Merkin

I am almost exactly contemporary with the time and places detailed in Alan’s fine story “Sing to the Lord” and reading it brought a tear to my eye and an ache to my heart. I am not qualified to comment on the details of the musical center of the story except to say that it rings completely true to the experience of my own failed high-church boyhood. But if you are interested in what it was like for young, emotionally confused boys in the 1950s trying to understand their feelings within a context of complete ignorance and lack of information or support, this short tale is based completely on the reality of those times. If you are old enough to remember, I’m sure it will bring an ache to your heart, too.

Weird but wonderful. But his rant is righteous. I wonder where he got all those clips?

There's a photo ripe for a Caption Contest...

Loved it (but he might better have said 'rifles their pockets for loose words'. God knows English has no use for grammar.)

You dog!

Thank goodness for a 20th century dad to bridge the gap. Now all we need is a 22nd century method for getting all that laundry out of the way in a hurry.

I've learned so much from Chris's stories; he opened my world view to a very broad horizon. His stories were fiction but he made sure of every fact and their basis in reality is what made them compelling. I meant to name a few favorites but upon looking at his large list of titles I realize I like them all and have reread every one at least once. He shall be missed, and his library of tales here on Awesome Dude is his monument. James Merkin

Ah, 15 year olds! All hormones and pimples and sweat... And you were so sweet, Dude, when you were only 10!

We made both apple mead and straight out honey mead at home when I was a kid. At age 12 I learned not to snatch a bottle in mid-ferment for my own, hide it in my room, and CAP IT to hide the smell.

Beware apple juice reconstituted from concentrate. If it isn't shelved in the refrigerated section of your market I'd really worry about it. Of course, thanks to Colin, I'm now going to worry about all of it. Better to stick to beer.

Nope. That's just plain ole apple juice.

Here, Cole. This from "Drink of the Week" FOG CUTTER FOR FORGETFUL FOGEYS The Fog Cutter Cocktail or Fogcutter Cocktail is a classic TIki drink. It was created by Tony Ramos a bartender at Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood sometime in the 1930s. Not for the faint of heart, they say if you are a bit foggy headed, this one will cut right through. Ingredients 1 ½ oz light rum ½ oz brandy ½ oz gin 1 ½ oz orange juice 1 oz lime juice 1 tsp orgeat syrup 1 tsp sherry Instructions Mix everything except the sherry in shaker with ice. Strain into a collins glass filled with ice. Float the sherry on top.

Hi, Bruin. I was all set to wax wordy to give you a recipe for our "colonial cider" but, as usual, I discovered Wikipedia had beat me to the punch (er, cider, not punch): Apple cider (also called sweet cider or soft cider or simply cider) is the name used in the United States and parts of Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. Though typically referred to simply as "cider" in those areas, it is not to be confused with the alcoholic beverage known as cider throughout most of the world, called hard cider in the US. Hope that helps. Drink on. James

You got me with the shape-shifting slugs.

Alan, I’m impressed by the care that has gone into writing this very complex story. The story of Billy was in itself a heart-breaker to read and I’m sure, to write. The long road back from that terrible experience was so filled with lows and occasional highs that, reading it chapter by chapter, each week I had no real confidence that Tyler was going to make it. Even the eventual outcome seemed a torturous, drawn-out experience, filled with important self-discoveries gained at the cost of time and postponed commitment. The story, for me, actually ends at the moment of insight and decision that occurs a week into Tyler’s first semester at college, for he has finally come to terms with himself and with the life path that lies ahead. Thanks for writing it.

