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 »
I’ve written blogs about dogs – about people – about buildings and about my adventures during the 94 years that I’ve occupied space on this planet – So far, all of these blogs have been in the past, describing things that have already happened. This blog is going to be different – about something that… 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 »
Some of the people reading my blogs are asking and often I wonder why I have chosen to take on some of these risky and seemingly impossible projects and persist until success appears or, in very few cases, failures is the end result. After all, being self-employed, I have no one else to blame; I… 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 »
Some of my recent blogs have prompted comments from several prominent Minneapolitans – about the blogs but mainly about me: From Burt Cohen – publisher emeritus of Minneapolis – St. Paul Magazine and owner and in possession of the prime seat in the Minneapolis Club Dining Room “Ray Harris has advised me that if I… 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 »
This was written long ago by a great author, Rudyard Kipling. I read it often and try to believe in and emulate each phrase. You should too. It focuses on a man but is just as relevant for women!
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 »
Ray Harris here. Yes, that Ray Harris. I’ve been around for a looooong time — Going on 92 years. I’ve been busy – as a writer, a cowboy, a beach bum, a Korean war army vet, a Stanford university graduate and author, a real estate developer and consultant, and a person deeply interested in people… Read More »