Yes, you can locate your long-gone ancestors. You can pin them down to an exact place. Sometimes it’s a parking lot. Read more.
DON'T MISS!
I've written hundreds and hundreds of posts over the years. To help you find your way to the best of the best, I've tagged my favorites "Don't Miss!" Scroll down here to find them.
Another way to locate Riffs on Life that you might enjoy is to click above on your favorite category – "My Ever-Changing Family," perhaps, or "Funny Button." You can also use the search box located way up top to hunt for stories by topic. There's fun reading at "garden," "aging," "kids" and, of course, "Jon."
My Big Brother Loves Me — The Cataract Chronicles Continued
When my big brother saw me without glasses for the first time in a half century, his reaction took me by surprise. Read more.
Is That a Fibonacci Blooming in Our Yard?
Is ours a strictly mathematical universe? Are those columbines blossoming in our garden just a string of fibonacci numbers? Read more.
Brooke Warner: Getting Published Is Easier Than Ever. Getting Discovered, Not So Much
Author-publisher Brooke Warner says turning an idea into a published book is easier and more respectable than ever. Anyone with a little cash and lots of time can do it. But getting your book into the hands of paying readers — that’s something else. Read more.
Is an Istanbul Trip Too Risky for You? Here’s What You’re Missing
Jon and I took the kids to Istanbul back in 2009. What we experienced was a energetic culture with a rich past, great food and beautiful people. Read more.
Write Another Book? I Dunno . . .
Write another book? I don’t mind the writing. What’s giving me pause is the grueling, humiliating work of promoting the darned thing once I’ve written it. Author Rob Bell had some advice. Read more.
The Oakland Tribune Tower — A 1923 Structure With a Twenty-First Century View
As a reporter, I was never invited to the lofty heights of the Oakland Tribune Tower. On the paper’s last day of publication I finally got my chance. Read more.