Welcome to my website
You’ll find a lot here.
Personal info about me. Why I do what I do. What makes me tick. Full info about my books and ebooks. All my blog posts. All free, by the way.
Notice the horizontal menu up top. It has five keywords. Tap one and that will open the door to lots of good stuff.
I’m an active blogger. I write on this or that –never sure what I’ll tackle next. Like to be surprised?
To REACH ME: 860 304-0663 / johnguylaplante@yahoo.com / johnguylaplante@gmail.com
Here is a list of my posts
Look the list over and click on any one of them of interest and you will see the full post.
I have decided to quit driving! Painful decision. Very!
January 14, 2021
By John Guy LaPlante It's one of the most difficult I have ever made in my many years. How would you feel if you had to give up driving your car after years and years? And you? And you? And you? I'll bet you'd find it as difficult as I have. Some might even call it a traumatic … [Read More...]
My Christmas 5,000 miles away. Alone. And in far-off and very cold Ukraine.
December 20, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante Not easy. In fact, I suffered through not one, but two Christmases like that as a Peace Corps Volunteer there. Notice that I capitalized Volunteer? Peace Corps always capitalizes "Volunteer." And it's never the Peace Corps. It's always just Peace Corps. Some of you are … [Read More...]
I have voted for nine presidents
November 30, 2020
There was just too, too much at stake this time! By John Guy LaPlante I have voted in many presidential elections over the years. Every afternoon I hop on my trike and pedal around. No motor! To the supermarket, McDonald's, the post office, the drugstore, and so on. It's the only … [Read More...]
Covid-19 in China, per The Week
October 27, 2020
I am doing something right now that I have never done before. I repeat, never. I am posting for you an article from a major national magazine, The Week, about the fabulous success that China has had in coping with and essentially eliminating the killing disease among its people. As we know, … [Read More...]
Post Covid-19 China Per My Chinese Friend
October 6, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante In huge Shanghai, Wu Bin and his wife and son getting out of the house for a while and staying away from people and enjoying a bit of healthful fresh air in the hard days of Covid-19. How wonderful it is! His name is Wu Bin. He lives in Shanghai, truly one of the most … [Read More...]
Two Horrific, Monstrous Plagues
September 19, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante The Spanish Flu of 1918 & The Covid-19 Pandemic of TodayHow alike? / How different? Dear Readers, This is a first for me. I am posting you an article of special meaning to all of us. It highlights facts about the world's very first pandemic, which was the … [Read More...]
Al Southwick is still writing his column at age 100
September 9, 2020
I'm a big fan. I enjoy his columns so much that I save them. Al Southwick is still writing his column at age 100 By John Guy LaPlante I was re-reading one of Albert B. Southwick's older newspaper columns. It was entitled "40 pounds for an Indian scalp." It was about a harsh and … [Read More...]
I knew so, so little about icebreakers
August 17, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante Like you probably. I learned about them in bits and pieces from my dear friend Mark in Connecticut. If he sounds familiar to you, it's because I wrote about him quite recently. Yes, he is the Mark who, in his late seventies, reached his goal of pedaling his … [Read More...]
A story worth telling a second time
August 6, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante Here I am with the great article I had totally forgotten about! I wrote about this couple in 2013. I'm writing about them again. It's worth it! First, my friends, let me explain. Like you I'm sure, day after day, I keep hearing and reading about Covid-19. The … [Read More...]
Behold! A brand-new medical school!
July 20, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante This is big news and I will tell you why. It is the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J.Tyson School of Medicine. It's in a brand-new 4-story building in Pasadena, CA. Its first students will be starting classes in just a few weeks. For sure everybody involved is hoping … [Read More...]
We are all striving to survive Covid-19. It’s a terrifying time. For sure!
July 10, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante Correction. Make that we are all striving, struggling, fighting, praying to get through it! The reality of it is horrible. We are all at risk. It is turning our world topsy-turvy. I just read that Dr. Anthony Fauci, nationally famous now as our top infectious disease … [Read More...]
About Rita and Fred and their dog Rex
June 26, 2020
A few days ago I got a sad email from Rita, a long-time friend. And it got me a-thinking. Dear John, Our dog Rex had surgery on his paw a few weeks ago to remove a growth the size of a quarter, and we had to return to the veterinarian for another post-surgery check-up. What we thought was … [Read More...]
