Category Archives: True Stories I’ve Written

True short stories

Under 1 Roof: 12 Kids, 2 Women, and 1 Very Patient Man

Posted on July 8, 2012 by russtowne

When I was in my early- to mid-teens a maternal aunt and her 7 children moved in with our family of 7 into a 4 bedroom/2 bathroom house. They were from the east coast and none of the kids from … Continue reading →

Posted in Abundance, Family "Fun", Parenting, True Stories I've Written | Tagged 12 kids, aunt, children, dad, man, mom, Mother, patient, roof, twelve kids, women, worked together | 5 Comments

That Which Lies Within

Posted on July 6, 2012 by russtowne

I read somewhere recently that life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself. While I like that saying a lot, and believe that is certainly true on some levels, I also believe that life is very much about finding … Continue reading →

Posted in Abundance, Attittude, Compassion, Healing, Inspiring, LIfe Lessons, Love, Making the World a Better Place, True Stories I've Written | Tagged awakenig, Caring, compassion, gentl touch, gentle, healing, help, Hope, kindess, kindness, learned, Love, shine, smile, smiles, spirit, support, touch, warmth | 10 Comments

Clasped Hands

Posted on July 6, 2012 by russtowne

On a shelf near my desk are a couple of chunks of Paper Mache that I value more than if they were made of solid gold or chiseled by a master sculptor our of the finest marble. They were made … Continue reading →

Posted in Family "Fun", Gratitude, Love, Parenting, True Stories I've Written | Tagged arm wrestle, bond, brother, brothers, clasp, clasped, dad, father, Fathers, finest marble, FSB, Gold, grieve, hands, heal, Love, marble, pain, plnet, Relationship, respect, son, sons | 13 Comments

Get Your Stories Straight!

Posted on July 5, 2012 by russtowne

Like nearly all siblings, our sons sometimes got into quarrels. When that occurred, Beloved and I attempted to unravel how it started so we could create learning lessons as well as determine fair and appropriate consequences for their actions. Not … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Creativity, Family "Fun", Humor, Parenting, True Stories I've Written | Tagged beloved, boys, consquences, fun, funny, humorous, learning lessons, lessons, light, sons, stories, worked tother, working together | 2 Comments

A Dying Man’s Last Request

Posted on July 5, 2012 by russtowne

My biological father (I’ll call him “RP” for the remainder of this post) was an avid golfer. He always dreamed of playing the Pebble Beach Golf Course. He and another man wanted to play the course together, so they began … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Courage, Creativity, Family "Fun", Humor, True Stories I've Written | Tagged 18th green, 18th hole, ashes, beloved, biological, biological father, camera, clubhouse, Dirty Vodka Martini, drink, father, golf, golfer, golfers, gorgeous sceney, grass, guard, guards., last request, lawn, mission, mission accomplished, Monterey Bay, Pebble Beach, Pebble Beach Golf Course, purse, rocks, scenery, secret agents, secrity, security guard, urn, wife, wind champagne | 24 Comments

To Protect His Heart

Posted on July 4, 2012 by russtowne

My apologies to readers who saw this post not long ago. It is my favorite post. Many new followers and readers have joined my blog family since it was posted and I don’t want to wait a year to share … Continue reading →

Posted in Family "Fun", Love, Relationship Lessons Learned, True Stories I've Written | Tagged beloved, heart, Important, Love, men, protect, protect his heart, wife | 13 Comments

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Heart

Posted on July 4, 2012 by russtowne

A friend who passed away several years ago was about 30 years older than me and lived large right up until his passing. He loved to surf and did so decades beyond when most people stop doing such strenuous activities. … Continue reading →

Posted in Attittude, Friendship, Gratitude, Growth/Learning, LIfe Lessons, Love, Making the World a Better Place, Quotes I Love, True Stories I've Written | Tagged better, big heart, carry a big heart, experience, Friend, heart, legacy, legacy of love, Life, man, richer, speak softly, surf, surfer, touched | 21 Comments

Knowing What I Need

Posted on July 4, 2012 by russtowne

There was a time when I expected Beloved to know what I needed and to provide it. There were multiple problems with that approach. First, I’ve come to learn that expectations are the cause of much suffering. When I reduce … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Family "Fun", Growth/Learning, LIfe Lessons, Love, True Stories I've Written | Tagged amazing, amazingly, approach, beloved, choice, commitment, critical needs, happy, marriage, options, simple, understand, wife, world | 8 Comments

The Star

Posted on July 2, 2012 by russtowne

(This a slightly changed re-post of a post I believe I last published in 2010.) At the top of our Christmas tree each year proudly sits an unusual star. It is made out of cardboard and covered with aluminum foil … Continue reading →

Posted in Abundance, Attittude, Creativity, Family "Fun", Generosity, Gratitude, LIfe Lessons, Love, True Stories I've Written | Tagged beloved, Christmas tree, girl, lady, ornaments, sleep, sleeping bag, star, tree, wife, woman, young | 12 Comments

Prom Nightmare

Posted on July 2, 2012 by russtowne

Our Oldest Son had a very “memorable” Prom Night. “Memorable“ as in, “Is this terrible night ever going to end?” It had started well enough. Although he had a vehicle of his own, I’d offered to lend to him my … Continue reading →