“The Third Man” is a 1949 film noir directed by renowned British movie director Carol Reed. In the movie, the Third Man is a cryptic figure supposedly hiding in the shattered ruins of post-World War II Vienna. But is he? Holly Martins, portrayed by Joseph Cotten, is an American author of Western novels. He […]
Poems. Sir Mushroom Comes Calling.
Sir Mushroom’s been holding court in my front yard,Wearing a stylish summer hat.He popped up overnight somehow,I was sorta suspicious about that. He stood there looking like royalty,As if he owned the lawn.As if he paid the monthly bills,And weeded the flowerbeds before dawn. I inquired about his credentials,The upstart mushroom answered with a shrug.He […]
The Friday Funnies! Sir Mushroom Comes Calling!
Sir Mushroom’s been holding court in my front yard, Wearing a stylish summer hat.He popped up overnight somehow, I was sorta suspicious about that. He stood there looking like royalty, As if he owned the lawn.As if he paid the monthly bills, And weeded the flowerbeds before dawn. I inquired about his credentials, The upstart […]
Poems. A Rembrance of Fall.
In St. James’s Park, one long-ago day, A golden-brown leaf was swept my way. I held it close, a small bright spark, A touching reminder of that noble London park. Its amber veins, like paths in the rain, Awoke a sweet and tender pain, For even though hot summer still held the sky, I felt […]
The Sunday Sermonette – The Lightning Bugs of Life.
As a young boy on warm summer nights, I often stood in Mom and Dad’s backyard at 5204 Greater Avenue in Biloxi, just as twilight draped its lavender veil over the grass. The yard’s old weeping willow greeted me, its wide, knotted trunk holding its long-flowing branches aloft like a leafy canopy. […]
The Friday Funnies! To Wear or Not to Wear?
Okay! Who’s the wiseacre who deposited two brand-new pairs of white Chaps shorts on my doorstep? Was it you, Ned, due to your aversion to my three pairs of 20-year-old, ubiquitous white shorts? ‘Cause you know me. February snow? White shorts. October bonfire? White shorts. Formal dinner on a cruise ship? White shorts. Sunday afternoon […]
The Sunday Sermonette – A Pier. The Fog. A Light.
The days were black, but the nights were blacker. Depression is a dark force, squeezing the light out of a person with its unrelenting tentacles of fear and doubt. For me, the early 90s were dark times. Through a series of bad choices—my choices, no one else’s—my life, as in a dream, was squeezed between […]
The Sunday Sermonette – Wasps and Honey.
Before learning to drive, my Schwinn bike and I were best friends. We explored every street in the College Park Subdivision and admired the grand homes on Gulfport’s Service Drive. When we tired of those haunts, we looked north to wet our curiosities. One day, we puffed up one side of the old Handsboro drawbridge, […]
This and That – Home from the Mountains!
Greetings! We’re home, safe and sound. The mountains, cool air, good food, helping those in Spruce Pine, NC, who helped us after Katrina, and lovely, happy Christian people, who could ask for anything more? More later. This ol’ Mississippi boy is tired! Thank you all for your prayers. Missed y’all! Big hug. (P.S. I saw […]
The Friday Funnies – Memories of a Hearty Laugh.
For all you High School graduates going off to college this Fall, know this. One day, when you’re old, you’ll look back on your college pictures and laugh. These are some of my William Carey College chums from 1973, making merry in my dorm room. Please note my state-of-the-art sound system, including a record player […]
Poems. The Carousel of Life.
Each day that you breathe, as your carousel turns, Remember to laugh, a lesson well learned. Each day that you sigh, as life slows you down, A laugh keeps your carousel twirling around.
The Sunday Sermonette – To God Be The Glory.
The first hymn I remember singing was “Holy, Holy, Holy!” I remember it more for its lyrics than its message. In my five-year-old mind, when we sang “God in three Persons, blessed Trinity,” I thought we were singing about my church, Trinity Baptist Church. Now, 70 years later, as I look back on the old […]
The Friday Funnies! Flunked but Still Kickin’.
