• About
  • Mortgage Basics
  • $40K Challenge
  • Aunt Doris
  • Grandfather Says
  • Privacy
  • Archives

Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Grandfather Says: The Benefits of DIY Housing

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather sees that very few folks build their own houses anymore. But Grandfather says he thinks the increasing concentration of US housing in the hands of wealthy owners, who then effectively control them as rentals, may make some of you ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: The Benefits of DIY Housing

22 Comments August 5, 2021

Grandfather Says: The Story of Emile and Mollie

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather fondly remembers Emile and Molly. Grandfather first came to know Emile when he was Grandfather's supervisor at the US Patent Office. Emile and his wife Mollie were Jewish; Mollie from Chicago and Emile from Eastern Europe. He had ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: The Story of Emile and Mollie

1 Comment July 8, 2021

Grandfather Says: Impressions In Charcoal

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather says nowadays, illustrations in printed publications are mostly done with photo-processors. In the 1940s, they were done by commercial artists. In his teens, Grandfather studied to become one, at Cass Technical High School in ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Impressions In Charcoal

17 Comments April 29, 2021

Grandfather Says: Eulogy for a Friend

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather says he has seen most of his friends buried in recent years. Here is a eulogy that Grandfather delivered for a very dear friend at his memorial service, shortly after the attack on the World Trade Center in NYC: Wayne Cowder leaves ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Eulogy for a Friend

8 Comments April 15, 2021

Grandfather Says: Spelling Bee

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather says he is blessed with a good memory and enough self-assurance that it's not a curse; little things from long ago come to mind. When he was six years old, Grandfather learned to read by the phonic method: "sound it out." Well, ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Spelling Bee

12 Comments April 1, 2021

Grandfather Says: My First Job as a Newspaper Boy

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather says when he was 13 or so, he got his first job: a newspaper boy for the Detroit Free Press. They distributed newspapers to homes through the 1950s. Each boy had his own route, about a mile along a street, and his papers were delivered ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: My First Job as a Newspaper Boy

Leave a Comment March 18, 2021

Grandfather Says: Happiness and Living in the Right Mold

By RD Blakeslee

How do you fit your mold? Grandfather says life can be thought of as a mold, different for each of us, but constraining, whether we like it or not. The key to happiness, in his opinion, is to live in the right mold. Grandfather's mold is ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Happiness and Living in the Right Mold

7 Comments March 4, 2021

Grandfather Says: A Chicken Run for the Henhouse

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather says when he got engaged to be married in 2008, his bride-to-be insisted on bringing her cat and chickens with her. Well, housing the cat required no special arrangement, but the chickens were another matter. Grandfather says he ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: A Chicken Run for the Henhouse

15 Comments February 18, 2021

Grandfather Says: Memories of a Budding Shipwright

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather has written before about stone and wood -- this one's about water. Specifically, bodies of water and how he's enjoyed them over the years. Described earlier were Cape Hatteras on the shores of the Atlantic; the Lynn canal between ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Memories of a Budding Shipwright

6 Comments December 24, 2020

Grandfather Says: A Trophy for the Natural

By RD Blakeslee

When Grandfather was 13 or so, playground baseball/softball -- it just depended who showed up with what kind of ball and bat -- began to invade his young life. He remembers one of his novice catastrophes: a baseball went right over his glove and ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: A Trophy for the Natural

5 Comments December 10, 2020

Grandfather Says: Preparing for Hard Times

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather says he thinks there are some tough years ahead. He says be creative and live better as those years go by. B F Goodrich & Co. built a specialty rubber plant here, fabricating mostly aircraft and military equipment, about 50 ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Preparing for Hard Times

10 Comments July 23, 2020

Grandfather Says: There Is No Escape From the Present

By RD Blakeslee

It's highly unfashionable -- if not downright politically incorrect -- to live in the past, but Grandfather doesn't think so. He believes US civilization reached its zenith in the third quarter of the twentieth century, when the nation was unified ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: There Is No Escape From the Present

9 Comments May 14, 2020

Grandfather Says: Some Thoughts on Building a Life-Long Homestead

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather would like, first off, to do his best to convince young people that they can put their life, fortune and sacred honor into their life-long homestead. It's a state of mind which was the norm as the settlers expanded West in the 19th ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Some Thoughts on Building a Life-Long Homestead

11 Comments April 30, 2020

Grandfather Says: Remembering Grandfather’s Father

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather says his father has been departed for more than 60 years now (may God rest his soul), but Grandfather well remembers him. He was an honor student in high school and continued that way later, at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Remembering Grandfather’s Father

7 Comments April 16, 2020

Grandfather Says: Western Civilization Is Out of Fashion

By RD Blakeslee

Western civilization seems unfashionable in most colleges these days. "Diversity" is now the revealed truth. Anyway, Grandfather trotted out an old college textbook of his, Readings in Western Civilization, Knoles and Snyder, J.B. Lippincott 1951, ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Western Civilization Is Out of Fashion

