Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Grandfather Says

Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife

The remarkable RD Blakeslee (1931 – 2024) built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. Len Penzo dot Com is grateful for the opportunity to share his inspiring and very entertaining musings and stories from his fascinating life in the biweekly “Grandfather Says” series. You can catch a fresh entry here every other Thursday. Enjoy!

      1. The Benefits of DIY Housing
      2. Never Underestimate the Utility of a Trebuchet
      3. What’s the Value of a Song?
      4. One Good Thing About Getting Old
      5. A Lesson on the Benefits of Working Smartly
      6. The Correct Way to Cope with Adversity
      7. The Miracle of Birth
      8. The Joys of Part-Time Farming
      9. Headless Horsemen and Horseless Carriages
      10. A Big Secret for Doing Well in Life
      11. Thanksgiving Greetings from West Virginia!
      12. A Few Words on Religious Conviction
      13. The DIY Harpsichord
      14. MLK’s Dream
      15. The Travails of Working with Stone
      16. The Importance of Self-Confidence and Independence
      17. Grandfather’s House and Custom-Built Stairs
      18. Something Beautiful That Money Can Never Buy
      19. Only Clean Firewood Will Do
      20. Net Worth and Real Value
      21. A Lesson on Real Estate Development
      22. A Few Words About Counterculture
      23. The Joy of Teachable Moments
      24. He’s a Cowman (He Hasn’t Been a Boy in Years)
      25. Here’s a Clever Way to Change Neighborhoods
      26. Coyote Countermeasures
      27. The Magic of Cape Hatteras
      28. The Dog Days are Here
      29. The Family Trip to Maine
      30. Grandmother’s College Graduation
      31. How I Order Pizza
      32. The Majesty of Trees
      33. The Meaning of Life
      34. Sophistication is Overrated
      35. The Veterans’ List
      36. Recipes, Recipes, Recipes
      37. A Quick Thought on Hubris
      38. The Alaskan Cabin on Chilkat Lake
      39. Remembering Grandfather’s Grandfather
      40. My Life as a Soldier
      41. Observations About Blessings
      42. A Look Back at the 29 Cars I’ve Owned
      43. Strange Dreams
      44. The Difference Between Cats and Dogs
      45. I’m ‘Bout Half
      46. Remembering an Old Friend
      47. The Beauty of Alaska
      48. A Fond Look Back at My Love of Fishing
      49. Political Anarchy
      50. The Story of Dan and Ralph
      51. High Wire Theater and Church Improvements
      52. A 4th of July to Remember
      53. Are You Ready for Retirement?
      54. The Discovery of Argobrite’s Cave
      55. The Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg
      56. The Little Kite That Could
      57. My Adventures With Model Airplanes
      58. Great Grandfather’s Stained Glass Windows
      59. Here Comes the Lightning Round!
      60. The Little Engine That Couldn’t
      61. I Think, Therefore I Am
      62. The Ghost of Major Alvah L. Miller
      63. Woody the Antique Dealer
      64. The Story of the Cowhide Guitar
      65. Run, Run, Rudolph!
      66. Twas a Time When Coal Was Used to Heat Houses
      67. The Rise of the Machines
      68. Grandfather’s Puppy
      69. The Boy ‘Is Just Who He Is’
      70. A Personal Portrait of My Time In Bergamo, Italy
      71. Musings on an Old-Time Liberal Education
      72. A Few Words on Our Nation’s Travails
      73. Western Civilization Is Out of Fashion
      74. Remembering Grandfather’s Father
      75. Some Thoughts on Building a Life-Long Homestead
      76. There Is No Escape from the Present
      77. Preparing for Hard Times
      78. A Trophy for the Natural
      79. Memories of a Budding Shipwright
      80. A Chicken Run for the Henhouse
      81. Happiness and Living in the Right Mold
      82. My First Job as a Newspaper Boy
      83. Spelling Bee
      84. Eulogy for a Friend
      85. Impressions In Charcoal
      86. The Story of Emile and Mollie
      87. The Heyday of Art & Culture
      88. Holiday Wishes!
      89. A Wintry View of My Raised-Bed Vegetable Garden
      90. Introducing the Art of Grandfather’s Wife, Tatjana
      91. The Early Birds
      92. Croc Hunting in Mindanao
      93. The Pogo Stick Snowshoe
      94. Testing an Experimental Battery Fire Container
      95. A Heartfelt Poem
      96. Signs of the Time
      97. The Saint & The Money Man (Intro to Elaine’s Chronicles)
      98. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine
      99. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 2
      100. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 3
      101. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 4 
      102. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 5
      103. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 6
      104. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 7
      105. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 8
      106. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 9
      107. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 10
      108. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 11
      109. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 12
      110. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 13
      111. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 14
      112. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 15
      113. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 16
      114. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 17
      115. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 18
      116. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 19
      117. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 20
      118. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 21
      119. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 22
      120. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 23
      121. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 24
      122. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 25
      123. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 26
      124. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 27
      125. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 28
      126. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 29
      127. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 30
      128. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 31
      129. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 32
      130. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 33
      131. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 34
      132. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 35
      133. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 36
      134. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 37
      135. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 38
      136. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 39
      137. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 40
      138. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 41
      139. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 42
      140. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 43
      141. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 44
      142. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 45
      143. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 46
      144. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 47 
      145. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 48
      146. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 49
      147. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 50
      148. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 51
      149. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 52 
      150. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 53 
      151. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 54
      152. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 55
      153. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 56
      154. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 57 
      155. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 58
      156. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 59
      157. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 60
      158. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 61
      159. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 62
      160. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 63
      161. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 64
      162. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 65
      163. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 66
      164. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 67
      165. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 68
      166. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 69
      167. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 70
      168. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 71
      169. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 72
      170. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 73
      171. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 74
      172. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 75
      173. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 76
      174. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 77
      175. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 78
      176. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 79
      177. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 80
      178. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 81
      179. Grandfather Says: The Lost Entry
      180. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 82
      181. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 83 
      182. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 84
      183. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 85
      184. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 86
      185. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 87
      186. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 88 (Penultimate entry)
      187. The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Finale