Author Archives: russtowne

About russtowne

I'm awed by the beauty of nature and the power of love and gratitude. Some of my favorite sensory experiences include waves crashing on rocky shores, waterways in ancient redwood and fern-filled forests, and rain. My wife and I have been married since 1979. We have 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren. I manage a wealth management firm that I founded in 2003. My Beloved is a Special Education teacher for Kindergartners and First Graders. I'm a published author of approximately 60 books in a variety of genres for grownups and children.

“A Heart Like A Stormy Sea”

Posted on December 2, 2012 by russtowne

As I just read the phrase “a heart like a stormy sea” in the interesting article below, this came to me: A Heart Like A Stormy Sea He had a heart like a stormy sea Crashing and pounding on rocky … Continue reading →

Posted in Courage, Loneliness, Love, Peace, Poetry I Wrote, Uncategorized | Tagged 81-year old widow, beach, clean-up, heart like a raging sea, Hero, jacket, military, Sandy, tunic, West Point | Leave a comment

The Most Successful Of All

Posted on December 1, 2012 by russtowne

“The planet does not need more successful people. The planet needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds, –Dalai Lama From my perspective, the world would be even better off if the peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Making the World a Better Place, Observations, Success | Tagged better, Dalai Lama, fervent hope, healers, Hope, kinds, lovers, making, making the world a better place, peacemakers, people, place, restorers, storytellers, successful, world | 4 Comments

A Goofy Encounter

Posted on November 29, 2012 by russtowne

When My Beloved and I were married, she had a little Honda Civic that was not much bigger than a basketball and a personalized license plate that read, “I GOOFY”. As it turns out, a 100-minute one-way commute caused us … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, True Stories I've Written | Tagged basketball, chance encounter, crazy, face, goofiness, goofy, Honda Civic, memory, moment, smile, thumbs-up | 20 Comments

A Sparrow In A Coffee Shop

Posted on November 29, 2012 by russtowne

I have gained much wisdom and felt much love from followers of many religions, traditions, and faiths. While religions can unite, sadly they can also divide, as a great many bloody religious wars have proven. For that reason, I hesitate … Continue reading →

Posted in Pain & Grief, Stories That Touched Me | Tagged 16, beloved, creeds, daughter, died, faith, faiths, followers, future, humanity, illness, John thomas Oaks, key, Love, Manhatten, Mikey's Funnies, religion, religions, singing, sparrow, Starbucks, traditions, year | 18 Comments

The World Can Be

Posted on November 29, 2012 by russtowne

I just saw this saying on Facebook: “The world can be amazing when you’re slightly strange.” I agree. And I and know from personal experience that the world can be very entertaining when you are downright weird! ;-D! And very … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Kindness, Quotes I Love | Tagged beautiful, entertaining, experience, experiencing, Facebook, kindness, nature, strange, wierd | 2 Comments

Kindness In Uniform

Posted on November 29, 2012 by russtowne

(Source: Yahoo News) Here are snippets from the article: A photo of a New York City police officer kneeling down to give a barefoot homeless man in Times Square a pair of boots on a cold November night is melting … Continue reading →

Posted in Compassion, Kindness, Making the World a Better Place, Stories That Touched Me | Tagged barefoot, hearts, homelss man, kindness, Lawrence DePrimo, new boots, NYPD, police officer | 6 Comments

A Model Of The Type Of Person I Aspire To Be

Posted on November 29, 2012 by russtowne

I’m a lighthouse lover. To me they symbolize many positive things including quiet strength, service, sacrifice for the good of others, a beacon of hope, rising above challenges, a friend reaching out to help, standing up for those in trouble, … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Courage, Strength | Tagged beacon, courage, guide, help, Hope, lighthouse, lighthouses, model, person, positive, quiet strength, shelter, storms, strength, support, type, U.S., West Coast | 4 Comments

A Birthday Present These Employees Will Never Forget

Posted on November 29, 2012 by russtowne

When company employees gathered to help him to celebrate his 81st birthday, Bob Moore a co-founder of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods gave a present to them instead. The entire company! http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2011111010_birthdaygift18.html Russ

Posted in Generosity | Tagged 81, 81st, birthday, Bob Moore, Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, ESOP, present, the entire company | Leave a comment

Breaking Open

Posted on November 29, 2012 by russtowne

“When we come close to those things that break us down, we touch those things that also break us open. And in that breaking open, we uncover our true nature.” ~Wayne Muller (Source: tinybuddha) I agree with this quote, though … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments