Rhyme and Reason

What are Timbuk Toys? It’s more like, who is Timbuk Toys? And it’s just a place where little kids can get just about any toy their little hearts desire. You know. A toy store . In the Denver, Colorado metro area. And they used to have something only a select group of toys stores in the whole world had. Timbuk Toys used to have personalized songs for kids by none other than me. Yeah, ba...

Memories of the Windy Saddle I remember, almost eight years ago, Elgielene and I had lunch in a little downtown spot in Golden, Colorado. It was called the Windy Saddle Cafe. Small town atmosphere, fresh made food, and good coffee. As we waited for our food, that first time, we checked out the place. It even had a place in the back where small kids (little buckaroos ) could play with toys. We enjo...

Every life is full of ups and downs I’ve mentioned, before, how I worked hard labor during my teenage summers. No, not in prison. How could you even think that? And I’m looking at YOU when I ask that. You know who you are. Anyway…I hauled hay. In the hot, Kansas sun. Up to 18 hours for five, six, and sometimes seven days a week. It kept me slim and made me strong. But what does t...

What good are dreams written down? Before I go any further, I’m not talking about your dreams for how you’d like your life to go. Of course, it’s a good idea to write those down. And, in fact, it’s just good to write on a regular basis. But that’s for another time and topic of discussion. Because right now I’m talking about dreams you dream when you’re asl...

Here comes the Big Bang Band Playing on stage in a digital venue near you…let’s hear it for the Big Bang Band! (crowd cheers, applause) And they’ve already announced they’ll be playing all their biggest hits. Songs like: The Last Great Prediction, Hubble’s Law, Confirmed, No Alternatives, and more.   I’ll bet you’ve heard the Big Bang Band. Unless you have...

Silver words of hope OK, get out your eight stringed harp, or your drums, guitar, keyboard, or other instruments. And let’s sing some silver words of hope today. Who’s with me? You don’t need special talents to sing these silver words. In fact, if you’d rather listen, that’s OK, too. Because the words I’m talking about can maybe give you even more hope if you ju...

Fear free? Uh…no You’ve probably seen those t-shirts, or caps, or bumper stickers. Right? The ones that say “No Fear” Sure, while it might sound macho, tough, or cool (or should I say, dope and sick?) it’s actually kinda stupid. Because no one should be fear free. In spite of what some seemingly successful “motivational speakers” might say.   Instead of tr...

Are you a worry wart? My mom is 82. She lives in eastern Kansas. And we talk a couple of times a week, by phone. By her own admission, she’s a worry wart. For those of you too young to know, that means she worries a lot. Currently, as you might expect, she’s pretty worried about this whole pandemic thing. And since she has way too much time on her hands (retired and living alone) she w...

“Dad, are we there yet?” Oh yeah. The dreaded (and yet predictable) are we there yet question. Maybe you remember, as a kid, how you or a brother or sister would get bored on a long family trip. And inevitably somebody would want to know when it was gonna be over. Right? Or maybe you’ve even been the parent who got the question from the kids.   I’ve seen the are we there ye...

Who could use a little Sunday morning inspiration? Show of hands…yeah, there’s a few of you. OK, so here it is. You can do it! Now, go out there and get it done! There. How’s that? Are you pumped and ready to take on sickness, sadness, disease, and disaster? What? No?! What do you mean I just used a cliché ? Wow, way to look some Sunday morning inspiration in the mouth.   The fac...

My songwriting for hope has a much broader scope And when I say, songwriting for hope, I’m not talking about a person’s name. I’m talking about actual hope. Yes, it’s a real thing. In spite of all the negativity media and social media channels are putting out. And it’s always available. But most people don’t have a clue where to look. Because they focus on the t...

Fire and brimstone Yeah, we’re already getting close to April. And that means those April showers that bring May flowers. Of course, that leads to Memorial Day and backyard barbecues. Wanna try something a little different this year? How about serving up a nice steaming cup of fire and brimstone? With a side of burning wind? Mm mm good.   What if I told you fire and brimstone won’t be...