Greetings! I can visualize your rolling eyes and cheeky grin, thinking to yourself, “Yikes! He flunked Arithmetic! What a dummy!” However, even back then, I’d discovered that you don’t have to be a genius to be a cool-lookin’ dude! (P.S. Those are freckles, not zits. ) Happy weekend, y’all! Big hug. I think the glasses […]
Poems – Morning Sunshine.
Greetings! Morning sunshine spills like gold, Through my kitchen window, bright and bold. A violet-covered teacup, warm and sweet, Banishes away nightly cares in silent retreat. Carpe diem, y’all! Big hug.
The Sunday Sermonette – Are You Hungry?
Starvation. It has plagued us since the beginning of time. A lack of rain, flooded fields, or bug-infested crops can cause it to raise its skeletal head. Its horrors, though, cannot always be blamed on Mother Nature. The draconian polices of dictators can wreak disaster on millions, turning food into a weapon itself. Based on […]
The Friday Funnies! The Art Gallery of Life!
Greetings! And the caption reads, “What! After slaving away with brown and yellow chalk on art paper, all I got for my efforts was this lousy “Honorable Mention,” because “Congratulations – But Not Too Much” wouldn’t fit on the ribbon?” Poor little boy kneeling impatiently on the right side of the front row, I hope […]
Dispatches from Home – The Ocean Liner Exhibition.
Greetings! What a fun afternoon! WLOX’s very own Dave Elliott interviews me for a segment on tomorrow’s 4:00 Show about the Mary C’s Ocean Liner Exhibition. And I had a delicious lunch with the vivacious Sarah Qarqish at Ocean Springs’ Lady May. My tummy’s full, and my pea brain is brimming with cool ideas about […]
Dispatches from Home – The Storms of Life.
Greetings! Sometimes the storms of life seem to never leave, Causing us to grieve. But never forget who holds your hand, And gives you strength to stand. (A poem for you written by moi.) Big hug, y’all! (Originally posted on Facebook August 8, 2025)
This and That – Sweet Charity, the Musical.
Greetings! Time sure does fly. Where, oh, where have the years gone? Here’s a vintage snap of GLT’s Summer Musical “Sweet Charity” from way back in 1984. Wow! So many old friends, some of whom have been called Home. David Delk, Phyllis Durr any comments? Later Theatrical Gaters! (Originally posted on Facebook August 5, 2018)
The Sunday Sermonette – Collision Course.
Fog! Its misty-warm shroud can engulf the Mississippi Gulf Coast, especially during late spring and early summer, when hot, moist air above the Gulf of Mexico meets the Coast’s cooler land surface. This scenario holds true for the Atlantic Ocean, too. When warm air blowing off the Eastern Seaboard comes in contact with the […]
Dispatches from Home – Your 1st Five Minutes in Hell.
Greetings! While channel surfing this evening, I came across this Gracely Inspired video. I’ve always found it interesting that Jesus talked more about Hell than Heaven. It is not His plan or that of Father God’s that anyone should go to Hell. The choice, my dear friends, is yours. I’m not trying to be preachy. […]
The Friday Funnies – The Opposite of a Frown Is?
For your humorous perusal, I submit a snap of moi circa 1994, lounging in my palatial digs, once located on Gulfport’s picturesque 2nd Street. Alas, gone now is much more than just the digs. The San Fransico sweatshirt and Frosty the Snowman glass were lost in Katrina. And that ain’t all that’s been lost over […]
Dispatches from Home – Guys and Dolls The Musical.
Greetings! Mercy me! How time flies! It’s hard to believe KNS’s toe-tapping, audience-pleasing “Guys and Dolls” opened at Biloxi’s Saenger Theater thirty-three years ago. Night after night, to sold-out houses, when the curtain rained down after the finale, the applause was deafening. I look back on this production with love. After fifty-one years of performing […]
The Friday Funnies – Just Let It Go!
Sometimes you just gotta let stuff go. It’s good for your heart and soul. Don’t forget to have a good laugh today. That, too, is good for your heart and soul. Big hug, ya’ll.
The Sunday Sermonette – A Greenish-Gray Metaphor.