Oh, right, we'll all stop reading after Part One. Coleitus Interruptus indeed. As though we have not all been there before. Like Oliver Twist himself, we shall always come forward trembling, bowl in hand, and beg Mr. Parker: "Please, sir, I want some more". 😇

At the risk of saying something really stupid, I’m on the side of the helpless lady depicted above. I believe technology should be designed to accommodate to the most inept among us, with warnings and prompts galore built in to guide, counsel, and complete our efforts to make it work. I confess I started out with pen on lined paper, and only later graduated with reluctance to the typewriter, carbon paper, and White-Out. I never felt that I was obliged to become a typewriter technician but I did learn how to clean the letter-face strikers, and that was all I needed to master in order to use the damn machine. Now, in this modern era, the computer is both my best friend and my worse enemy. I am expected to understand processes that are hidden from me and to know stuff that ranks along with clearing a kitchen drain or changing an automobile tire in my level of interest and devotion. I think every Help Desk should be free or supported out of our tax dollars, should be manned by fluent English speakers, and everyone who are recruited to sit at the end of those telephones to answer my ridiculous questions should be required to take a life-vow to protect and defend their helpless clients.

These are two great sets of comment on writing, and taken together they are almost a complete manual on how to move a manuscript from start to finish. For me, these suggestions boil down to attitude and persistence: a writer has got to believe in what he is writing about, and he has to try many routes to get to the end he has had in sight from the start. Thanks, Jason and Cole, for taking the time and making the effort to explain how the process works for you.

When I come up for reincarnation, if I get a choice I'm going to ask for Walnut Creek, CA. I think I'd really enjoy it's lovely scenery, amenities, and gay-friendly atmosphere, even if I come back as a bug next time around. If I can afford it, that is. Jeesh! You guys pay more for a pound of coffee than I spent on my coffee maker 20 years ago. Although I quite agree--grinding the whole pound at one time at home only to store it makes no sense. Other than that, the Mathews parents seem to know what they are doing and I think Chris lucked-out big time. ( P.S. Colin, I hope the twins will soon be the heroes of a story of their own!)

Lovely poem. (Adding 'by' clears it up for me, Camy. Thanks)

Cole wraps up this lovely story and, as usual, it begs for a sequel. Sigh. Little chance of that, right Cole? I'll have to be content with this one. I so like to read about thoughtful boys. This story could be a handbook for young gay guys on how to set standards for oneself and then work it out.

“Raising Boys” Series in Washington Post ‘In light of the past year’s news of rampant sexual misconduct by some powerful and famous men, Washington Post journalists asked the question: How do we raise boys? To find out, we searched the country, talking to boys, parents and experts about what it’s like to be a boy today.’ This important three-part series examines three age stages in the development of American boys: Age 8, Ages 11-12, and Age 17. It is well worth our attention. Sadly, this investigation does not so far incorporate the particular issues confronting boys who discover they are gay, bi, or trans, although the Age 8 article includes a short video showing a father raising a young biracial trans boy. However, it is important to recognize the milieu within which GLBT youth must cope and survive, for it is the reality of our culture today. Although initially I read these articles out-of-order, I think reading them in chronological order is most rewarding. Age 8 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/lifestyle/being-a-boy-age-8/?utm_term=.46e6b9aa9510 Ages 11-12 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/lifestyle/being-a-boy-ages-11-and-12/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.11aa302892ec Age 17 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/lifestyle/being-a-boy-age-17/?utm_term=.143bc6812408

‘able’ is clearly related to ‘capable’ and made famous by the palindrome ‘Able was I ere I saw Elba’ often erroneously attributed to Napoleon.

In classrooms rules for writing and speaking English necessarily are fixed, for the convenience of teaching beginning speakers and writers useful conventions. The undertakings of business and law depend upon strict adherence to these conventions in order for contracts and lawsuits to have meaning. The same is true for much of human endeavor, no matter what language is used to express our need to communicate accurately and without misinterpretation. However, the same requirements do not apply when it comes to the world of creative expression. Here English is necessarily a fluid language, with usage constantly being reinvented and revised. One has only to read poetry, or listen to lyrics, to realize that the ability to invent new ways of expressing the language is part of what makes these media rich and rewarding. We find this inventiveness in Chaucer, in Shakespeare, and on and on throughout the body of our received literature and song. It is a wonderful evolution.