Ray Harris here. Welcome to my life, so far. I have spent 95 whirlwind years on this planet, about 90 of which I have been making my own decisions of what to do and what not to do. The first five years I listened to my parents. For the most recent 90 years, I consider… Read More »
For several years, I’ve been writing a blog about Minneapolis and about my activities in Minneapolis during the 94 years that I’ve resided on this earth and in Minneapolis. During this time, Minneapolis offered a wonderful quality of life. During these years, Minneapolis also had many challenges – problems. I consider myself a problem solver… Read More »
In 1894, Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book in which he wrote of Mowgli (probably my new name), a little boy who was raised by wolves in the jungle. During that time, Mowgli learned self sufficiency and wisdom from the jungle animals. I feel a similar close relationship with the sixteen dogs who have shared… Read More »
As I sit in my trusty electric wheelchair, looking out the window, I am in awe, at my past – as it flashes in front of me – of what I’ve seen, what I’ve done – who I’ve known, what I’ve enjoyed and what I’ve tolerated. The good old times were mostly good. I think… Read More »
I was born on March 25, 1929. Since that day, I have awakened 33,900 mornings, including 23 leap year days. Since I am a “morning” person, on almost all of those days, I have been eager to begin – to study, to work, to play. In October my kidneys, affected by diabetes, stopped pumping. I… Read More »
I was born in Eitel Hospital in Loring Park and now I live in the Kenwood – less than a mile away, not far in 93 years. But I doubt that anyone has ever seen and done more in every day, hour, minute and second. My hero, Don Quixote, and I are tilting at windmills… Read More »
Thanksgiving week has passed and Thursday, November 25th was Turkey Day for most Americans. However, my family did not celebrate in our traditional manner. My grandson Chet Holmgren, a 7’1″ basketball player, and his Gonzaga Team were playing two games in Las Vegas, Nevada with half of the family attending. Knowing this was scheduled, our… Read More »
One of my favorite and most memorable books is Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. The book portrays the lives and travails of the Lilliputians, a mythical group of tiny people. A STRULDBRUG is an old and decrepit Lilliputian who keeps getting older and older but never dies! By the time you finish reading this post,… Read More »
My professional career in Minneapolis began in the late 1950s, almost sixty five years ago. I’ve been a part of many changes/improvements in Minneapolis – and I’ve been an interested spectator at many more. During that time, there are several persons who particularly influenced me and played a very important part in Minneapolis, as it… Read More »
My memories are overflowing my memory bank again. Today I’m going to provide some interesting facts about Minneapolis that only a few of us can remember and have probably forgotten – and some Minneapolitans (of a younger age or originally from elsewhere) were never aware. Did you know – That the marvelous Sculpture Garden on… Read More »
My memory bank is full again, it’s time to withdraw some obsolete tidbits reminiscent of the days before one could press a button to activate every convenience in our lives. Do you remember – When the roads were filled with Studebakers, Edsels, Packards, DeSotos, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, and other brands built in the USA. When THE… Read More »
The early response to the “Been There, Done That. Took Notes” blog has been very positive: an unexpected request, from a number of viewers, has wondered who is Ray Harris and what is his background? Does he cause these crazy things to happen or is he just an innocent victim? Both! I am guilty of… Read More »
I don’t pretend to understand the new language that has evolved in the most recent decades – “browser, download, Facebook, Instagram, the Cloud etc. etc.” However, my memory is filled with relics from the past – where we worked, how we lived, what we wore, where we ate, how we received and paid for goods… Read More »