wemhall

[wemhall]

Cam Ne

This write up is from a friend, Clark Hall (no relation), a Vietnam Veteran. While the words are his, the lessons are for all of us – 60 years ago, On August 3, 1965, an “incident of war” occurred that foreshadowed the human, political and military disaster underscoring the lunacy of the Vietnam War.  Continue reading Cam Ne

[wemhall]

Big Lou

Big Lou’s the name. Insurance is the game. Are you ready to buy term-life insurance? I have just the guy you need. Big Lou. I recently heard his advertisement on the radio – he’s “on meds, just like you.” It’s OK if you are “a little porky”, diabetic, or have high blood pressure, Big Lou can set you up. Continue reading Big Lou

[wemhall]

The Drive (Sunday Morning Coming Down)

Although the sky was robin egg blue, it was more a Miles Davis “Kind of Blue” day. It was too beautiful to be driving to a hospital, but that was my destination. It was a Sunday morning, with lite Sunday morning traffic. I was making my way from the Northern Neck to the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia Continue reading The Drive (Sunday Morning Coming Down)

[wemhall]

Life is to Short to Eat Broccoli

I had started cooking dinner when we received the text. Our good friend badly fractured her wrist in a horse-riding accident. This was on top of unfortunate health related news she received the day before. Cath and I had two immediate reactions: sadness for our friend, and a mutual decision to substitute mashed potatoes for the broccoli we were planning to serve with dinner.  Continue reading…

[wemhall]

Independence Day, 2025

Happy 4th of July! May we all celebrate the birth of America 249 years ago. Cookouts, fireworks, maybe a parade. Gatherings of friends and family. Enjoy the day and give thanks for the Declaration of Independence and the men who signed it with a pledge of their Lives, their Fortunes, and their sacred Honor.  Continue reading Independence Day, 2025

[wemhall]

Dad

Dad passed away fifteen years ago on June 25th, 2010. I think of him often and smile at our times together, and the stories he told of his life. I am eternally grateful for the gifts he passed on to me. I could also cry, thinking of the questions I never asked him, and never thought to ask while he was alive.  Continue reading Dad

[wemhall]

Give a D@mn

73 year old Bruce Bair hiked over 280 miles from Durham, NC to Washington DC where he hand-delivered letters to the office of Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). The reason? Tillis refuses to host Town halls back home in North Carolina. Bruce spent a night in our home along the way. Some think his superpower is his physical stamina. They are wrong. His superpower is that he gives a d@mn.  Continue…

[wemhall]

All That Jazz

In June of 2010, Cathy sat in her car in the deserted parking lot of the Culpeper Baptist Church. The representative of Herr Fuchs had not yet arrived, and Cath was becoming a bit anxious. Antibes’ fresh cooled semen was a precious delivery and Cath wanted to make sure all went well. Continue reading All That Jazz

[wemhall]

Inmate 634XX-037

My friend, inmate number 63XX3-037 (let’s call him 37 for short), served time at the Federal Prison at Cumberland, MD. The Bureau of Prisons (BoP) released him for good behavior after serving three years of a five-year sentence. Visiting him in prison was always both sobering and interesting. Continue reading Inmate 634XX-037

[wemhall]

The Big Parade

Did you hear? A Big Parade is coming! It is the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, and coincidentally, a certain someone’s birthday. Let’s celebrate! Ever since Trump saw a military parade in France in 2017, he has wanted one and he is finally getting it.  Continue reading The Big Parade

[wemhall]

Bushhogging

Strange as it may seem, bushhogging gives me both a sense of Zen and a feeling of accomplishment. It took me years to reach that point, and I was happy to relive it again last week. As a bonus, I had an ongoing interaction with a persistent crow, who turned out to be pretty smart.  Continue reading Bushhogging

[wemhall]

Mom and Dad’s 75th

Last week, May 14th was the 75th anniversary of Mom and Dad’s wedding in 1950. They celebrated 60 of those years together, before Dad passed away in 2010. I’m grateful for the lessons about love and marriage they provided my sisters and me, or to anyone who knew them. Continue reading Mom and Dad’s 75th

[wemhall]

Weekend In Rodanthe

Cathy and I recently spent a wonderful weekend with friends at Rodanthe, NC on the Outer Banks. The area is beautiful and somewhat remote, a perfect getaway. Part of the town also has a small problem – beach houses occasionally wash into the ocean.  Continue reading Weekend In Rodanthe

[wemhall]

Itchy Eyes

I’m ready for spring to end. I love the warmth and flowers. I love the world turning green. What am I not loving? The tree pollen with the continual burning and itching in my eyes. The coughing. My plugged nose. When the pollen forms a yellow slick on the pond, you know it’s heavy.  Continue reading Itchy Eyes

[wemhall]

Die Schnupfmaschine

Yea, we own a Schnupfmaschine (Snuff Machine). What, you might ask, is a Schnupfmaschine? An ingenious little German contraption for shooting snuff up your nose. And why would you want to do that? Well, that story is a little longer, and perhaps a bit nonsensical.  Continue reading Die Schnupfmaschine

[wemhall]

Three Brothers (in Law)

It’s not a requirement to like your brothers-in-law, but it’s a good thing when it happens. I have been blessed with three GREAT brothers-in-law – Shawn, Don, and Jack. In my book, requirement one for any B-I-L is to love and care for your wife and family. All three do/did that and so much more.  Continue reading Three Brothers (in Law)

[wemhall]

Mom, 1948 and Her Tax Return

Mom was something of a pack rat – a neat one, but a pack rat nonetheless. My sister Roberta and I recently went through a box of old photos and papers and came across her 1948 Tax Return. She was a junior in high school at the time, and it turns out at a juncture in her life. Continue reading Mom, 1948 and Her Tax Return