Finding May

And there she sat. Legs crossed with eyes straight as an arrow.

The sun slipped inches at a mile behind Snow Recreation Center on the eleventh of October, two thousand and two. John met May in the hustle of his happy, full life. Pausing the daily exercising. Exchanging numbers and smiles, the two briefly tucked away from time. Centrum to Eastern Michigan’s heart, ideation began blooming. Tracing began—Finding May and John adoring each other’s warmth inside—if only for two minutes.

Two minutes that day, seconds later next month as John reached a suicidal breaking point, and months forward into 2004.

The girl he was destined to barely know. A Monet-traced beauty. Kind. Sweetly adorable. A thousand budding, poetic lines incapable of capturing May’s immediate place in John’s mind. She’d try to save his life with these two minutes, and later eleven seconds, of her time. A northern star streaking across the Vanilla Sky.

Life Threads – A Memoir

The core of this illuminating memoir consists of threads of consistency and learning that have emerged through Carol’s life experiences. We learn, as she and her sister Linda did, of the constructive optimism of their parents and how that mindset underlies successfully facing life’s struggles. Mistakes can be overcome. The burdens lift. Life is meant for living.With well-balanced sensitivity and striking honesty, she frankly reveals the false starts in her career and her love life and how things worked out in the end. We gain perspective, as she did, through spirited tales of her life experiences.Heart-wrenching events mix with moments of light, hope, and relief. Even the death of loved ones, people, and dogs doesn’t have to be a downward pull, as Carol learned from her dad.Carol has found that angels have an impact on our experiences, too. Although she has never seen an angel, her dogs saw several one evening.Her experiences in finally finding and settling into her career, her love life, and several events that didn’t seem significant, and some that did, all seem to fit together to form those surfacing life threads.

Suitcase of Memories

I was destined to be a peacemaker. Doesn’t every family have one?

My family, with its traditional values, loving grandparents, and family heirlooms, has always provided a comfortable base and a home. My expectations were that my home and family would be safe, cozy, and unwavering.

What of words translated by a peacemaker, certain it was for me too? No protests, make a loving family, keep the peace. I was convinced it would be mine.

What of words from love, prideful of my values, celebrating my accomplishments, joyful for my happiness, and hopeful for my future?

Seasons change, years pass. I remember joyous moments of splendid solace with so much hopeful anticipation. I’ve learned one can search for serendipity, but it cannot be contrived. I remain hopeful beyond possibility.

What of words of hurtful intention—stinging, humiliating, torturous, and demeaning, as intended?

I am the peacemaker.

I must not be defeated.

My Name Is My Soul

To have a name is to have a soul (Ɔkra), and to have a soul is to exist as a conscious living being. Meaning, every soul has a day of ascendency (Krada) as an extrinsic agency with a unique name (Kradzin) and characteristic attributes leading to a spiritual life during adulthood.

As an extrinsic phenomenon, the soul survives death not as a human being, but rather as a spiritual personality called Ɔsaman. It is this posthumous abstract personality (Ɔsaman) that is recalled by name and remembered periodically by the Akan and kindred African peoples.

Far from being ancestor worship, the ancestors are rather remembered (Nkai) in all matters of state. That is, the Akan recall and remember their resurrected dead (Nsamanfo) and the Ancestors (Nananom Nsamanfo) as though they were still living members of the community.

Indeed, Africans worship souls, but it is the eternal souls of God, the Abosom (Gods and Goddesses), that Africans and Black diasporic Africans worship directly as custodians of the world at the behest of God.

The Timkens of San Diego

Rising from a blacksmith’s apprentice to become king of the roller bearing, Henry Timken was one of the 19^th century’s greatest inventors.

His early engineering of axles, springs, and ball bearings for horse-drawn carriages made him rich. But his 1898 patent of a tapered roller bearing revolutionized transportation and made the German immigrant and his family uber rich.

In 1887, with his greatest invention still ahead of him, Timken retired to San Diego with his wife, Fredericka, and four of their five children. All would become wealthy from his patents and lead lives that often cast them in the nation’s headlines.

The three daughters made their niche in the art world.

Amelia founded the San Diego Museum of Art and resuscitated the symphony. Georgia studied art in Paris and St. Louis and married her art teacher. Eight of her paintings hang in the National Gallery of Art.

Cora became an ardent painter and a major collector of art from Persia, China, and India. The Metropolitan Museum of Art lists 133 objects from her. At age 47 she married an osteopathic doctor-scientist 15 years younger who was obsessed with the idea of curing illnesses through electromagnetism.

