Here’s a list of words, found in a thesaurus, you can exchange for one other widely used word. I bet you can guess the word: develop, progress, advance, move forward, make headway, mature, grow, open out, unfold, unroll, expand, enlarge, spread, extend; alter, change, transform, adapt, metamorphose, differentiate – Did you guess evolve? Yeah, evolve is the word of the … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: family friendly
There’s just something about starlit lakes. Have you ever been on a clean, placid lake surrounded by the sky? I have. And I can tell you it’s heavenly. In fact, it can almost feel like Heaven dips down and wraps its arms around you. And memories of starlit lakes inspired me to write about Sombo. A couple of special starlit … The rest of the story…
He built a small log cabin on the bank of a small creek, in Kansas, in the early 1830s. Then, the U.S. government built some other lodges in the area. And one of those lodges was for Tonganoxie. But who in the world was Tonganoxie? And why does it matter? Well, I’ll answer both those questions. But you should know … The rest of the story…
It all started 90 years ago, today. On April 19, 1934. Before I say more about that, let me say this. Every human being past, present, or future will experience these same three things: Life Love Loss. Obviously if you were born and you’re reading this now, you’ve experienced life. And you’ve also experienced love, at least in some way, … The rest of the story…
Kids should just be able to be kids. Not confused by dark, dreary, hopeless attacks on all their five senses. Way back in the medieval days of the twentieth century, there were actually G rated movies. And that meant a general audience could watch them without worry there’d be sex and violence and bathroom humor. But now, G rated movies … The rest of the story…
In 2009 I wrote AND produced 10 lullaby songs in 10 days. Those songs became my first collection of lullaby songs for kids called “Lullabye Bye.” And one of those songs was called “Blue Celtic Cloud.” And when I shared my Celtic art on CD’s, way back when, it turned out to be one of the more popular songs on … The rest of the story…
One hundred and nineteen years ago, today, at approximately 10:35 in the morning, a couple of guys became household names. Well, it didn’t actually happen immediately. But once they did what they did, they were never gonna be forgotten. Because they literally flew off in the right direction. And things would never be the same. I said, “the right direction,” … The rest of the story…
Puns are fun. Yeah, I’m a fan. In fact, you could call me Tony Punderburk, and I wouldn’t be upset. My name has been butchered way worse than that. Anyway… But not everybody thinks puns are fun. But those who don’t are almost always the ones whose sense of humor lives in public bathrooms. I remember a discussion I had, … The rest of the story…
Who needs a father figure these days? Nobody. Right? We’ve got social media. And celebrities who know what’s best for you and your kids. Yeah, right. As if. About 10 years ago I wrote about a father figure TV show. Way back in 1954, there was a family focused sitcom called “Father Knows Best.” It starred Robert Young as the father, … The rest of the story…
It’s funny (odd, not ha ha) how small comets got me thinking about the old Comet cleanser TV commercials. And you’d have to jump into Professor Peabody’s Wayback machine or hop onto YouTube to see ’em now. (and if you don’t remember Professor Peabody and his Wayback machine, you’re too young to read this). But I’m not talkin’ about those … The rest of the story…
My wife and I never had kids. And the reasons are complicated. Because we love kids. Well, most kids. Well, some kids. Just kidding. We DO love kids. And I’m telling you all of this because I think kids learn more than most people give them credit for these days. And I’ve witnessed when kids learn more. So, I know … The rest of the story…
Happy August 1, 2021. Welcome to the last month of those summer days. Also, according to some calendars, today is American Family Day. So, let’s celebrate it with some fun facts about the good ol’ American family. Here you go… Approximately 3 out of 4 American families don’t consist of the traditional “nuclear family.” More than half the kids, born … The rest of the story…
When I was somewhere around 5 years old, I went on a long walk with my Grandmother. And we left her house totally out of sight as we journeyed to the grocery store. In my mind it was easily a walk between countries. Or at least to another state. But, as it turned out, the little mom and pop grocery … The rest of the story…
1938. It was a cold day in January. In rural Oklahoma. FDR was in the first year of his second term as president of the U.S. And a second daughter was born to a young couple named Lee and Syona. But it was also a time when America was still struggling to recover from the Great Depression. So, when the … The rest of the story…
Hey…Remember America? What A Great Country That Was! Long before I ever had even a notion of writing or singing for a living I remember my brother and me traveling with our grandparents through the backroads of a country called America. And I remember our parents taking us for excursions through sections of it called Kansas, and Oklahoma, and Texas. Here … The rest of the story…