The Rooney Bin

“As you get older three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two.”—Sir Norman Wisdom, British comedian In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson passed the Older Americans Act and proclaimed May “Older Americans Month.” In President Joe Biden’s Older Americans Month proclamation, he said “This ... Read More

“Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born.”—humorist Erma Bombeck “Ma” is the first sound a baby can vocalize, which is why it is thought that in many languages the word for mother begins with the letter ‘M’ ... Read More

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party'"—Robin Williams             Easter has passed, but there’s still a funny bunny my spouse the Binmeister named Bertram hopping around the Rooney Bin back yard. Pink petunias are in full bloom in the front yard. The roses and azaleas are showing off too.  Prior to ... Read More

A little more than a quarter of a century ago the Rooney Bin moved from a quiet little suburb of Pittsburgh to a quiet little Florida community called Ponte Vedra Beach. We had three days to find the home of our dreams and prayed on our way back to Pennsylvania ... Read More

It seems like only yesterday we were putting away Christmas decorations. Come to think of it, just the other day I found a pair of overlooked Santa and Mrs. Claus oven mitts in the kitchen and in the family room a basket of holiday cards waiting to be sorted—family, friends ... Read More

Love is in the air; at least it better be by Monday (Valentine’s Day) or we’ll have another cold snap, if you know what I mean. To quote an unknown source, “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”             Some people need a helpful hint when it comes to   holidays—major ones ... Read More

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”—Winston Churchill             Now that the gifting season has passed, the time has come to quickly eat the chocolates your loved one gave you and quietly exchange those new Christmas pants for a larger size ... Read More

Most holidays are associated with a special sweet—candy canes at Christmas, chocolate hearts for Valentine’s Day and jelly beans for Easter. ‘Tis the season to bake (and eat) cookies; today (Dec. 4) is National Cookie Day.             Although cookies are a year-round treat in the United States, snickerdoodle season comes but ... Read More

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but it isn’t the only memorable day in the 11th month of the year. To name a few of many notable November events, on Nov. 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik II, carrying Laika (meaning barker) the first dog in space. He probably ... Read More

Get ready, get set, shop! This is the time of year when holidays converge. Christmas displays appear in stores before Halloween, and Thanksgiving gets totally lost in the rush toward New Year’s Eve. Black Friday looms, but due to the pandemic and supply-chain snarls that have caused shortages and empty ... Read More