Jeweler, Author, and founder of Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest.
August 21, 2017. I am in Riverton, Wyoming. I have never been here before, but from the encouragement of a friend, I am now standing in the middle of a near-barren desert ranch at 11am in the warm Wyoming sun. I have already spent two nights with my wife, Carmen, in a cozy tent awaiting… Continue reading The Shadow of the Eclipse
I woke from the stabbing pain of shingles. I drearily tilted my neck to see the bottle of aspirin on the table. With large red numbers, the alarm clocked said 1:11AM. The date glowed with equally beautiful symmetry- 2/2/22. I had taken two pills before I went to bed. I suppose one more wouldn’t hurt. … Continue reading Whose Nightmare is This?
I never asked to be born. But I’m glad I was. I never met my birthmother or father. But I’m glad they met one another. That’s why I can type this. Whew! Their acquaintance was probably anonymous and brief. Sometimes humans need something from another at particular moments in their lives. Sometimes it’s a need to… Continue reading I Never Asked to be Born
This is my childhood home in New Albany, Indiana. In the summertime the hot sun would blaze behind the house where I would sit on concrete steps and squint into the sky. Gray paint would always flake off the steps like dried flower petals. As golden rays soaked into my bare chest I would try… Continue reading Concrete Gray Steps
Maybe it was 1985 when I was divorced from my first wife. The marriage lasted less than a year so many memories have faded. Somehow a glass jar of seashells survived and has provided no more than the important reminder of the eternal beauty of nature. At first, it was fairly easy to divide our… Continue reading You Can Keep the Seashells
I was adopted as a child in Indiana. No information about my origins was given to my adoptive parents. I was baptized into the Christian religion. I was given a Bible as the source for my moral instruction. I was taught about heaven and hell, good and bad, and the power of prayer and forgiveness.… Continue reading Just call me Diamond Mike
The hardened criminal may say he was never loved. But is more love the solution? Can we create more love? Is there only so much love out there? Or is love a finite element like hydrogen and oxygen? While a torrential downpour floods one country, another country may be cheated from a single drop of… Continue reading The Importance of Knowing
Real happiness does not come from material things, but from the thoughts of love we hold in our heads. If we want to look at the past with a smile, we must create a good memory today.
This glass dish belonged to someone I have never met. The bright orange color and design might be a little out of style but it is precious to me. I'm sure it holds secret memories of the past. Maybe beautiful memories, maybe memories too painful to forget. Maybe it once held fresh mints. Maybe filthy… Continue reading The Glass Swan
Today I filed a missing persons report for my sister, Debra Kay. It appears there was never such a report filed since she vanished as a child. This will be submitted to the Indianapolis police, where my birthmother was living at the time of her disappearance. I hope the relationships I have forged with my… Continue reading Police Report
To anyone else, this may be an insignificant bedroom door knob from 1928. To me, it is a magical crystal that holds every wonderful memory as a child. It proudly remains in my old house in New Albany, Indiana, and it's magic will be bequeathed to the next owner. I remember the coolness within my… Continue reading The Magical Door Knob
I live in a castle. I also work at a company in which I am surrounded by precious objects created by the imagination of the world. I am a diamond merchant. After working for a jewelry company for ten years, I ventured to California to make a positive impact on the western coast. That… Continue reading Do You Live in a Castle?
Yield 36-40 cookies This was an experiment to create the world's most delicious flavor of little tea cookies. I mixed the ingredients and divided the dough into three bowls. The first bowl was plain. The second bowl had a sprinkle of cinnamon. The third bowl had some molasses. Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup… Continue reading How to Make Purple Mike Cookies
August 16, 2015. Beginning in 1993 as a small get-together between friends to show thanks and mutual respect, the International Dinner is celebrated every year. Prepared with love, shown are some of the delicious native dishes from family and friends for the 22nd Annual Dinner. United States: American beef hamburger sliders, Ham and Cheese Ball,… Continue reading Thank You, Earth. The International Dinner Party
Happy 23rd Diamond Day! Well, that was a few days ago but we are still celebrating. It was a magical day that had all the charm of the first Diamond Day in 1993. It is funny that contest panel judge, Su Wells, did not allow her picture to be taken, but she was interviewed by… Continue reading Random Thoughts of a Jeweler with a Mission