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.

Friends Stay

Posted on August 1, 2012 by russtowne

I just saw a cute couple of photos under the title “Friends Stay”. The first is of three young children on bicycles laughing and peddling toward the camera. The second shows three old people on motorized wheel chairs racing away … Continue reading →

Posted in Friendship | Tagged camera, friends, laughing, motorized wheelchairs, old folks, peddling, tricycles | 2 Comments

A Bad Day at the “Office”

Posted on August 1, 2012 by russtowne

When our 21 year-old daughter came home from her park ranger intern job last night she looked physically and emotionally drained, and I became concerned. She came up and hugged me for a long time. I haven’t had a, “I … Continue reading →

Posted in Challenges, Parenting, True Stories I've Written | Tagged accident, capable, confident, daughter, emergency services, first responder, girl, heliicopter, hospital, hug, hugged, intern, little girl, mentor, park ranger, proud, spinal injuries | 27 Comments

Posted on August 1, 2012 by russtowne

Originally posted on A Daily Thought:
110201-A-5345S-366 (Photo credit: isafmedia) The Singing anesthesiologist – This one is just too funny! Listen carefully to the words! These singers are all anesthesiologists in Minnesota and they can really sing. They are also…

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

A Dying Wish: BIG Tips

Posted on August 1, 2012 by russtowne

A man not quite thirty years old had an interesting last wish: After I’m gone, give BIG tips to food servers. So far, three $500 tips have been given and more than $50,000 has been collected to be given out … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Generosity, Making the World a Better Place, Stories That Touched Me | Tagged Aaron, big tips, dying wish, food servers, last wish, Seth, waiters | 4 Comments

Posted on July 31, 2012 by russtowne

Originally posted on Waiting for the Karma Truck:
Ok, I’m a dog person…a crazy, mushy dog person. I get the whole cat thing – really I do. We’ve had cats in our family and when they snuggle and purr and…

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Acting Out Of My Mind

Posted on July 31, 2012 by russtowne

“Before the deed comes the thought. Before the achievement comes the dream. Every mountain we climb, we first climb in our mind.” – Royal Robbins I love this quote, and have learned that at some point I still had to … Continue reading →

Posted in Action, Dreams, LIfe Lessons, Quotes I Love | Tagged action, climb, deed, dreams, mind, mountain, Royal Robbins, thought | 12 Comments

A Good Friend

Posted on July 30, 2012 by russtowne

From http://www.mikeysFunnies.com: A couple of young boys were fishing at their special pond off the beaten track. All of a sudden, the game warden jumped out of the bushes. Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and started … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Friendship, Humor | Tagged boys, fishing, fishing license, friends, hole, warden | 10 Comments

Amma’s Surprise

Posted on July 29, 2012 by russtowne

Several years ago I accepted a friend’s invitation to go see Mata Amritanandamayi who is far more commonly known as simply “Amma” (which if I recall correctly means “Mother” in her culture). I apologize to readers of that culture for … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Gratitude, True Stories I've Written | Tagged adventure, Amma, Friend, honor, honored, hug, Hugging Saint, hugs, kindness, Love, Mata Amritanandamayi, surprise | 16 Comments

Maybe

Posted on July 29, 2012 by russtowne

Andrea Kelly shared a wonderful story about a wise farmer in one of her comments to a post of mine. She said I could share it with all of you. Thank you Andrea!: ‘One day a farmer’s horse ran away. … Continue reading →

Posted in Attittude, Wisdom | Tagged farmer, maybe, wisdom, wise | 13 Comments

The Toughest Nuts To Crack

Posted on July 29, 2012 by russtowne

A friend commented on my post “The Bond” mentioning the human element of the people on the wrong side of the law. I wanted to share my response to her with all of you and expanded it a bit for … Continue reading →