Aristotle. Dickens. Thoreau. Beethoven. Van Gogh. And Einstein. If you like taking a daily walk, you are in good company. Many of the world’s greatest thinkers, writers, musicians, and artists found walking essential to their God-given creativity and the inspiration they found in His natural world. Not that I’m in the same league […]
The Friday Funnies! I’m Not Ready For My Closeup.
Yikes! Mom! Put down that Kodiak camera! I’m in my panda bear skivvies and a wrinkled T-shirt. And my hair! Looks like the rats sucked on it in the night. Mom! I’m not ready for my close-up! Today, even if you don’t look your best, try having a lighthearted laugh. A copious chuckle. A hilarious […]
This and That – ATTENTION ALL MARRIED MEN!
Just a word of advice. I would not recommend this perfume as a gift for your wife, especially if evenings in the bedroom are on the wane. You want to put life back into your relationship, not take it away. Just sayin… Later Thinking-Men Gaters! (Originally posted on Facebook July 25, 2020)
This and That – Dusting Off An Old Friendship.
Greetings! Saturday…house cleaning…washing clothes…etc. Dusted this old picture I purchased over fifty years ago in a New Orleans junk shop on Magazine Street. I paid twenty-five cents for it. My question is this: Have you given yourself a friend lately? Big hug, y’all! (Originally posted on Facebook, July 20, 2024)
The Sunday Sermonette – Life Among the Ruins.
Berlin. The leafy beauty of the Unter den Linden. The magnificent baroque palaces. Museums filled with tantalizing art treasures. The canals and bridges. And the monumental Brandenburg Gate. But history has not always been kind to this city. The Nazis may have marched triumphantly into Poland in 1939, but by 1945, Soviet Armies were triumphantly […]
The Friday Funnies – Summer Yard Art.
For the Halloween lover who has everything, now there’s this: Skeeter the Friendly Skeleton, your year-round yard skeleton, all 12ft of him. He’s shown decked out in a too-cool summer ensemble, complete with a sexy Hawaiian lei and a bouncy ball, all made complete by adding that most ubiquitous piece of summer yard art, a […]
The Sunday Sermonette – Lament for a Dead Bird.
On my walk, in the morning stillness, I spotted thee, Motionless on warm concrete beneath a sprawling tree. Thy azure-blue feathers are now at rest, where soft winds once stirred, Now hushed is thy song, dear little dead bird. The tune thou warbled sweet and clear, Now, alas, has faded from […]
The Friday Funnies – AAA Called Me Out.
Well, I’m officially old. AAA sent me the “Seniors’ Sign Identification Travel Guide–A Helpful Hint to Guiding Those a Little Long in the Tooth Farther Down the Road.” I was not amused. (LOL!) Don’t forget: The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Why not have a little fun today and “take […]
The Sunday Sermonette – An Ode to America.
An Ode to the dear country I love! Thank you, Father God, for allowing me the privilege of living in it, when so many want to destroy it from without and within with words, actions, and deeds. MY COUNTRY ‘TIS OF THEE – THE BEGINNING. My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, two […]
The Friday Funnies! Album Cover of the Year!
I know the Good Book states that speaking in tongues is recognized as one of the spiritual gifts. However, had I been at a concert with Reverend Al and The Swampy Lake Quartet, along with his female companion, I, too, may have started speaking in tongues, but not necessarily in biblical terms. Now, let the […]
The Friday Funnies – Pithy Aphorisms.
I love pithy aphorisms – a bee in your bonnet, ants in your pants, or bats in your belfry. However, the aphorism that might accompany this picture…well…I’m gonna leave it up to the viewer. In life, whether it’s proverbial bees, ants, bats, or wasps, spray ’em all with Spectracide and keep on truckin’ down life’s […]
This and That – Precious Memories!
Greetings! Oh! What a delightful early supper I had this evening with my dearest Juliana and her effervescent, “Freudian” friend, Beth. The laughter and the banter were to die for! This is for you, ladies: Many people come into your life, but most quickly part, Passing ever so quickly through your mind, and quickly out […]
The Sunday Sermonette – Names Lost.
