A Gift For Every Man

Still shopping? If that hard to shop for person on your list is a guy, a dad or granddad, maybe I can help. Please do not say at any point during the reading of this post, "but, he doesn't read; and there's no way he would write in a journal."

Buy him a good book and a journal. Because...

“I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson

I firmly believe every man will read something, or at least look at the pictures. Here's one that will be a sure-fire winner. It's a wonderful story about a father, a son and a baseball bat. It's only 70 pages long. It's called "A Drive Into The Gap". Click here to check it out, watch a short video about the book and even order it.

While you're at the Fieldnotes site, peruse their selection of journals and order your guy a pack.

If your home library doesn't already have a copy of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill A Mockingbird, get them before they're banned in our new version of America. Don't worry that he might think these are books for kids. Because...

“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”   ― C.S. Lewis

Next, bundle up your gift of book and journal and put them under the tree. If when he opens his gift this Christmastime, he looks at it like he hasn't seen a book since seventh grade. Tell him that you read a blog where some wise-old man said that reading will enhance mental capacity, youthfulness, and virility.

“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines
what you will be when you can’t help it.”   ― Oscar Wilde

If he needs some help with what to do with his new journal, send him to this post at The Art of Manliness. He won't be able to resist visiting a site called "the art of manliness".

THE END

Shared Name

THANKFULLY I HAVE A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. Initially the first sentence of this post was going to be, “Thankfully I have a daughter-in-law who reads this blog,” but when I typed those first seven words I had to put a period, or as the Brits call it, “A full stop.” First and foremost I am so thankful for our beautiful daughter-in-law; period. I am also thankful (in a less profound way) that she reads this blog because she read my recent post on ideas for Father’s Day gifts and bought me something leather—this wonderful leather journal cover. Perfect.

Her husband, our son, then screenprinted the cover of a few Moleskin journals for me to use in my new leather cover. Perfect.

He chose to put on the cover a quote, a line from a song by the Avett Brothers called “Murder In The City”. It is a haunting song both in melody and lyric. I had not heard the Avett Brothers play the song before but it sounded vaguely familiar. Then I realized one of my all-time favortie artists, Brandi Carlile, recorded the song on her album, The Firewatcher’s Daughter.

Always remember there was nothing worth sharing
Like the love that let us share our name.

In a few days now, vows will be exchanged, born out of shared love. Names will be shared, and I will be humbly thankful to have a second, beautiful daughter-in-law.

Thank you Kara & Corey, Brooke & Kyle.

A Father's Day Gift That Keeps On Giving

I STILL PREFER TO WRITE; on good old paper with a pen or pencil. I know, I know, I carry in my pocket an amazing little device that is all at once: phone, camera, music-player, calculator, encyclopedia, atlas, GPS, cookbook, calendar, notebook, ocarina, "book", pedometer, radio, dictionary, mailbox, newspaper, gossip source, and on, and on--not to mention a computer more powerful than the room full of computers once used by NASA. And like you, my life as I know it today, depends on that little sucker, so it goes with me everywhere I go.

But still I prefer to write the old fashioned way. Now I feel like the hypocrite that I am, because as is always the case, I'm writing this blog post on my MacBook Pro, using an app called iA Writer®, which, when I'm done and push the appropriate keys, will send it to the "world" via a service called Squarespace®. My faithful subscriber(s) will automatically be notified of the new post by the miracle of something called Mail Chimp®, and Twitter® and that ubiquitous force known as the Facebook®.

But still I prefer to write the old fashioned way. So I carry a pen and a little memo book called Field Notes. For years I've kept a journal. I did quit for awhile to be honest. Some misguided soul broke into my vehicle in our "gated" community and stole a bag containing my notebook computer, which could be replaced, and two journals I had written in almost daily for a year, which could never be replaced. Disillusioned by the violation, I decided journal-keeping wasn't worth it. But it is.

I highly recommend Field Notes books as a great tool to successful journaling. Field Notes is developed from the legacy of the memo books of yore. Something all of us old guys will recognize.

As a sort of challenge to all you "men of a certain age" out there to start a journaling habit, I have an offer you can't refuse.

For all you women and children who tolerate us "men of a certain age", if you are in need of a one of a kind Father's Day gift, here you go. But as they say, "Don't delay; quantities are limited." Seriously. I only made 3 sets.

Field Notes did a special limited series of Field Notes memo books for each state. I have bundled one of each book for the eight states along the Mother Road--Route 66. Plus I've thrown in an extra "Oklahoma" edition, plus a few other treasures like a Field Notes pencil, a Royal Pine car air freshener, and more.

Did I mention I only made 3 sets?!

So the first three people to send me an email at hey.pops.hey@gmail.com to say, "I want one of these sets and I'll put my check for $48.00 (shipping included), in the mail as soon as you tell me I'm one of the lucky three", will be the winners.

SPECIAL "ABOUT POPS" LIMITED EDITION FIELD NOTES ROUTE 66 BUNDLE