suddenly thought of Uncle Joe. I then texted Jeanie again, saying, "I'm on my way up. I finally decided that supporting this cause is more important than anything I have to do."

Remembering Dad

22 Jun 2026 16:14

"Ask your father what to do". That's what Mom said at a family reunion picnic when my cousin Vickie and I came to her with a problem. Eleven-year-old Vickie had come with a suitcase and was told by her father that she could stay with us for a week as long as she found a way home. I made my way through the crowded kitchen and found Dad in the doorway of the living room, talking to Aunt Bea. Dad's heart began to melt as he looked down at my eight-year-old face while I told him about our problem. Aunt Bea stood in the background, smiling, watching the exchange between us as though it was the most precious thing she had ever seen. Dad smiled and said, "Well, I've been thinking that it would be nice to go down to see Aunt Barbara and Uncle Harold anyway. So why don't we do that next week and we can take Vickie home when we go." Vickie and I were ecstatic. It was as if someone had handed each of us a million dollars. It was one of the few times when Dad knew exactly what to say.

Remembering Poppop

Remembering Harriet

Remembering Aunt Bea

Final Test

A Letter to the Editor

Final Lesson

Uncle Joe

Remembering Dad

The Darkest Hour

Singing For Grandmom

A Song About Thanks-giving

Halloween Memories