She was “the safest ship afloat” and “unsinkable.” Still, on her maiden voyage, she hit an iceberg and sank. The RMS Titanic? No, the SS Hans Hedtoft, owned by the Royal Greenland Trading Company. She was a midsize cargo-passenger liner that left Copenhagen on January 7, 1959, with ninety-five passengers and crew bound for Julianchaab, […]
The Friday Funnies! Hallelujah!
Sometimes after a long week, you just gotta throw your cane and your hands into the air and shout, “Hallelujah! It’s Friiiiiidayyy!” Have a great weekend, y’all! Big hug.
This and That – Polishing Ocean Liner Silver.
Greetings! Now Pat Pinson and Sarah Qarqish have me polishing silver for the upcoming Ocean Liner Exhibition. And they told me it would be all glitz and glamour. Oy vey! (LOL1) Two more days until the Opening on the 27th. Y’all plan to attend. Big hug. (Originally posted June 25, 2024.)
Poems – Magenta Majesty.
Lovely magenta crape myrtles are such a delight, They brighten a summer afternoon’s golden light. In the humid, southern heat, still, they softly sway, And are like a peaceful, joyful gift on a hot June day. A poem by Anthony Wayner Kalberg.
A Happy Father’s Day Poem, 2026.
Dad: I’ve always cherished my memories of family vacations with Mom and you, Endless desert highways and the Pacific Ocean, sparkling azure-blue. As a child clutching you close, I always felt there was no safer place, Than bouncing along in your Nash Rambler, as down the road we raced. Dad: You fought in World War […]
The Friday Funnies! Louie and the Transformer.
Mercy me! What a day we had yesterday. Bad boy Louie was all a flutter due to the torrential rain and the lightning. Still, he insisted on watching it all while standing under Mom’s old red umbrella. I told him to come inside, but Louie, being Louie, didn’t listen. Then, there was a bright flash […]
The Sunday Sermonette – Scars.
“Come on, Andy! Jump!” Dad said, as he encouraged me to do just that, jump from the side of the Hotel Biloxi’s pool into his loving arms. And I did! However, my four-year-old self didn’t land as planned. My chin slammed into his forehead with bloody results. Mom quickly gathered me up in a beach […]
The Friday Funnies: To Buy or Not to Buy?
Here’s the question: To buy or not to buy for an upcoming cruise? This man certainly stood out from his other passengers. Should I try to do the same? OR, just buy the hat? I do think the matching luggage was a bit much. What say ye? Big hug.
The Markham Hotel – A Phoenix Rises in 2026.
(I’m sorry this copy is not so good. If you enlarge it, it’s easier to read. The Markhams’ grand staircase and lobby in the 1920s. The Hotel Lobby after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Lobby and Grand Staircase in 2026 after its Grand Reopening.
The Sunday Sermonette – Ezekiel and Ray Harryhausen.
Ray Harryhausen. To movie buffs, his name alone conjures images of massive, undulating tentacles, eerie flying saucers, gigantic crawling bugs, and a smorgasbord of Greek mythological characters, including a fearless army of clattering skeletons. All of which were created by him from miniature, life-size models he sculpted and built from scratch, using wood, metal, and […]
Poems. A Century Old. Always Loved. Never Forgotten.
You’d be one hundred today, dear Mother of mine, The memories of your love, still around me, doth twine. Although Heaven holds you in its bright, golden light, Your wise words echo in my mind, all day and into the night. I miss your sweet voice, your beautiful, gentle grace, Along with the peace and […]
The Friday Funnies! It’s Gonna Be One of Those Days.
Yikes! You know it’s going to be one of those days when you go to the Cabaret and your dance partner is a gorilla. However, make the most of a bad day by laughing your way through it. Be determined to live life with love and laughter. Big hug, y’all!
This and That – Writing and the Dreams it Conjures.
Greetings! I love writing, but sometimes, I need a roadmap to decipher what I’ve written. Writing takes me to another time and place and helps me fulfill the little dreams that dance around in my head. I urge you to hold fast to your dreams and never let them go. They are not just dreams; […]
The Friday Funnies -With Apologies to Mr. Serling.
