A Doll Comes To Visit

You are a fifth-grade girl who comes home from school to find a doll on your front porch. The doll looks like you, is dressed like you, and there is something about the eyes. Who left it? Why is it here? And what makes this doll so special?

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With a Little Help From My Friend

Jim Jenkins is an ace detective who solves the most difficult crimes. Yet he always works alone. Or does he?

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The Boy Who Could Wiggle His Ears

Learning how to wiggle your ears is really hard. But you can do it if you keep trying. And if you learn to keep trying, no problem is too big. So if you can wiggle your ears, you can do anything!

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Fall Asleep the Army Way

If you have trouble falling asleep, the U.S. Army has a method that might help.  in the military, a good night’s sleep can literally be a life-and-death matter.  Hence the development of this method. Here’s what the Army recommends — Sit on the edge of your bed. Make sure only your bedside light is on,

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How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?

Something interesting you may have noticed during the press coverage of the death of President George H.W. Bush — he died less than eight months after the death of his beloved wife Barbara.  You may also recall actress Debbie Reynolds dying a day after her daughter Carrie Fisher in 2016.  Is this unusual? Not really. 

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A Lesson in Cultural Diversity

What is the most culturally diverse city?  Some say it’s Amsterdam, with about 178 different cultures.   London  can make a strong claim for second, with approximately a third of its population foreign-born.   The  most diverse city in the U.S. would be Los Angeles, rated third in the world, with an estimated 86 languages spoken by

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Woodrow Wilson

Some historians rate Woodrow Wilson as a near-great president, which always made me curious because he is most remembered for his idealistic League of Nations proposal, which his own country shunned.  So my curiosity led me to Wilson, a highly rated biography by A. Scott Berg. The truth is Woodrow Wilson lived a life of

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The Joy in New Pajamas

I guess it’s a sign of my advancing age that I can get excited about a pair of pajamas.  This weekend I stumbled across a sale, and purchased a pair that I normally would’ve considered too pricey.  Not that they were extravagant to begin with, but I must confess to having a cheap streak.  This

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Original Story — Thanks, Santa!

Since it’s officially the Christmas season, I’m re-posting my Christmas story as my contribution to the holidays. This story is included in my book Stories Short and Strange, available on this website and on Amazon.com in both hardcopy and downloadable formats. Thanks, Santa I guess I shouldn’t complain. I live in a nice house on

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Voices From the Past

I can rarely resist a book, especially a book about history.  Recently I found an interesting little volume — The Civil War: Voices of Hope, Sacrifice, and Courage, edited by Gordon Leidner.  It lists over 220 quotes from soldiers and civilians on both sides, as well as texts and excerpts from some of the war’s

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