Mark Lander, 78, bicyclist extraordinaire
June 13, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante My dear friend Mark Lander back in Connecticut loves to pedal and pedal. Sure, it's not unusual for teenage boys to bicycle right into their 20's and their 30's and maybe even their 40's. And then they run out of gas, so to speak. Not Mark. He started biking in March, … [Read More...]
My Friend Wu and Me
June 7, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante I have lots of friends, lucky me. But my friendship with Wu is one of a kind. Yes, unique. In fact, extraordinary. He is Chinese, from Shanghai. His name is Wu Bin. If I were Chinese, my name would be LaPlante John. I did not know that. He feels Wu is an easier name for … [Read More...]
“Are you really a writer, John?”
May 20, 2020
"Did you write to earn your bread and butter, Mr. LaPlante?"I've fielded these questions more than once. My answer to both is "Yes". And I have proof for you right now. All thanks to my loving daughter, Monique. Take a look at the photo. It shows a 3-ring binder. I'll explain in just a … [Read More...]
T0day, April 26, I turn 91. Wow!
April 26, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante So of course today will be the first day of my 92nd year on this planet. Amazing. Know what? I never, never thought I would live this long. Like lots of people over 65 or 70, now and then I've wondered how long I'll be around. So recently I researched it. I checked … [Read More...]
My seven hard months of being out of sight and mind
April 15, 2020
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- I'm so, so happy, my friends, to tell you I'm back home finally. Living on my own again, by myself, in my mobile home. This after some five months of being in a hospital, two nursing homes, and an assisted living facility. Strangely it seems I was away … [Read More...]
To the Friends of John Guy LaPlante
October 31, 2019
This is his daughter, Monique Nelson. I am sure some of you are concerned. It’s been a while since you’ve heard from him – John is ill. After 12 days at French Hospital in San Luis Obispo, he’s now at a rehab center. Here’s what happened. John is 90 years old and lives alone in his … [Read More...]
You may know about August, 1619. You may not.
September 30, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante I did not. We all know about October 12, 1492, don't we.... About July 4, 1776. On and on. More recently, December 7, 1941. And who can ever forget 9 / 11 in New York City? But 1619? Well, in August the ship White Lion arrived from far-off Africa and made landfall in … [Read More...]
Never have I seen such a magazine
September 12, 2019
By John Guy Laplante I know magazines. I gobble them up -- a great variety of them. I just saw my first issue of this one. Yet it's been around for more than 40 years! I just spent two wonderful hours enjoying it. And I'll get another good two hours out of it. It's very different. So … [Read More...]
I learned to play chess 77 years ago.Yes, sir.
August 13, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante +Sorry, that's not true. I began playing 77 years ago. I'm still learning. Way back then I learned a painful feature about the game. Most board games played by two people involve luck. Sometimes it's good luck. Sometimes bad luck. When you lose, you have a nice … [Read More...]
I thought my circus days were over. Not so!
July 27, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante I loved the circus. The whole great and marvelous extravaganza of it. Went every time the three-ring big top came to town. I'd even go to see them set it up. That was nearly as exciting as the circus itself. Loved every stunt, every act. The flying trapeze and … [Read More...]
Dr. Upchurch is retired now, but not quite
July 11, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante Some 35 years ago, when I was living back in Worcester, Mass., I became quite ill. My family doctor, at a loss, referred me to Dr. Katherine Upchurch, a rheumatologist at then Memorial Hospital. All my doctors had been men. She became my first woman doctor. Very … [Read More...]
How much would this house sell for where you live?
July 2, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- A few days ago I received a super-sized postcard. You know, junk mail. For sure many households here got that postcard. That's a picture of it up above. Realtor Jack A. Franklin was using this postcard as a way of marketing it. A quite … [Read More...]
Every day I see McD and BK duking it out!
June 24, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA --This battling between McDonald's and Burger King goes on every day in our fair little city here. As we know, it goes on all over the United States and all over the world. Worldwide there are 38,000 McDonald's and nearly 18,000 Burger Kings. In our 50 states … [Read More...]
Wow! What a fantastic, superduper car!
June 13, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- I was taking my daily trike ride up and down the big parking lot at Albertsons Supermarket. And I spotted it! Gorgeous. A cream-colored two-door coupe convertible with a beautiful crimson top. Elegant covered headlights. Not a ding on … [Read More...]
Comments and tips I got on turning 90. Boy oh boy!