Are you ready to sing a song of confidence? Have you heard this quote? “ The truth is still true even if no one believes it. And a lie is still a lie even if everyone believes it .” It makes total sense to someone who’s willing to use logic and reason, instead of feelings, when it comes to decision making. And it’s that kind of thinking that helps me sing a song of confiden...

Ah, thank goodness for our benevolent government. Not! All around social media and news channels you’ll see talk of a “stimulus package.” And it’s supposed to throw gazillions of dollars out to “we, the people.” You’ll also see so-called “leaders” in congress debating over how much money and who to give it to. With lots of resistance from both...

An old song with a musical interlude Way, way back in my songwriting life, sometimes I’d worked on something “more than just a song.” And now, when I go through my old notebooks, I see how little I remember about those pieces. Like the words I’m gonna share to a song I composed in 1981. It even included a musical interlude. It sounds funny to me now. But I even wrote a note...

You don’t have a lizard brain No reptilian brain. Or paleomammalian brain. And certainly no neomammalian brain. (Hey, maybe that’s where they got the Neo character in The Matrix…no, I don’t think so.) Before I go any further, I gotta ask. Why, in the name of godzilla, would you ever want to identify with a lower creature? Why would you ever, ever, ever want a lizard brain?...

A Vernal Equinox 2020 suggestion With all the other chatter on social media and news channels, I didn’t see anything pop up about Vernal Equinox 2020. At least, not till I went looking for it. In case you didn’t know, that’s when Spring “officially” begins. And this year’s beginning is around 9:50 tonight. (as I share this it’s March 19th) “So, why a...

Oh well, what can you do? When I was much younger, I wrote more songs with more questions in them. It hadn’t occurred to me before. But I was looking at some lyric files, today, and I saw that pattern form in the old lyrics. And the ironic thing is, it wasn’t because I didn’t have the answers. Because many times I actually did. In fact, they were as close as my next breath. So, e...

Make hay while the sun shines It’s an old saying. But it’s still true. “Make hay while the sun shines” means to make the best of opportunity while it lasts. But these days there are huge amounts of doomsdayers and naysayers who’d rather burn that hay and dance gleefully around the fire. And sing out joyfully to theirs gods of selfishness.   You can still make hay whil...

Outside the box and inside the lines They tell you to think outside the box. But then they say you should stay inside the lines of a proven system. Oh, what’s a human to do? And who’s right? The outsiders or the insiders?   Stay inside the lines when you’re thinking outside the box. You don’t have to follow my advice. In fact, maybe you shouldn’t. Maybe what I’m...

Who doesn’t love music and creation? I don’t know how many times I’ve seen comments pop up on social media about it. Seems like lots of writers and other creatives like to listen to music when they’re working. And I know, from personal experience, how hardworking people love to play music on the job. They say it helps ’em get it done. So, it just makes sense that musi...

Let’s talk about the beginning of everything Because everything had a beginning. Surely we can all agree on that. Right? What?! You mean to tell me there are still people, in this day and age, who believe in perpetual motion machines?! Incredible! But what are you gonna do? Some people refuse to talk about the beginning of everything. Because it goes somewhere light.   And the beginning of e...

Yes, music does me good. And you? Whenever I’ve gone through a rough patch in life. Anytime I’ve spent hours, days, or even weeks alone. And basically during any part of life’s up’s and down’s, music was there. And I love knowing it’s always there. Because music does me good. Can I get an amen? Music does me good, but not just any music. And that’s true fo...

Warning: Flirt Alert They used to be called philanderers. Or maybe you’ve heard ’em called a   Casanova , a  Don Juan , or  Lothario. And more recently you might’ve heard terms like  ladies’ man , playboy , or stud. Way back when, you could’ve heard:   skirt-chaser , tomcat, and  wolf . Whichever name you choose, they all fall under my warning of flirt alert.   I know...

Analog zone of my own OK, here’s my phone. Now, let’s see. Settings: General: software update. No, not in there. OK, Settings: Wi-Fi. And it’s not in there. Where would it be? Control center? No. Accessibility? No. And it’s not even under Emergency SOS. Well…I’ll toss this question out to all my fellow iPhone users. Where is the analog zone setting for our devic...