It was 1985, about 5:30 in the morning and I was on my way home from the Farmer’s Market on Raymond Blvd. in Newark. The sun was just beginning to come up and it was beautiful. I remember the moment.  It had become obvious that I was no “produce manager…no fruit stand czar”. In fact … Continue reading “The Farm Stand” →

Depending on the topic at hand, compromise can be a wise approach. For example, if you’re discussing where to go to dinner and the choices are White Castle and The Russian Tea Room in New York, you may want to compromise and head for that classic new restaurant in Millburn….”The Millburn Standard”. (Drew's new restaurant) On the other … Continue reading “Darkest Hours” →

I was talking with my newest son-in-law the other day and it became clear that we are both a bit nostalgic. We just got rid of our living room couch which accompanied us thru raising 10 kids; it had originally belonged to Judy’s family. Wow, memories started to flood back…. maybe we should keep the … Continue reading “The Good Old Days” →

A belated Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers out there. I hope you had a good day…maybe breakfast in bed or your favorite meal …  perhaps a few gifts.. a new tie ?!?  Father's Day is celebrated worldwide to recognize the contribution that fathers  make to the lives of their children. Many countries observe this day on the third … Continue reading “Happy Father’s Day” →

Judy and I had the blessing of spending some time in Adoration recently at St. Joseph’s Shrine in Stirling. It was excellent. I really needed to have the Lord calm my spirit, as I wrestled with a number of concerns and anxieties. I left in better shape than when I arrived.  If you’ve been to … Continue reading “Soaring On The Wind” →

June 16th was my mother’s birthday. She was born in 1912 and would now be 108 years old. Affectionally known to her grandchildren as “Granny”, she lived with us her last 4 years, dying in 1996…24 years ago. Mary Dempsey Touhill Mary Elizabeth Dempsey Touhill did not have an easy life. She was 10 years old … Continue reading “Granny” →

Well, we got out of “Dodge” for a few days. Yep, we’re in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania. While there’s still masks and social distancing, it’s not quite as intense as home. We went to mass this morning and it was very organized and welcoming…not as much intensity.. easier to focus on the Eucharist.  We went … Continue reading “Courage Rides Again” →

My daughter Catherine, who is on the Board of Directors of my BLOG, suggested I move some of the posts back to the topic of the Coronavirus… since the name of the BLOG is “Dave’s Thoughts During The Coronavirus”.   Well, one thing I’m doing  during the pandemic is  reading stories to my younger grandchildren on ZOOM.  My team … Continue reading “Chief Big Face” →

Growing up I loved to play basketball. If we could have leveled the playing field, I would have been pretty good; I needed to be at least a foot taller. At 6’9”, I would have been something. (To prove my point, a very famous NBA star and I have the same birthday in August.)   NOT … Continue reading Level Playing Field ??? →

We’ve heard the  admonition  “before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes”… ie. look to understand his experiences, challenges and thought processes. This is also called empathy,…. “ the ability to sense other people's emotions… to imagine what someone else is thinking or feeling; it’s the capacity to place oneself in another's position.”  Something good happens when you realize … Continue reading “Does He Understand Us ?” →