June 5, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante Turning 90 can be a quite rare and intimidating experience, believe me. Really worth celebrating. You may live to find that out for yourself. I hope you make it to 90, too. In decent shape, of course. Like me. Lucky me. I got nice presents. One of the nicest was … [Read More...]
My oh my! I am now in my 91st year. Wow!
May 13, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante With 2 photos Yes, I just celebrated my 90th birthday. Very nice but not sure "celebrated" is the right word. Maybe "bemoaned" would be closer to the reality. I believe that it is my last decennial birthday. You know, divisible by 10. Anyway, there's been so much … [Read More...]
This is all about peanuts, peanuts, peanuts.
April 16, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante With 3 photos Why all about peanuts? Good question. Well, I eat peanuts every day, as peanut butter on my breakfast raisin-cinnamon bagel, then crowning it with banana slices. With a cup of black tea. I also drop a few peanuts into my oatmeal along with … [Read More...]
Meet my guest writer, Sulekh Jain
March 29, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante I have written hundreds of these essays and articles. This is a first for me. Yes, a first because it will be written by a guest author. Unprecedented. He is Sulekh C. Jain, Ph.D. His article is entitled “Highway to Heaven.” Isn’t that intriguing? I’d love to get onto … [Read More...]
Off we go on a house swqp to France / Second half
March 19, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante NOTE: Annabelle and I did this house swap nearly 15 years ago. I published this account back then. I recently decided to publish it again because I learned house swapping is more popular than ever. Not only to France. To many countries. I thought it might get some of you … [Read More...]
Off we go on a home exchange!
February 25, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante Oops, make that off we went on a home exchange. To France! By we, I mean Milady Annabelle and me back in 2005. We were of retirement age, of course. We were innocents in all that. Now there are companies and clubs that facilitate pulling that off. They charge for their … [Read More...]
Eyeglasses needed. One pair.
February 14, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- Our Senior Center in the lobby has a Lions Club eyeglass box. About the size of a double-size shoebox. It's for members to drop in their old eyeglasses when they've bought a new pair. Eventually a Lions Club member stops by, carries off the box, and … [Read More...]
Larry Truesdale, Scientist! And artist!
February 7, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante with 5 photos Morro Bay, CA -- He truly deserves those two exclamation points. In his early 70s, Larry is retired as a scientist. But not quite. He does it part-time. And as an artist, he's also part-time. Let me explain in a simple way. Imagine it's a work day, … [Read More...]
The Remarkable Shanks String Quartet…and ditto family
January 24, 2019
O By John Guy LaPlante With 2 photos Morro Bay, CA -- Yes, they’re four young, gifted, enthusiastic brothers performing as a quartet based in nearby San Luis Obispo. I saw them in a concert at our Public Library a year ago. Thought they were terrific. Well, they performed again … [Read More...]
What’s being homeless really, really like?
January 11, 2019
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA – Well, I’ve met an expert. A real expert. He’s been homeless twenty years. Zeke. That’s what I’m calling him here. I’ll tell you in just a minute about Zeke and how he sees what's a huge and sad problem. I see quite a few homeless folks here a in this nice, … [Read More...]
Yep, I make New Year’s resolutions!
December 29, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Right now I am sitting here scribbling. Carrying on a ritual of many years-- decades! A ritual that many folks go through but stop doing. No need, they say. They snicker when the topic comes up. I disagree. I do it and for a simple reason. It works. The word “resolutions” … [Read More...]
My Christmas 5,000 long, hard miles away.
December 23, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA – In a Third World country, mind you, with a dramatically different culture and background. For more than two years. An adventure and a half, as they say. In fact, I lived through two Christmases like that. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. Not all of … [Read More...]
Don’t you want to live to be a hundred?
November 30, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA –Well, don’t we all? But know what? We might be better off if we don’t. As we know, we’re living longer, at least in the more advanced countries. Better food, better sanitation, better drinking water, better working conditions, better medications and … [Read More...]
Auto-Camping across the USA and back 58 years ago. Me!
November 23, 2018
This was the report I wrote of our grand adventure. I followed it with more articles along with a series on the national parks and monuments we got to visit.By John Guy LaPlante Yes, yours truly. With my wife Paulie and our two little kids. All the way from Massachusetts across to California … [Read More...]
I go visit Carl. Inmate 4389616. I’m shocked.
November 14, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- He’s a friend. Well, sort of. Never have I been to a prison. Nor a jail. This is a first. And what a first. So awful I end up doing something unthinkable. Had to. I said he’s a friend, sort of. We meet now and then. I’ve called him Carl but … [Read More...]
