Cufflinks Family

14/10/2024

Last week my incredible beautiful wife and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. I love her more than anything!!

18/04/2023

Hi 😈

19/08/2021

My wife & 2 girls just completed a successful community theatre opening night. It was awesome!

My youngest girl wanted to know if she is related to her character Marta Von Trapp.

They are 14th cousins.

Also, I'm in love with a nun.

Today's cufflink is: The Sound of Music

14/08/2021

New Instagram Account!!

Hey everyone,
Last night (on a whim) we started a new Instagram account called ADHD Mixtape. It's just a bunch of memes & such that ADHD folks might relate to.

Several of you have mentioned ADHD affects your life, so here's an invitation to follow adhd.mixtape.

We'll still bring you occasional cufflinks on this account, so don't go nowhere.

Hope you enjoy!

Love,

The Cufflinks Family, aka ADHD Mixtape

09/08/2021

New York, 1664. Christmas Day. 28 years before the witch trial hysteria in Salem. George Wood & his newborn baby mysteriously grow sick and die. His wife Ann is horrified. What could cause such a tragedy? The only reasonable explanation was witchcraft & sorcery. And who could be responsible? The only reasonable explanation was those no-good neighbors, the Halls.

Ralph & Mary Hall were newcomers to Long Island. They seemed alright at first. But then...the incident. A guy owed Mary money (or so she said). The Halls sued & won. Well, that clinched it. They had ticked off the wrong dude. He was none other than Richard Smith, founder of Smithtown.

So when when Ann's husband and baby both died on Christmas, who else could have caused it? Everyone in town knew. It must've been those ne'er-do-wells, Ralph & Mary Hall.

The Halls were indicted for murder by witchcraft & sorcery. They were dragged into the 1st Court of Assizes for New York Colony in Manhattan. They both pleaded not guilty (typical for a witch & sorcerer). But, because there was insufficient evidence, they were both released. Lack of evidence notwithstanding, the jury was pretty sure Mary was a witch, & she must've done something bad. Ralph was therefore sentenced to bring his wife back into court every year to be retried. The couple would have to be good kids every year, or that would be proof that Mary was a witch. This ongoing double-jeopardy would continue until she was found guilty, acquitted, moved away from New York, or died. 

Well, she must've behaved herself, because she was finally acquitted in 1668.

Ann Rogers (wife & mother of the deceased) was my 10th Great-Grandmother.

Appalling Story. But that was over 350 years ago right? Good thing we have such better judgement these days.

But then, is it possible we still cast unfair judgement in 2021? Are people condemned for their political or religious affiliations? Their choice to wear a mask or not? Their vaccination status? A poor decision or comment in their past?

We live in scary times. Perhaps we shouldn't be too quick to castigate our neighbors for something we don't understand.

Today's cufflink is: BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

02/08/2021

Rev. George Gillespie (1613-1648) was an important Scottish Christian Reformer. His works are still important to Presbyterian theology today. In his short 35 years, he stirred up a lot of controversy and paved the way for future democratic societies that value religious freedom. He is immortalized at the Old Kirk church at Kirkcaldy. I'm proud to be his descendant.

04/07/2021

July 4, 1913. Hailey, ID.

My 2nd Great-Grandparents raised 14 children in the beautiful Sun Valley of Idaho. The family almost certainly attended this Independence Day celebration. At that time, their youngest ( #13) was still an infant. My great-grandfather was 12.

The 4th of July stirs my soul. I'm very proud to be an American. And I'm very glad that 108 years later, my family still celebrates together. Spending this beautiful weekend with my sister and her amazing family has been wonderful.

Happy 4th of July!

Today's cufflink is: STARS & STRIPES FOREVER.

19/06/2021

Today's cufflink is: EXERCISE.

31/05/2021

29/05/2021

Deep ponderings

09/05/2021

07/05/2021

Yesterday a desperate 6th grade student walked into a school near my home, pulled a handgun, & opened fire.

2 students were shot. A hero custodian intervened, putting himself between the shooter and the victims. He was shot. A hero teacher took the gun away and held the shooter in a bear hug until 1st responders arrived.

I'm extremely happy to report no one was killed.

My children in nearby schools spent the day in lockdown.

I can't begin to express the emotions I've experienced since I was told about this at work. My heart breaks for all those involved, especially a child with a gun that hurt badly enough to make such a terrible choice.

This event has brought me to my knees in prayer. My community is hurting. Social media has played an important role in this. Amid frantic messages of concern & anguish, several people turned almost immediately to blame, false conclusions, & political argument. That broke my heart too.

On the other hand, what I witnessed most was remarkable acts of love, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, help & unity.

People from all over the world messaged their support. A rival school reached out with kindness. A local soda shop offered free drinks to everyone. A snow shack did the same. The community gathered drinks, snacks, & blankets for the children in lockdown. A local pizza place fed the entire middle school & highschool. 1st responders, teachers, & staff made everyone feel safe & protected.

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" -Mr. Fred Rogers

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the helpers!

Today's cufflink is: PRAY FOR RIGBY.