Ponderings by Dan Ponder

He was my mother’s younger brother. Much younger brother, as he arrived 14 years after she was born. 17 years after my Aunt Cat. You can safely say that he was likely a surprise baby. Only nine years separated me and “Little Joe”. I was known as “Little Dan”, so at least we had that…

It has been a long time coming.  Almost half a century in fact.  49 years ago, Mary Lou and I walked across the stage to receive our diploma at Auburn University.  She would go on to receive several more degrees while I was one and done.   This past weekend we walked across another stage…

They were first called “visiting cards”.  It was a small piece of paper first used in China by the aristocracy and royalty before Columbus discovered the Americas.  The paper, though sometimes a thin piece of wood, would have a name and perhaps position using ornate calligraphy.  For those even higher up the social ladder, they…

I mentioned in last week’s article that Mary Lou and I were trying to empty one of our three storage units here in Auburn.  I am proud and excited to announce that this past Saturday we accomplished our goal.  It is amazing what you can stuff into a storage unit. Our goal has always been…

As you get older, you learn certain things that escaped you along the way.  For instance, this is the two month period of time each year when I am married to an older woman.  It will only last until September when I catch up, but I have never let it pass without calling Mary Lou…

There was only one stoplight in Cottonwood, Alabama, where I grew up.  It was replaced by a blinking light sometime during my early teenage years.  It should not be a surprise that there were no crosswalks to enable people to get from one side of the street to the other.    You ran between cars…

For the previous two weeks Mary Lou and I have enjoyed cruising in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.  We have enjoyed visiting many beautiful sites along the Iberian Peninsula of Spain and the cities of Tangier and Casablanca in Morocco.   Finally, we flew from Portugal to join our daughter, Elizabeth, her husband,…

At this stage of our lives, Mary Lou and I are looking for travel that is a bit different.  We like exploring parts of the world rich in history, including the type of history we are not so familiar with.  We like hearing languages we do not understand and eating food that we are not…

For the first 70 years of my life, I must confess that I did not know very much about Spain.  I was not a fan of Spanish food, not that I knew much about it.  I was aware of General Francisco Franco and the Civil War in Spain because he was still the right-wing leader…

I have long found that walking was a positive thing for me.  The exercise is good for me.   I feel better after long walks, physically, mentally and emotionally.  I walked three miles per day for many years in Donalsonville, but when Covid hit soon after our move to Auburn, I upped my daily milage…