$8,097 for just six hours in the hospital. Wow!
October 30, 2018
The Urgent Care Center that David rushed me to. Monique pulled in a few minutes later. That became the first step of that long and $$$$ night.By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA – Yes. Unbelievable! I had been waiting for the statement from French Hospital for some time. I had been a patient a … [Read More...]
2019 Calendars, Calendars, Calendars …. Whew!
October 27, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA – This is an update on the humongous, incredible envelope of junk mail I got from Boys Town. All the goodies in that envelope, you may remember, had a Christmas / New Year’s theme. Those goodies included several calendars, all big, all … [Read More...]
That junkmail I just got. Oh boy oh boy!
October 16, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante I've received tons of junk mail over the years. Haven't we all? But nothing like this, ever. I get my mail in a shoebox-size mailbox in a bank of 50 of them. With its locked door open, it's 7 high and 5 inches wide. Totally adequate even for magazines. This time … [Read More...]
Is it okay to ban books? Or is it not?
October 4, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- What a hot potato! Some good and really well-motivated people believe that it is okay to ban books. Not just nuts do. Others feel it's evil and fight it fiercely. I stand with those who think it's awful. Why am I bringing this up today? … [Read More...]
Bill Fairbanks’ long, long walk across the USA
September 27, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- Five years ago I was still living here six months a year over what I call our winter months and in Connecticut six months over the summer months there. It was time to go home again. I still had my one-person camper van. If I drove 300 miles on the big … [Read More...]
Friends, four things to tell you today.
September 16, 2018
Yes, just four! And I'll make this short and sweet. Impossible, some of you are thinking. It's 180 degrees contrary to my nature. Well, I'll prove to you right now that I can write short and sweet. 1.Thank you to those of you who let me know that you got my “I'm blogging again” post. Very … [Read More...]
I’m finally blogging again. Whoopee!
September 9, 2018
Yes sir, this makes me a most happy fellow! What happened is that a freak WordPress snafu put me out of business. Just temporarily, I hoped at first. But then for keeps, I feared. It was a whopping blow. WordPress is the app I've used for many a year to compose and then email my posts to you. … [Read More...]
WordPress Test
September 4, 2018
This is just a test suggested by Tom Milliken to check the effectiveness of Wordpress teamed up with MailChimp. which is all new to me. … [Read More...]
This is an SOS, sort of
August 20, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Yes, my frantic cry for help—Help! Help! Help! Oh, don’t panic. I’m not lost at sea or running out of gas in an airplane. But truly I am befuddled, frantic, perplexed, greatly frustrated. Here’s why. I’ve been a writer for more than 65 years. Newspaper reports. … [Read More...]
The new Medicare card. Interested? I am.
July 16, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Very much interested. To start off, I am blogging about it today for a special reason. I’ll get to that in a minute. Patience, please. First it’s important to review some basic facts about Medicare. Medicare, as you know, has become a birthright for any American turning … [Read More...]
Curious about our new Medicare card? I am. Very much.
July 15, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante To start off, I am blogging about it today for a special reason. I’ll get to that in a minute. Patience, please. First it’s important to review some basic facts about Medicare. Medicare, as you know, has become a birthright for any American turning 65. Medicare is so important, … [Read More...]
Oh, for a Fourth like those of yesteryear!
July 3, 2018
By John Guy Laplante With 3 photos. How I remember those terrific Fourths when I was a boy. They were intended to celebrate our independence from tyrannical England. But in practice, for most people it was just an excuse to have a lot of fun. We called it the Fourth. Just the Fourth. I'm … [Read More...]
Hey, why don’t they ask me my name?!
June 28, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante I'm worried about their not asking. I'm talking about business dealings. Have reason to be. They’re asking less and less. In such dealings, I'd like to be called Mr. LaPlante. Even better, Mr. LaPlante, sir. That isn't asking much. That used to be the common custom. … [Read More...]
This great gadget could save my life.
June 18, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante The one that I wear on my chest. As you see in the photo, it's just a small, silvery steel box hanging on a black cord. No religious significance. No political significance. Nothing like that. So what the heck can it be? I know people wonder. They are too polite to … [Read More...]
I read the fine print, strange me
June 11, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante It seems a lot of people don’t. Do you? Well, I do. Get a lot of it. Enjoy it. What do I mean by the fine print? The small, small words printed on so many things that we buy. Prepared foods. Medications. Publications. Products. Name it and it probably has fine … [Read More...]