I was traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. It was a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries were that of imagination – my next stop was the Twilight Zone! And Honey, let me tell you!! What a Twilight Zone journey it was!! Remember this: If […]
Dispatches from Home: The First Day of June.
I love this month—warm days, somewhat cool nights, a respite before the onslaught of a sticky-hot, south Mississippi summer! I also love lilies and caladiums. It gives me great pleasure to lovingly plant the bulbs in winter. Then, in early spring, one by one, their little, bushy-green haloes slowly emerge from God’s rich earth. As […]
The Sunday Sermonette – Are You Starving?
When I was a child, if I refused to eat what was on my plate, one of my parents would say, “If you get hungry enough, you’ll eat.” Most of the time, I gave in and ate, even though I didn’t like it. But one Sunday after church, I heard a story that changed my […]
The Friday Funies! Old Geezers with Scars are Sexy!
I wrote AARP Studs Incorporated about perhaps using me again on their magazine’s front page with the headline: “Old Geezers with scars are sexy!” I suggested they could use me as the Mederma Advanced Scar Gel poster boy. Alas, the letter was returned, postmarked, “Not Interested.” Well, such is life. Don’t forget to smile today. […]
Poems. When the End is Near.
I am made of words and laughter, and heavenly breath from above. I am part grief, and I am part love. And when the end comes calling, and life is fading fast, I’ll remember blessed friends who loved, and stayed to the last. (A poem penned by Anthony Wayne Kalberg.)
Poems. Dearest Juliana.
Is it Goodbye or Au revoir? Dearest friend, the time has come for us to depart, But heavy farewells need not weigh on the heart. Au voir, dearest friend, but it’s not goodbye, Even though we may depart with a long, teary sigh. Though days may stretch and seasons change in vain, […]
Poems. Lest we Forget. A Memorial Day Poem. May 25, 2026
On this Memorial Day, as grills send smoke billowing toward the sky,And tasty barbecue and other taste treats are shared with friends passing by,Remember those whose courage bought freedoms we should hold dear,Those brave souls who paid in blood and sweat so we could enjoy life here. As we bask in sunlight on peaceful shores, […]
The Sunday Sermonette – Who Is King?
Ever heard of the Polish artist, Ludwik Stasiak? Neither had I until one of his paintings came up for auction on a European auction site I follow. The painting was a simple landscape that only sold for a few thousand euros. Curious about who the artist was, I googled him, and one of his most […]
This and That – The Great Gatsby Movie 2013: A Review.
Greetings! To the fans of Gatsby, please don’t take my word for anything. See the movie and make your own decisions as to its merits. Remember, a movie – like beauty – is in the eyes of the beholder. For me, a movie, regardless of subject matter, must be believable, even though it is just […]
The Friday Funnies – Mississippi Genius.
Never let it be said that Mississippi folks aren’t innovative. What to do when your dermatologist takes a cancerous chunk out of your arm the size of a ’56 Buick and tells you not to get the wound wet while bathing? Tah-da! A bread bag and two rubber bands come to the rescue. A Mississippi […]
Poems. The Curtain Falls.
When the final curtain falls, and the stage is empty and still, When the audience’s applause has faded, and gone is its cheering thrill. Though the theater seats are empty, and the searing stage lights dim, Sweet memories still will linger, much like a heavenly hymn. We wore our sweaty costumes, our characters, to help […]
Dispatches from Home – The Play Closes. The Memories Live On.
Two weeks ago, yesterday, Center Stage’s hilarious production of one of Broadway’s most famous plays, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” closed. After that final performance—and the play’s record-breaking run of ten sold-out performances—everything went back in the box, so to speak. The set. The props. The costumes. And the makeup. All that was left on stage, […]
The Sunday Sermonette – Echoes from my Past.
Answering machines! Are you old enough to remember the thrill of rushing home from work, hopping to see the machine’s blinking red light indicating that you had messages? Then, replaying the day’s messages, recorded on a cassette, listening with awe and wonder, that such a device had been invented? Another added treat was recording your […]
This and That – Holding on in the Rain.
