The real free stuff
A little love here, a little push there, a little encouragement wherever it was needed. “So, you want to try the Fernet?” the bartender asked as he leaned across the [...]
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Posted January 01, 2020in Joe's Neighborhood
Posted December 04, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
The peanut butter caper
Am I being punished for secretly liking romance novels featuring a pirate as the main character? Pick up backpack. Shuffle one step. Set down backpack. Breathe. Turn around to see [...]
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Posted November 27, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
What do the Dutch mean by cozy?
“Joe, it’s not so cozy.” Really? “It’s not so cozy”? They have great fries. And I love their coffee. And look at their apple pie. “I’m sorry, but it’s not [...]
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Posted November 06, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
The Ferris wheel
See the world from a different angle. “The Ferris wheel is going up right there,” Steve Smith says as he marks a line of white dashes that cover the entire [...]
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Posted October 02, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
An Italian mother
I want an Italian mother. Don’t get me wrong, the wedding itself was heavenly. It flowed with a gracious ease that can be so elusive at many formal events. For [...]
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Posted September 04, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
Bald men full of grandeur
“Jason Statham saved a lot of guys.” Smacked broadside by a car at the top of a hill, I was 5 years old when I had my first bike accident. I [...]
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Posted July 31, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
50 kids and a free lunch
Tell that to Sister Agnes. Fifty kids were fed lunch on Monday in a little park in Urbandale — for free. Chew on that. The small parking lot at Murphy [...]
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Posted July 03, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
Wearing purple
An old man getting an earring wasn’t cool 25 years ago. Sonya Rumbly smiles. A wide friendly smile. One that puts me at ease even though I’m surrounded by narrow [...]
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Posted June 05, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
Homemade cheese sandwiches and Mom
The stuff of good dreams. Traveling with my mom was, for most of my life, the stuff of one of those late-night dreams we all have at one time or [...]
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Posted May 01, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
Born again grandpas
You heard it here first. Frankly, the joy of being a grandpa caught me by surprise. Listen, I’ve raised three kids, I know what children are all about. And, by [...]
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