I just finished my toughest test ever!
June 2, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante With 2 photos Morro Bay, CA – It was California’s written driving test. Pass it and I would continue to drive. Fail it and I would be grounded. Imagine! Well, I did pass it but by just a hair. In fact, this was a retake. I flunked it the first time. So humiliating! … [Read More...]
“Have you had narrow escapes, close calls?” Me?
May 28, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA – Yes, I have. Several. Scary close calls. This came up when I spotted a poster on a bulletin board. Glance at the photo. Interesting, don't you think? That outfit called The Reboot was announcing its upcoming meeting. A strange name, The Reboot, … [Read More...]
A big PS for you about my WP post
May 17, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante I’m delighted with your comments about my recent geographic musings of a few days ago. I see that you found them interesting. What writer wouldn’t be tickled to hear that? If you recall, I mused that eons ago our continents might have been a single huge land mass. I got … [Read More...]
How good is your WQ? Yes, your WQ?
May 13, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- Not your IQ. No, no. You may think I made a typo. I did not. If you read stuff like this, for sure your IQ is above average. By WQ I mean your knowledge about Our World. Our Earth. Is it pretty good? My WQ is far better than I ever thought it would be … [Read More...]
I’m 89 today and kicking. Wow!
April 27, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante With 1 photo. Yes, Wow! And today is the very first day of my 90th year! I have reason to tag on that exclamation mark. Don’t you agree? But you know, I never, never expected to live this long. How lucky I am! But a friend says I’m wrong about my age. Wu Bin in … [Read More...]
Tragedy struck, and that led Alma to God
April 17, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante With 2 photos. Morro Bay, Calif. – At first I thought she was a kook or nut or something. I have a big habit. In late afternoon I pedal my trike to our McDonald’s for a coffee. I bring a magazine or two. Coffee in hand, I plunk myself at one of its small tables, open my … [Read More...]
How lucky we are to speak English!
April 9, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante With one photo. Yes, indeed. Because English is now the world’s most popular language. The one so many people in so many other countries can read as a second language. And which so many others are trying so hard to learn. At one time French was the big international … [Read More...]
So how much is your peanut butter today?
April 5, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante With 4 photos. I love peanut butter, too. I’m not sure of the price today. It could be up or down. After all, as we know, just about everything at the supermarket goes on sale sooner or later. But I have a neat system. I call it my “per unit game.” It’s really a game … [Read More...]
Did I confuse you?
March 28, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Could be. If so, I'm sorry. I'm referring to the blog post you just got from me: "Do your duty. Vote! But maybe better, don't vote." I went on about that at length, stressing the importance of voting on issues and candidates we are familiar with. And refraining when we … [Read More...]
Do your duty, all of you. Vote …
March 27, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante But maybe better, don’t vote. I’m serious. I’m no longer a Connecticut citizen. I’ve moved to California, as many of you know. I’m registering my car here and applying for a California license and want to vote as a Californian. Hey, I’ve been voting since I turned of … [Read More...]
No Airstream for me all these years but!
March 4, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante With 2 photos. Morro Bay, CA – Well, yesterday at Albertsons supermarket I spotted a super-duper RV. And what marvelous memories it sparked. RVs are common in this scenic tourist mecca. I see them every day. But gosh, this baby was fabulous! Why so? Most RV’s look like, … [Read More...]
My friend Bill Alpert, impassioned fiddler!
February 23, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA -- My oh my, how passions can drive us! There are two kinds, as we know, good passions and evil ones. My new friend William Alpert has a passion that drives him. A beautiful one. It’s music. More than that, it’s making music. More than that, it’s making … [Read More...]
Fun facts about my new home state of CA
February 13, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, California – Folks I get to meet here often get very curious about where I hail from. For sure I’m not a born and bred native. A minute listening to me tells them that. My “accent” tips them off, would you believe?! I put “accent” in quotes because I’m positive … [Read More...]
Once a bibliophile, always…
February 2, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante … Yes, always a bibliophile. That’s me. I love books! Hey, if you enjoy reading blogs like this, that may well be you, too. So no wonder I went to last week’s book sale at our Morro Bay Public Library. It’s a great sale, staged by the Friends of the Library. In … [Read More...]
