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Disney April 2026 – Day 5 – Final Thoughts
Dear Liza Jean and James, As we left Orlando and headed home, there were several things I will always remember about this trip. And many had nothing to do directly with Disney – licking your paintbrushes while painting your Ostrich Egg; running down the hall to our hotel elevator to push the buttons; how much you loved soft serve ice cream; eating apples like they were your favorite thing in the world; and Liza Jean singing “Everybody Knows I’m a Copperhead, a Copperhead, a Copperhead” again and again. In addition to those memories that bring a smile to my face, I want the feeling I had during our trip to…
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Disney April 2026 – Day 4 – Magic Kingdom
Dear Liza Jean and James, Day four of our Disney trip started out with the two of you enjoying apples and peanut butter in bed. One of the best things we brought with us to Disney was a bag of crisp apples and the best thing we purchased at Disney World was a $4 jar of peanut butter. These became parts of our breakfasts and snacks – usually the peanut butter served with pretzels or on a spoon. If Animal Kingdom is all about the Animals and Hollywood Studios is all about the shows, Magic Kingdom is all about the rides and THE CASTLE. Maybe that is why it is…
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Disney April 2026 – Day 3 – Hollywood Studios
Dear Liza Jean and James, Day three of our Disney trip started out sleeping in a lot later – 7:30 a.m. because Hollywood Studios does not open for early entry until 8:30 a.m. The first thing we did when we entered the park was to rent a double stroller instead of single so that James could also enjoy getting pushed around. James, although you did a great job of walking the entire day at Animal Kingdom, we could tell you got a little tired. With our double stroller secured, we headed to the far end of the park and rode Alien Swirling Saucers, which I enjoyed more that I thought…
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Disney April 2026 – Day 2 – Animal Kingdom
Dear Liza Jean and James, When Gizzy started planning this trip, she quickly decided that we would visit three Disney Parks – Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom on the last day. We learned some things many years ago when we took your dad and uncles to Disney World. First, you stay on property, you go to the Parks early, stay only through the morning or early afternoon, and then go back to the hotel to rest. If you stay too long, you get very tired. And that is no fun! And if you have the energy, you can always go back in the evening. You both love animals,…
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Disney April 2026 – Planning and Day 1
Dear Liza Jean and James, Your Mom is about to take the most important Medical Board Exam of her professional career. It is all oral with questions coming from a panel of experts in her field. And she must fly to Dallas to take it. She has been studying months for this exam and her most intense studying will occur during James’ spring break from pre-school. As a result, your mom and dad asked if we could keep you during that week. Gizzy The Great accepted the responsibility under one condition – that we take both of you to Disney World that week. And so, we are going to Disney…
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Wars and Fools 3.10.26
Wars are not good. Wars cost a lot of money, are very disruptive to innocent people, and cost lives. So, there are economic, social and moral reasons to use informed judgement and extreme caution before entering an armed conflict, much less starting one. Before becoming Vice-President, our current Vice President made the following statements, “America doesn’t have to constantly police every region of the world. Our interest, I think very much, is in not going to war with Iran. It would be a huge distraction of resources. It would be massively expensive to our country.” In September of 2024, Vance even said that a war between Israel and Iran was…
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Angels and Valentine’s Day 2.14.26
Earlier this week, I visited my Aunt Mary. At 86 years old, she is the only one of my mom’s nine siblings who is still alive. So, other than my own siblings, she is my only living connection to my mom. As we sat talking for two and a half hours, we got around to how we both overcame difficult childhoods. She would be the only one in her family to graduate from high school – and yes, I said high school. In addition to graduating from high school, she would meet an amazing man, Thomas, who would become her husband and partner. They would build an amazing life together,…
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Mom, Happy Birthday 2.4.26
Today as I took a walk with Emmy, I thought about my mom. She was born on February 4th, 1943. The 7th of 10 children, she would drop out of school without finishing the eighth grade. Only one of her siblings would finish high school – my aunt Mary, who is also the only one still alive. Mom passed away on November 19th, 2012, from lung cancer at the age of 69. She was a lifetime smoker. Today would be her birthday. And I did something unusual on my walk today. Being in a reflective mood, I decided to listen to one of my playlists. I usually prefer to play…
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A letter on Noise and Joy 2.2.26
This is my second attempt at this letter. The first draft I took down because it lost its point. This is why I should never publish first drafts of anything I write. Dear James and Liza Jean, Yesterday your dad called and put the two of you on video. You were both dancing and bouncing up and down on the couch while wearing dancing outfits that included tutus. You were both so full of joy. I am so grateful that your mom and dad encouraged this and invited your Gizzi and me to be a part of it. For some reason, it seems more fun when you do this with…
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Is Fiscal Responsibility that Unique? 1.27.26
Growing up, I learned very quickly how to save money and to not live beyond my means. Having to borrow for college and sometimes work as many as three jobs simultaneously while getting my college degree made me a saver. I took to heart Benjamin Franklin’s adage, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” And so did the woman I married. When we arrived in Chapel Hill after our honeymoon, we started our life together in a very small cinder block apartment on campus. Money was tight. If there was a creative cheap recipe with Bisquick, Elizabeth knew it. I lovingly referred to her my “Bisquick Queen”. And many of…