The sons, H.H. and W.R., took turns running the Timken empire and expanding it globally. H.H. became one of the wealthiest men in America.

Seven Brief Lessons on Computing

Have you ever looked down at your phone and wondered, “What’s going on in there?” If you’ve ever wondered how modern computers and digital devices work, Seven Brief Lessons on Computing takes you through an entertaining and educational journey of mankind’s desire to count, compare, and compute our world.

My Time with Astronauts

In this candid, courageous, and often unexpectedly funny memoir, Faby Kushner invites readers into a world of rocket launches, astronaut encounters, and the delicate art of rationing shrimp at cocktail parties.

But behind the glamour of shuttle missions, personal ties to space icons, and visits to NASA lies a deeper story, one shaped by challenge, reinvention, and quiet resilience. Faby faced unrelenting workplace gossip, the pain of divorce, and moments when life knocked her flat. And yet, through each setback, she rose, rebuilding her life piece by piece, discovering not just how to survive, but how to thrive.

This isn’t a story of perfection. It’s a story of perseverance. Of daring to believe that the best chapters might still lie ahead.

If you’ve ever found yourself staring down a version of life you didn’t ask for, this book offers more than just a glimpse of hope; it’s a witty, heartfelt reminder that reinvention is always possible, and joy can reappear when you least expect it.

Fire Within

Ava Celeste Hennessey's Fire Within is a poignant and stirring memoir that delves into the tumultuous life of a family striving to keep afloat amid the challenging times of the 70s and 80s. Set against the contrasting backdrops of New England’s biting cold and Maui’s embracing warmth, this narrative unfolds through the innocent yet perceptive eyes of a child, Ava.

Ava’s childhood is marked by a series of escapes from literal and metaphorical fires, painting a vivid picture of a family often ensnared in chaos and struggle. Despite the hardships, her story is not just about the trials but also about the unyielding spirit of a young girl. Ava’s perspective, tinged with a child’s tendency to romanticize, provides a unique lens to view the odd and sometimes disturbing behaviors of her family members.

Free Reading of the Gospel of the Essenes

The Essenes were one of the most influential sects in Jewish society during the time of Jesus of Nazareth. He himself, along with his relative John the Baptist, practised Essene traditions. Their way of life continued within Christianity for many centuries. Long concealed by Christian exegetes, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, or Qumran Scrolls, has brought the Essenes back to the centre of many studies.

The dramatic impact of Rome’s occupation of the Middle East (since 63 B.C.) led to a renewed focus on the ancient prophecy of the coming of a liberating Messiah. The greatest threat to the Jewish world was the clash of civilisations between pagan Imperial Rome and Mosaic traditions. It is within this context—and within the Essene precepts regarding the interpretation of the law, both divine and secular—that the birth of Christianity is rooted.

It's All About Me

Dr. Nasser, a board-certified internal medicine physician, has spent over a decade witnessing the profound intersections between life, illness, and the human spirit. Through countless interactions with patients and their families, he has come to understand that while much of the world remains beyond our control, one thing always remains within reach: ourselves.

In this deeply personal reflection, Dr. Nasser shares the lessons learned from the bedside and beyond, exploring how responsibility, resilience, and compassion shape our response to life’s greatest challenges. From moments of loss and despair to hope and renewal, he invites readers to see how healing the body often begins with understanding the mind and heart.

A memoir grounded in medicine yet reaching far beyond it, this book offers an honest and human look at what it truly means to live well even when faced with life’s most difficult truths.

Backyard Rehabbing

“Save some for Inky,” the Roper children chant at meal times after their father found and brought home an abandoned baby crow. Two years later, their parents find an injured wild bird, take it to a wildlife rehabilitator, and begin the process of becoming rehabilitators themselves. What they find is that the most difficult part of rehabbing is not working with the birds. The public, who know little about wild birds, can hamper a bird’s healing and even become a danger to their lives.

...a man saw an injured pigeon... “But I didn’t touch it,” the man said. “I didn’t want to catch rabies.” I explained to the man that rabies can be caught from...wild and domestic animals. Birds...cannot catch nor carry rabies. I then asked the man to pick up the bird and bring it to us in a covered box. “You want me to touch that bird?” the man asked...and hung up.

An injured bird may need immediate attention from the person who found it, and that could be YOU! Suggestions are included as to how to help the birds.

No Regrets

Sheila is a determined woman, strong in spirit, who reached her dreams despite all obstacles. Her derailed life, her cobbler, and her struggle with her family will churn the reader’s stomach and make you think, what would you do if you were in her shoes?