Two old men sound off about old, old age
January 20, 2018
By John Guy LaPlante I’m one of them, and I just sent an op-ed to the New York Times about my thinking on getting very, very old. My doing that was precipitated by an article in the New York Times that was written by Robert W. Goldfarb, a retired management consultant. Its title was … [Read More...]
Solo-Meandering the USA in my Dandelion
January 8, 2018
And on a shoestring. By John Guy LaPlante This is a big anniversary for me. How to observe it? Exactly a quarter of a century ago I began and completed a this-way and that-way tour of 18,000 miles through our 48 states. My native land. Yes, alone. And writing about it along the way for my … [Read More...]
My Weirdest New Year’s Day Ever
December 29, 2017
o Property Transfers in Old Lyme 2017Property Transfers in Lyme 2013 By John Guy LaPlante Scary, in fact. I lived through that New Year's 13 years ago. And I’ve never experienced anything like it since. It was a unique experience. By the way, this account was published back then. I … [Read More...]
Who’s building those statuettes again?!
December 14, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante With 4 photos. Morro Bay, CA -- I’m wondering because some artist is creating fabulous stone-on-stone “statuettes” again, and on the same street corner. Statuette is not the perfect word. But it’s the best I can think of. … [Read More...]
What, you do use your middle name?
December 1, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Hey, don't you know that’s un-American?! Taboo! You're supposed to use just a middle initial. Oh, sure, you were given, yes, given a middle name. That’s normal and expected. But I’ll bet you’ve never used it. Timothy or Susan or Andrew or whatever. You made do with just a … [Read More...]
Thanksgiving Day? Or really Turkey Day?
November 20, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante It is both. Thanksgiving Day is what President Lincoln intended when he made it a national holiday to be observed on the fourth Thursday in November. And Turkey Day it also is, though no president ever got that passed. The facts say so. We'll sit down to some 42 million … [Read More...]
The Interrobang–that’s for me!
November 5, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante And maybe for you! The interro..... what? The interrobang! Yes, you read right. What's the interrobang? You see it at the left, but greatly enlarged. It's a brand-new punctuation mark. You know, in addition to the period, comma, colon, question mark, exclamation mark, … [Read More...]
Radish seeds from your public library?
October 31, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, CA — Yes, you can get radish seeds from our library. And for other plants of other kinds, would you believe? My, how libraries are a-changing! I discovered this when on our library's bulletin board I spotted "Seed Library! Plant / Save / … [Read More...]
Pet Pooch Zyla snatched. Reward $1,000!
September 28, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Morro Bay, Calif.—Zyla is an 18-month-old boxer. She's the love of her family. See the photo of the flyer that was distributed far and wide just hours after her abduction. “Zyla is friendly and playful and we love her!” it says. I believe that. That big reward, mind … [Read More...]
A famous, controversial book. Only $2!
September 21, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante With 1 photo (Warning! This contains dirty words. Words I've never used in print before. Words I've never, never used in my speaking. You may blush. Feel free to opt out.) Morro Bay, Calif. --I'm in our Public Library and I spot it on special display. Wow! I go right … [Read More...]
The day the Post Office went automatic.
September 14, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Oct. 20, 1960. Providence, R.I. The U.S. Postal Service turned on the country’s first totally mechanized mail processing plant. Machines started doing the work from A to Z. Did it all. No hands! It was a big deal. Historic. Dramatic. Badly needed. … [Read More...]
How much is an Ocean View worth?
September 3, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Plenty. That’s no surprise to you, I’m sure. Anybody who lives close to the ocean knows this. And it’s understandable to property owners not close to the ocean. As you know, in talking prices and what affects them, realtors say that Number 1 is location, location, … [Read More...]
Uncle Emile, great guy, great chess player
August 24, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Mon oncle Emile is what I called him. Like my Papa and Maman, my Uncle Emile was an immigrant from Quebec, the heart and soul of French Canada. My memories of him go back more than 80 years. He was great at many things, especially chess. The game was a passion. This … [Read More...]
I am not a poet but ….
July 25, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante What I am is a wordsmith. Wordsmith is the right word. I cobble and hammer and shape words into sentences and paragraphs and pages to create something worth reading by others. I have indeed been called a wordsmith. Plainly put, I’m a writer – at one time or another writing … [Read More...]
Me and my penny game. Challenging and fun!
July 16, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Some twenty years ago I thought up a game to play in my car as I drove a hundred miles -- from Two cans and pennies. That's all I needed to play my game. Plus strategizing!Connecticut up to Rhode Island -- once a month to visit my Uncle Jack. I called it my Penny … [Read More...]
