Family LessonsThe December Challenge theme for ActiveRain blogger members is “Who Are You & Your ‘Aha’ Moment - Self-discovery and Personal Growth” This is my Third entry.When I was a kid, while living at our home in the Cradock neighborhood of Portsmouth, Virginia, I had the good fortune to learn much from family members. I will share a few memories in this blog post.If you follow my blog posts, you know that I have an interest in photography and usually share a photograph or two in my blogs. When I was a youngster, a visiting relative, Harold Hilliard, encouraged be to get active with photography. He made sure I had a good start by advising me on the purchase of a good camera. I became active in the camera club at high school and expanded my interests with a friend. My father allowed ... 12/12/2025

The New Holiday Image for Roy KelleyCreated by ChatGPTMy instructions to ChatGPT: Add a santa claus beard and costume to my photograph. Have some fun with your own photograph. 12/06/2025

Early Lessons of LifeThe December Challenge theme for ActiveRain blogger members is “Who Are You & Your ‘Aha’ Moment - Self-discovery and Personal Growth” This is my fourth entry.When you are young, you often learn about things that will become more important than you realize during the coming years. My first three blog posts of this series related to my youth while growing up in the Cradock community in Portsmouth, Virginia. This is a continuation of those memories.When I was young, I was a weight lifter and was very strong for my age. The high school coach recruited me to play football during my freshman year. Those plans lasted a very short time. A severe knee injury ended my football career. I did not know it at the time but the injury would lead to a lifetime of problems with my ri... 12/12/2025

The Golden Rule of Hosting: Remembering the Three-Day Rule for Holiday Guests  The holiday season is a beautiful time for warmth, connection, and, often, welcoming cherished friends and family into our homes. However, a little-discussed but vital piece of etiquette can be the difference between a joyful visit and a strained stay: The Three-Day Rule for House Guests. As we prepare for the festive influx of visitors, a gentle reminder of this unofficial-yet-crucial guideline—for both hosts and guests—can ensure everyone enjoys a harmonious holiday. What is the Three-Day Rule? The concept is simple: A house guest should not stay longer than three days and two nights unless a much longer stay has been explicitly and enthusiastically agreed upon by the host well in advance. This rule isn't ... 12/13/2025