Papa Bob
@blee1607.bsky.social
Writer, husband, father and Papa, Writer of Ramblings of a Retired Mind
Happy Holidays, here is a holiday story I wrote for my new blog. As always, I would love to hear comments.
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/12/our-...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/12/our-...
Our First Christmas Tree
Ramblings of a Retired Mind Our First Christmas Tree When I married a fallen Catholic, I quickly learned that Christmas comes with a rul...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Happy Holidays, here is a holiday story I wrote for my new blog. As always, I would love to hear comments.
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/12/our-...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/12/our-...
“If you want to be respected by others the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.”
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky
December 17, 2025 at 9:00 PM
“If you want to be respected by others the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.”
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
Herman Melville
Herman Melville
December 16, 2025 at 4:26 PM
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
Herman Melville
Herman Melville
There is no truer statement than this:
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”
Niccolò Machiavelli
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”
Niccolò Machiavelli
December 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM
There is no truer statement than this:
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”
Niccolò Machiavelli
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”
Niccolò Machiavelli
“Sometimes the best way to develop new eyes is to seek new landscapes"
Proust
Proust
December 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM
“Sometimes the best way to develop new eyes is to seek new landscapes"
Proust
Proust
It has been a while, what with Thanksgiving, I am back at it. Here is my latest entry on my new blog.
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/12/ramb...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/12/ramb...
Ramblings of a Retired Mind
Ramblings of a Retired Mind Can I Change? The question hit me today: Can I really change? A simple inquiry, yet somehow endlessly compl...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:18 AM
It has been a while, what with Thanksgiving, I am back at it. Here is my latest entry on my new blog.
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/12/ramb...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/12/ramb...
A most important thought:
"I think, therefore I am."
René Descartes
"I think, therefore I am."
René Descartes
December 6, 2025 at 2:21 AM
A most important thought:
"I think, therefore I am."
René Descartes
"I think, therefore I am."
René Descartes
"How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them."
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
December 3, 2025 at 12:44 AM
"How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them."
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
“It takes time to live. Like any work of art, life needs to be thought about.”
Albert Camus
Albert Camus
November 29, 2025 at 5:54 PM
“It takes time to live. Like any work of art, life needs to be thought about.”
Albert Camus
Albert Camus
“Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it.”
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
November 28, 2025 at 7:34 PM
“Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it.”
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
November 28, 2025 at 5:55 PM
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Love this!
“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”
Terry Pratchett
“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”
Terry Pratchett
November 27, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Love this!
“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”
Terry Pratchett
“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”
Terry Pratchett
“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius
November 25, 2025 at 4:49 PM
“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius
"The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself—the invisible battles inside all of us—that’s where it’s at."
Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
"The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself—the invisible battles inside all of us—that’s where it’s at."
Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
My newest entry on my new blog, I would love to hear what you think.
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/11/ramb...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/11/ramb...
Ramblings of a Retired Mind
Ramblings of a Retired Mind The Glance A Year of Change The year I turned twenty was a trying one. I was studying History with a Pre-La...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:04 AM
My newest entry on my new blog, I would love to hear what you think.
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/11/ramb...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/11/ramb...
"For as wood is the material of the carpenter, bronze that of the statuary, just so each man’s own life is the subject matter of the art of living."
Epictetus (d. 135 CE), a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery
Epictetus (d. 135 CE), a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery
November 21, 2025 at 10:22 PM
"For as wood is the material of the carpenter, bronze that of the statuary, just so each man’s own life is the subject matter of the art of living."
Epictetus (d. 135 CE), a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery
Epictetus (d. 135 CE), a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery
“The things people say of a man do not alter a man. He is what he is. Public opinion is of no value whatsoever.”
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
November 21, 2025 at 9:20 PM
“The things people say of a man do not alter a man. He is what he is. Public opinion is of no value whatsoever.”
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
“The things people say of a man do not alter a man. He is what he is. Public opinion is of no value whatsoever.”
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
November 21, 2025 at 9:16 PM
“The things people say of a man do not alter a man. He is what he is. Public opinion is of no value whatsoever.”
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present."
Laozi, 5th century BCE Chinese philosopher, founder Taoism
Laozi, 5th century BCE Chinese philosopher, founder Taoism
November 14, 2025 at 5:01 PM
"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present."
Laozi, 5th century BCE Chinese philosopher, founder Taoism
Laozi, 5th century BCE Chinese philosopher, founder Taoism
“If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x, play is y and z is keeping your mouth shut.”
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
November 13, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x, play is y and z is keeping your mouth shut.”
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
For those who are interested, here is a link to my newest ramble on my blog. I would appreciate any comments!
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/11/refu...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/11/refu...
Refugee
We never really know when we’ll meet our closest friend. Many people drift in and out of our lives, but only a rare few become the ones we ...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:36 PM
For those who are interested, here is a link to my newest ramble on my blog. I would appreciate any comments!
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/11/refu...
ramblingsofaretiredmind.blogspot.com/2025/11/refu...
“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
November 12, 2025 at 8:08 PM
“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
“Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in virtue; for these wish well alike to each other qua good.”
Aristotle
(Eth. Nic. VIII.3, 1156b6–7)
Aristotle
(Eth. Nic. VIII.3, 1156b6–7)
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 PM
“Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in virtue; for these wish well alike to each other qua good.”
Aristotle
(Eth. Nic. VIII.3, 1156b6–7)
Aristotle
(Eth. Nic. VIII.3, 1156b6–7)
“Take sides! Always take sides! You will sometimes be wrong — but the man who refuses to take sides must always be wrong.”
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
November 9, 2025 at 8:03 PM
“Take sides! Always take sides! You will sometimes be wrong — but the man who refuses to take sides must always be wrong.”
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein