Photographes du National Geographic, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, assists the keeper in memorializing R. B. (Rolland) Curtis, Wisconsin’s most decorated WW I soldier who was a mentor of sorts when the keeper was sorting through the debris of pending adulthood in Barron County. On a fishing excursion, …
Read
Category:Holidays
Kickass and Korean Artillery Shell
“Arlington National Cemetery on a Sunday Morning” Clynnwersch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, excuses the keeper for getting personal with his Memorial Day thoughts, specifically how the artillery shell that buried him in Korean dirt and debris could have been a foot or so different and might have …
Read
Kickass Remembers Mama
By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in saluting all mothers, and listening to him—the keeper, as he repeats the universal refrain that his was the best mother who—as he once wrote, would stand on two broken legs to make you a lunch so you could go fishing—on Mother’s Day. As with …
Read
Kickass and Egg Hunt Covid
By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, fresh off the family Easter egg hunt at Kim and Dick’s where he competed successfully with a half dozen little professional egg hunters, is happy to join Phyllis in noting Wisconsin’s great Covid 19 vaccination record, particularly as compared to Florida where a big …
Read
Kickass and the Easter Chicken
By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, assists the keeper in passing along the following all- American Easter story which has been authenticated by Mother Goose and Rachel Maddow. “Once upon a time, birds ruled the egg world. This meant that chickens, as the chief domesticated bird, were in charge of all egg occasions, including …
Read
Falling Star
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoffrey Carter During the past few weeks, I’ve heard more than a few people say that Christmas just doesn’t feel right this year. I think I know what they mean. My family and I have followed all our usual traditions—hanging the lights, trimming the tree, baking the cookies, and wrapping …
Read
Blue Christmas
Artwork by Michael DiMilo As we were trimming the tree last weekend, my wife asked me to bring in the laptop so we could listen to Christmas music. I complied—as any trained husband will—and set up the sound system in our dining room. And so we trimmed the tree and drank some wine and listened …
Read
Oh, Christmas Tree
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Each year, in the family holiday tradition, my wife and I venture out to buy our Christmas tree. We’re lucky enough to live across the street from a big tree lot so we don’t have very far to go—we can walk right over. It’s very convenient. It’s also nice to be …
Read