Another wonder to make my life easier!
June 22, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Today was the summer solstice. Always notable. But I've seen many. Today's other wonder was a first. And what a first! I had a check to deposit. Normally I would have driven to my branch at Chase and deposited it. Going to a counter to fill out a form. Perhaps standing … [Read More...]
But, Doctor, fair is fair, right?
June 4, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante I’m getting set for my appointment with a new M.D. and planning to make an unusual demand. One unnheard of. I'll bet he'll think it awful, preposterous, insulting . So be it. I'm tired of the way doctors are running their business. Hear me out and you’ll feel the same … [Read More...]
Remember the good old Palmer Method? Spelling bees?
May 24, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Probably not if you’re sixtyish or less.I do though I have not thought about those wondrous two for years and years. The Palmer Method taught me how to handwrite the way I have all my life – cursive writing, it’s called. A blessing. And I loved spelling bees. I couldn't … [Read More...]
My interview with the world’s greatest astronomer
May 8, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Just a few weeks seem to go by before we get to read another news story about life being possible way, way out there in the heavens. Well, that’s not news to me. I heard that 66 years ago. Harlow Shapley (1885 - 1972). Familiar with him? He was our greatest astronomer. … [Read More...]
The disappearing ! Aren’t you worried?
April 24, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante Don’t recognize it? It’s ! --our exclamation mark. If you’re not worried, I am! It seems as dead as the dodo. My memory is pretty good. I believe nobody has ever sent me an email and used an exclamation mark in it. They might be saying, “Happy Birthday, John,” or “Sorry … [Read More...]
Who’s seen a Greyhound bus lately?
April 11, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante I haven’t. They seem a disappearing species.Like the dodo. Sad. I checked. Greyhound—now more than a hundred years old—is still in business. A decade ago, it had some 3,500 buses on the road. Now, it’s down to less than half that. Corporations are like you and … [Read More...]
The dirtiest book I’ve ever bought
March 28, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante I’ve bought many books. None ever as filthy as this. The book is “The Limerick” by G. Legman. An oldie, 1969. I’m not given to writing book reviews. But I’ve got to express my opinion about this one. I bought it online, so with no peeks inside first. It was … [Read More...]
Ahimsa. What the heck is that?
March 24, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante I know you’re eager to know. One minute, please. Time and again my dear friend Sulekh Jain has astonished me. For 41 years! This time for writing and getting published a detailed, startling book entitled “An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide.” What’s it all about? … [Read More...]
I clean my tongue twice a day. Don’t you?
March 2, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante With 1 photo. Probably not. Only because you’ve never heard of that and are wondering why anybody would bother. Well, let me fill you in. I had never heard of tongue cleaning. Then I got an unusual call. That was about 30 years ago. A man with a strange accent but … [Read More...]
My friend was useful to his last breath.
February 18, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante With 2 photos and an interesting link. I want to tell you how he died, and the extraordinary thing that happened next and how he had arranged that. But I want to protect his privacy and his family’s. So I will call him Harry. Please do not assume anything about where he … [Read More...]
An email from a total stranger. And my reply.
February 2, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante with 1 photo NOTE: this post has three parts. You have to read all three for a full understanding. Hope you get a kick out of it. Here is the remarkable email that came to me right out of the blue. And which made my day. Hello, I have recently found an article about my … [Read More...]
How the Bike has impacted me, you, all of us since the day it was invented
January 15, 2017
By John Guy LaPlante It has impacted how our country has developed, our society and culture, our very way of life, and all in unimaginably good ways. Yet we know so little about all that. But first, I know, yes, I know. It's been a long time but here I am. It's been nearly a month now and … [Read More...]
My oh my, am I in the Christmas spirit. Still!
December 23, 2016
By John Guy LaPlante With 1 photo I had finished at Walmart. It was a dark night a week or so ago, cold and wet, and I had come in to stretch my legs. I had bought a thing or two and was walking out. I spotted a wall, yes a whole wall, lined with Popcorn Kettles. That's what they … [Read More...]
Nine more inventions I’d love to “uninvent”!
December 7, 2016
By John Guy LaPlante This is my second list of "uninventions." It was inspired by essays called that in The New Yorker. You “uninvent” when you believe that something we use or do that is popular and taken for granted is now regrettable and we should turn back the clock on it. You could … [Read More...]
