I’ve come to the conclusion that after enjoying more than 55 years of professional writing, my two favorite punctuations are the period and a comma. The reason for this is simple. They both play into life’s decisions wherever we go and whatever we do. It’s as simple as that. Tied together with ‘freewill,’ one’s whole life’s decisions are based around these three components.

It’s a question that’s been resonating in the state Capitol for the past two weeks.

My first sign of spring’s approach came before Groundhog’s Day – on Jan. 27 – while walking across my yard from the house to the car. Somewhat distantly, I heard it: a birdsong.

That’s one of my favorite words. “Why?” one may ask. For me, that’s an easy answer. You can’t talk about one thing without keeping in the back of my mind something else. It could be the goodness of one thing that makes another better. Or, on the flip side, it may be a contributing factor whereby something is made worse.

“What? You’re over me? When were you...under me?”

Imagine Derek Jeter not being elected to Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

I don’t watch much on WQED. I’m more of a browser. If something meets my fancy, I’ll watch it. I’ve gotten more into the habit of viewing movies since I have become more immobile in the last couple of months. Life is adjusting to whatever comes one’s way. Sometimes one sees the mud flung in one’s face, and other times, one all of a sudden finds himself stuck in it and has to make the best of the situation. I knew someday it would come. I didn’t know when. Now I do and I’m adjusting to the challenges of life.

While there are no off-seasons for fine-arts fans – just changing exhibitions – the rest of us may need a bit more incentive to visit an art museum. Like a crappy, warmer winter.

Don’t even think I’m going there! No, I’m not going to talk about that electronic gadget that you possibly are carrying in your purse, pocket or on the car dashboard somewhere. Put it out of your mind right now!

Years ago, it wasn’t too difficult to keep up with regional rail-trail development here within the Alleghenies, because it proceeded at a snail’s pace – a mile or two of development here and there every year or two.

There’s an entire school of thinking for beautiful words. It’s called phonaesthetics.

My mother’s dream was for me to become a great pianist. Mine was to play professional baseball.

Have you ever seen a picture of yourself from an unusual angle? You look at the photo and realize, “Who is that person? Oh, that’s me. I do not like what I see.”

Back in the latter part of December, a television program was aired concerning the downfall of Jim and Tammy Baker. On one hand, it was good to show non-Catholics that yielding to temptation can easily happen by those who get sucked in by persuasions of the mind.

I stole a ski outing in December. At least that’s what it felt like.

Inasmuch as the March for Life date is approaching, I began to think about babies and just how they were created. Now, that may sound funny, coming from a senior who is well aware of the ins and the outs of the birds and the bees. As I was sitting at a funeral Mass for a friend in October did little tidbits of information enter my mind from a whole new perspective concerning the forming of a baby from “S to Z.”

I’ll admit it: I don’t know much about street art. I’m no graffitist (a person who does graffiti), but I do know that to “tag” something is when someone quickly spray paints a surface, or it can indicate the way a graffiti artist signs his/her work. I’m aware that I’m breaking down basic graffiti terms mostly to win points with the Gen Z crowd. You can take that one to the Banksy!

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania politics is expected to be chaotic in 2020 as Democrats and Republicans vie for legislative dominance in the Nov. 3 general election.

As the new year dawns, my prayer is that God will continue to bless me in 2020 as He did in 2019.

So, here you are. Getting ready to head out to outlets to get deals on all kinds of merchandise. Whatever floats your boat, that’s the direction you are planning to go?