4 Comments April 2, 2020

Grandfather Says: A Few Words on Our Nation’s Travails

By RD Blakeslee

Len has asked me to write about what I see as the prospects for our nation. If I were a believer in "credentials" I would desist, but I'm not. What I am is a man who has lived his life as independently of current fashion as possible and does not care ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: A Few Words on Our Nation’s Travails

10 Comments March 19, 2020

Grandfather Says: Musings on an Old-Time Liberal Education

By RD Blakeslee

An early 19th century liberal education mandated studies in classical literature, now abandoned -- and sometimes scorned -- in most "universities." Grandfathers Father, Ralph the First, studied for the ministry at the Southern Baptist Theological ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Musings on an Old-Time Liberal Education

4 Comments March 5, 2020

Grandfather Says: A Personal Portrait of My Time In Bergamo, Italy

By RD Blakeslee

He remembers Bergamo, Italy. It's in the mountainous North of Italy, just South of the Swiss border and about midway between Maranello, where the incomparable Ferrari automobiles are manufactured and Milan, home of the La Scalla opera house, where ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: A Personal Portrait of My Time In Bergamo, Italy

8 Comments February 20, 2020

Grandfather Says: The Boy Is ‘Just Who He Is’

By RD Blakeslee

Grandfather says his preparing for retirement boiled down to supporting and, to the extent needed, enabling the family members (particularly the wife -- permanent fixture -- kids, temporary) to live the lives they wanted to live in their best ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: The Boy Is ‘Just Who He Is’

3 Comments February 6, 2020

Grandfather Says: Grandfather’s Puppy

By RD Blakeslee

About a year and a half ago, Grandfather got himself a puppy! A companion for him as he enters his dotage. The little guy is a Maltese. Clyde is a great little guy. Maltese are very small; four to seven pounds is the normal weight in ...

Continue reading Grandfather Says: Grandfather’s Puppy

9 Comments January 23, 2020

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next Page »

The Question of the Week:

Are you a better or worse financial manager than your parents?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Recent Posts

  • Black Coffee: Out to Lunch
  • How to Set Up a Proper Gambling Budget
  • How to Guarantee a Social Security Disability Claim
  • Grandfather Says: Croc Hunting in Mindanao
  • How to Save Money on Dental Care So You Won’t Go Broke at the Dentist
  • 7 Big Reasons Why a Roth IRA Isn’t the Best Way to Save for Retirement
  • 3 Ways That Great Sleep Helps You Get Richer
  • Series I Savings Bonds Are Now Paying 9.62%; Here Are Their Pros and Cons
  • Black Coffee: Are You Not Entertained?
  • 100 Words On: What You Should Always Do Before Buying Stuff Online

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. In fact, making investment decisions based on information published here, or any other website for that matter, is more than unwise; it is folly. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Sometimes, an article may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

Sign up for the weekly Len Penzo dot Com newsletter
Len Penzo dot Com Delivered Weekly
Join more than 40,000 readers and fans who enjoy personal finance and macroeconomics with an offbeat twist!
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing!

Popular Now:

  1. 1. The Great Paper Towel Test: Which Brand Is Your Best Value?
  2. 2. How a Broken Washing Machine Fixed My Finances
  3. 3. Tip Inflation: We’ve Got Nobody to Blame But Ourselves
  4. 4. Lottery Fraud: Don’t Get Caught Paying “The Stupid Tax”
  5. 5. What’s the Fastest Way to Pay Down Your Mortgage Early?
  6. 6. The Marriage Conundrum: Joint or Separate Accounts?
  7. 7. Why Time Is More Valuable Than Money
  8. 8. 25 Examples of Shrinkflation That No Longer Fool Consumers
  9. 9. Historical Gold & Silver Benchmarks for Wages and Commodity Prices
  10. 10. 4 Good Reasons Why Some Quarters Are Painted Red

All-Time Most Popular:

  1. 1. 19 Things Your Suburban Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You
  2. 2. Dear Friend: Here Are 41 Reasons Why I’m NOT Lending You the Money
  3. 3. Why Your Expensive Luxury Car Doesn’t Impress Smart People
  4. 4. If You Can’t Live on $40,000 Annually It’s Your Own Fault
  5. 5. 21 Reasons Why Corner Lots Are for Suckers
  6. 6. 4 Smart Reasons Why College Isn’t for Everyone
  7. 7. 18 Fast Facts About Social Security Numbers
  8. 8. My Ketchup Taste Test: Upset! Guess Which Brand Topped Heinz
  9. 9. Why I Prefer a Spreadsheet to Track Expenses and Manage My Finances
  10. 10. Here’s a Simple Trick for Getting Credit Card Interest Charges Waived

Copyright © 2022 Len Penzo dot Com · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media

© Len Penzo dot Com 2008–2022