Greetings! It’s 12:43 AM, and outside, the wind howls, the rain pounds, and the lightning flashes. Please remember that in the storms of life, sometimes all you need is for someone to put their arm around you and hold you in the rain. Big hug. (Originally posted on Facebook, May 16, 2022)
The Friday Funnies – The Mysterious Daguerreotype.
The Friday Funnies! While strolling through an antique shoppe the other day, imagine my shock when I spied this daguerreotype from the 1860s. Do my old eyes deceive me? Is that me in another life? Who are those other desperadoes? Oy vey! Such a mystery! () And don’t even think it. No! I’m not that […]
Dispatches from Home – The Demons of Dementia.
This Mother’s Day we spent at home. The demons of dementia are respecters of none, nor do they honor a special day set aside to honor our dear mothers. And this weekend, those demons have been very active, dashing around in my dear mother’s mind, snatching bits and pieces of her memory, jumbling them up […]
The Friday Funnies! Naked In Front Of A Mirror.
For your perusal today, I present Young Scrooge and Old Scrooge. Mercy me, how the mighty have fallen. (LOL!) Please remember to laugh today. If you can’t find anything to laugh about, please follow dear ol’ Art Linkletter’s advice: “As you age, keep a sense of humor. If you can’t think of anything to make […]
Dispatches from Home – Mother’s Day, May 14, 1967.
In the 1960s, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was suspended in time. Unlike today, there were no high-rise apartment buildings, garish casinos, ballparks, or aquariums. There were, however, magnificent houses, grand old hotels, mom-and-pop motels, full-service gas stations, sophisticated nightclubs, and a few not-so-sophisticated ones. Time wasn’t necessarily standing still, but it certainly wasn’t winning any […]
Dispatches from Home – Afternoon Sunlight.
Greetings! The only light that thrills me as much as moonlight is the late afternoon sunlight streaming through my living room windows. As dear old Walt Whitman once said, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.” Big hug, y’all! ((Originally posted on Facebook May 14, 2025)
The Friday Funnies – Tattoos and Sobriety.
Greetings! In Life’s tattoo parlors, it’s best to remain alert, sober, and awake! (LOL!) Later AA Gaters! (Originally posted on Facebook, May 13, 2022)
Dispatches from Home – My First Mother’s Day Without Mom.
Dear Mom, I’m sending you a letter via heavenly mail. I’m not sure how mail works up there, but I hope you get this. Happy Mother’s Day to you! It’s bittersweet not having you here to wish you this in person. The past few months without you have been lonely ones, but I’m happy to […]
The Friday Funnies – Wash Day and Step-ins.
Meanwhile, in a pine thicket on the outskirts of Biloxi, off the Daisy Vestry Road, there’s this. Ah! Sweet memories of wash day and hanging your step-ins out to dry in the open air. There’s nothing fresher smelling than that! (LOL!) Today, please remember that laughter can be an instant vacation from wash day and […]
Dispatches from Home – Mother’s Day 2024.
Greetings, Family and Friends! Happy Mother’s Day to our mothers, those living and those who have passed away. My dear mother wrote this poem while attending Clark College in 1946. She typed it on an old Remington typewriter, along with her other poems and thoughts on many subjects. She and her friends were in a […]
Dispatches from Home – Called Home to Glory.
Greetings! With a bittersweet heart, I report that my dearest, sweet Miss Pete was called Home to Glory the day after Mother’s Day. Just like her to wait one more day to give her dear family one last Mother’s Day with her. She was a 101 and ready to go. This dear lady was one […]
Poems. A Note to Mom.
Mom… Your loving voice is the first I recall, When, as a child, I cried and lost it all. It calmed me then, and it calms me still. Its memory warms life’s chilly chill. When my heart is heavy, I close my eyes, And feel your love that never dies. Thanks for the anchor you’ve […]
The Friday Funnies! ATTENTION! RUNAWAY CHILD!
So I asked Louie if he thought my new reading glasses would make me look old. With a finger snap, he said, “You are old! You’re 72!” With a sweet smile, I reminded Bad Boy Louie that he was 73 years older than me…and…had not changed clothes during all that time. He burst into tears, […]
The Sunday Sermonette—Mom’s Tea Towels.
