Category Archives: Memoir

Even When My Father Wasn’t There…

Mommandad on their Wedding Day    –    The world’s oldest surviving McDonald’s My Real Memoir Even when my father wasn’t there, he was there. He was the gravity that kept us from flying off into oblivion. Which is to … Continue reading

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Can We Reverse Our “Wing Flaps”?

Photo by Nathan Dumlao Thought for the Week Regarding the Butterfly Effect… Can we reverse our “wing flaps”? I find the idea intriguing that the mere flap of a butterfly’s wing in, say, Nebraska could start a chain reaction leading … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

The Sky Goes All the Way Down

Source: Raised to Action My Real Memoir The sky goes all the way down, I thought. Or at least it did where we lived. It didn’t in L.A. because the buildings got in its way. Mom used to work there, … Continue reading

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Every Day is Mother’s Day

Photo by Mitch Teemley Happy Mother’s Day! And remember, every day is Mother’s Day. I took this photo of my wife Trudy and our recently-born first child when Trudy was exhausted. And yet all I see is her bottomless, heart-melting … Continue reading

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I Always Knew You Loved Me, Mom

I made the above Mother’s Day video a few years back. I’ve posted it here so you can share it with others, if you wish. To show it at a church or other public gathering, click here. Mom was twenty … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Movies, Videos | Tagged , , , , , , | 42 Comments

My Farewell to Old Los Angeles

Scenes from a long-forgotten L.A. My Real Memoir My farewell to old Los Angeles. That was what it turned out to be. When school was out, Mom would sometimes take me to “her L.A.” The two musts of these magical … Continue reading

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The Kindness of Strangers

All photos by Mitch Teemley, except Tulip the bulldog (by Elliot Teemley) She Was Completely Dependent Upon… The kindness of strangers. A few weeks ago, our firstborn Elliot was walking near their apartment, when they* spotted a rotund little bulldog … Continue reading

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Horror! Devastation! Pee!

War of the Worlds (1953) My Real Memoir Horror! Devastation! Pee! It was late summer, shortly before second grade began, and Dad wanted to see a movie. Imagine that — Dad wanted to see a movie! It was normally Mom … Continue reading

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My Super-Secret Operation!

Photo courtesy of Leicester Mercury My Real Memoir My Super-Secret Operation! I asked my wife whether I should publicly share this  confidential nugget from my childhood. Being pseudo-famous, I always find it wise to ask my very private wife when … Continue reading

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Life With a Capital L

My Real Memoir Life With a Capital L: My first introduction to Life beyond my neighborhood came from a tiny black-and-white TV. And by “Life,” I mean storytelling–which virtually defines who I am–some subtly-inserted human values, and humor; if storytelling … Continue reading

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