My dear mother was an excellent cook. She could make something special out of almost nothing. But let me be clear—the rich aroma of Boeuf Bourguignon, the spices in German bratwurst, or the sweetness of Viennese pastries never filled my mom’s kitchen. Instead, her kitchen was filled with the comforting, down-home smells of southern […]
Dispatches from Home – Mother’s Day, May 9, 2021.
Greetings! Micah 6:8 – “Do Justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God,” was one of my dear mother’s favorite Bible verses. She was so inspired by this verse that she cross-stitched it as a New Year’s resolution in 1989. In her old red Bible, she wrote: “DOING justly means righting wrongs, championing the oppressed, being […]
The Friday Funnies – The D’Lo Athletic Supporters’ Gazette.
Meanwhile, in other news, this just in from the D’Lo Athletic Supporters’ Gazette: “Found today in our archives is this snap of a vintage piece of football history. Our records indicate that the first testicular guard, ‘The Cup,’ was inaugurated in 1874. However, the first football helmet was not used until 1974. This means that […]
The Friday Funnies! Martha Brewster’s Getting Married?
Due to the resounding success of Center Stage’s production of “Arsenic and Old Lace,” dear spinster Martha Brewster has received five wedding proposals from various and sundry gentlemen callers. But in light of her ditsy nature, she can’t make up her mind which gentleman caller to say, “I do,” to. Please leave your comments to […]
Dispatches from Home – Mother’s Day 2022
Greetings! This picture is bittersweet. To you, the reader, it’s nothing more than a picture of my dear mother cuddling a Cabbage Patch doll. But to her, that doll was me. On days when Mama was extremely agitated due to her declining mental health, she didn’t sleep for hours on end. Twenty-four-hour days were not […]
This and That – “The Royal Family” Closes.
Greetings! “The Royal Family” closed today, and by Tuesday this week, everything in the snaps below will be back in the box. Thank you, Wayne Stephens, for these wonderful snaps!! Set Design–Chuck White. Bruce Berry–Set Construction. Set Dressing–Anthony Kalberg. Now you know what I’ve been doing for the past few weeks. Interesting thing about the […]
The Friday Funnies – Lucy Maude Montgomery was Right!
In 46 years of performing in local theater productions, I’ve learned this: there’s always one wiseacre who finds pleasure in practical jokes. I submit the following snap as evidence. The place, Gulfport Little Theater’s makeup room. The 1976 production, The Music Man. The practical joke, industrial-strength allium in my cold-cream jar. For a week thereafter, […]
The Sunday Sermonette – Honesty and Dishonesty.
How honest are you about being dishonest? Have you ever looked back on your life and seen where dishonesty worked against you, causing you great mental anguish and others to distrust you? The Good Book reminds us that honesty is wiser because “the wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such […]
Poems. Wilted Petals.
In vases by my window, as soft daylight surrenders, Are flowers that once blazed with multi-colored splendors. Some may have wilted, but their sweet fragrances remain, Their beauty somewhat faded, but their joy still haunts my brain. Once bright and lovely, in the dressing room’s fluorescent light, They reminded me of those who brought them, […]
The Friday Funnies – Big Hair and Me!
I saw this snap of these fashionable ladies and thought, “Holy Moley! What were they thinking!!” But then I saw this snap of me and thought, “What was I thinking!!!!” Remember, it’s the heart that we should look at, not the face. Have a good laugh today. It just makes you feel better. Later Laughing […]
This and That – The Great Gatsby!
Greetings! The 1974 film “The Great Gatsby” is my favorite movie adaptation of Fitzgerald’s iconic novel. It paints a lush backdrop for the greed, cynicism, and the mindless pursuit of pleasure that are key themes in the novel. Hovering over this backdrop is the pain of unrequited love. Robert Redford, as Gatsby, is shown here […]
The Friday Funnies – Neuter Your Pets and Others.
I know y’all! So don’t raise your right eyebrow at me and say, “Andy! What were you thinkin’ postin’ this! That is lewd and not very nice!” Liar, liar pants on fire. Right after you read this, y’all are gonna make a list, check it twice, and list everyone you’d like to neuter and do […]
The Friday Funnies – Another OSHA-Free Worksite.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of D’Lo, another OSHA-free worksite. Who needs rules and regulations when you have brains and ingenuity? Long live American creativity! Don’t forget: Seven days without laughter makes one weak. Big hug. (Originally posted May 3, 2024)
The Sunday Sermonette – Falsely Accused.
It was a lovely spring afternoon when a dear friend called, telling me to check a post on a popular media site. I did and was shocked. An individual, whom I knew only through other friends, had attacked my reputation, and that person’s words cut even deeper due to their posting on a public platform. […]
The Friday Funnies – A Lemon-Drop Martini Disaster.
Meanwhile, in other news, there’s this: Mr. Kalberg, as you reached for the salt, you were warned about the danger of those four brass buttons on your Polo blazer. As is your custom, though, you failed to listen and ended up with the sugary residue of a full lemon-drop martini in your lap, along with […]
The Friday Funnies – Big Hair and Aunt Martha.
The renowned Coastal hair salon and spa, Chuck Kelly Salon, always aims to please. From making me look like I have more hair than I do to making “Aunt Martha” look like a true Gibson Girl, Mr. Kelly never ceases to please. On this rainy day, please remember to be the happy sunshine in someone’s […]
The Friday Funnies – A New Do!
Love me some Chuck Kelly Salon in Gulfport, Mississippi! The customer is always right, and Chuck always aims to please. I ask him to give me a new do that would make it appear that I had more hair than I do. I think he succeeded. What say ye? As you go through your day […]
The Friday Funnies – A Thousand Words.
Old-timers say a picture is worth a thousand words. With that in mind, please remember ths: Sometimes, when life beats you up and throws you under a bus, you just gotta get up, shoot it the bird, and ease on down the road. Later Bird-Shooting Gaters. (That’s 55 words, just in case you’re wondering. LOL!) […]
Dispatches from Home – Les Misérables. Bitter Memories and Sweet Ones.
I’ve just finished watching the movie version of this magnificent musical and, once again, was swept up in the beauty and majesty of its music and story of redemption. As I listened, I could not help but remember the first time I saw this delectable feast of sights and sounds. That was twenty years ago, […]
The Friday Funnies – Food Snobs.
Meanwhile, in other news! So, I’m asked to bring a potato dish to our Supper Club. I did. The snap best indicates the reaction I received. Oy Vey! Pampered food snobs…what ja gonna do? Gotta love ‘em, though. Today, while eating at McDonald’s or Mary Mahoney’s, don’t forget to do yourself a favor and laugh! […]
The Friday Funnies! A Tux + White Shorts = Trouble.
“I told you not to wear shorts to dinner tonight,” said she. “Oy vey! Such a slap and a lesson learned,” said me. Don’t forget to have a good laugh today! Big hug. (Originally posted April 25, 2025)
The Friday Funnies – Workout Gloves Don’t Last.
Yikes! And double yikes! Whatever happened to quality in our dear country? I’ve had these gym workout gloves for only 25 years, and now I have to buy a new pair. I was hoping to get at least another ten years out of them. I am heartbroken. Remember, the Good Book says, “A merry heart […]
The Friday Funnies – Good News. Bad News.
I spoke with my plastic surgeon, asking him if he could perhaps help me look 65 again. He flashed an intense light on my sagging face, poked around my puffy eyelids, pinched my neck wrinkles, and then, with a sadistic smile, said, “I don’t think I’ve got that much caulk and epoxy glue.” I was […]
The Friday Funnies – Poor Lit’ Mermaid.
Meanwhile, in other news! At the local Bustin’ Suds, some nut-job attempted to wash the Little Mermaid. Mercy me. Poor baby, I certainly hope she made it. Because laughter is the best medicine, take a huge dose today. Big hug. (Originally posted April 21, 2023)
The Sunday Sermonette – The Touch Divine.
The magnificent ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo in the early fifteenth century, is regarded as one of the most famous works of art in the world. Michelangelo was considered the greatest living artist in his lifetime, and ever since then, he has been included in the pantheon of the world’s greatest […]
