Category: <span>Family Stories</span>

Published May 27, 2025 by

There And Back Again to Peru

Ron and Winnie looking at the camera with sunset on the Tambopata River, Peru, in the background
A Sunset Selfie on the Tambopata River

Estimated reading time: 51 minutes

Winnie and I recently returned from two-weeks of cross-country adventures in Peru. During our trip we took a boat ride around marine sanctuary islands; rode a dune buggy in sand dunes; flew over hard desert to view the lines of Nazca; spent three nights in a jungle lodge keeping our snacks locked away safe from monkeys; hiked a portion of the Inca trail between Cuzco and Machu Picchu; and toured a number of Incan archeological sites. We also drove over an 18,000-foot mountain pass; viewed Lake Titicaca; got altitude sickness; and (briefly) lost my luggage to a Peruvian airline. It was quite the trip.

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Family Stories Ron Charest

Inca Trail Peru vacation

Published April 15, 2025 by

Heading South on Vacation

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peru_Machu_Picchu_Sunrise.jpg
Machu Pichu at Sunrise

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

In a few days, Winnie and I will be heading out on a vacation trip I’ve wanted to do since about 1979. We’re headed to Peru for a two week tour of this magical South American country.

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Family Stories

Peru vacation

Published April 13, 2025 by

This and That, Mad King Edition

This and That Mad Hatter Cartoon
This and That

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

So the days go by, one at a time, as days always do. Here in America each day brings a new atrocity from our mad king trump. Every time we think he’s gone as low as he can go violating our laws, our ethics, and our humanity Americans have long taken for granted, our mad king goes lower. And lower still.

Meanwhile, our mad king’s brown-nosing quislings continue to fall over themselves in their endless quests to kowtow. While us non-trump-fluffing shell-shocked Americans watch our civil liberties melt away and our retirement funds shrink as the price of essentials rockets to the skies. And we watch the nightly news in helpless fury at new horror each day brings.

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Family Stories Opinions & Commentary

Mad King Trump Politics This and That

Published January 18, 2025 by

When Karma Really Bites

Crosswalk RRFB sign. Karma does work even in a crosswalk
Karma In A Crosswalk

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

I’ve recently added another seemingly popular answer to my Quora account. This time, I had the opportunity to describe one of the very few instances when I was happy to see a police officer. My story also describes when a person received a very direct, and very sudden, Karma response to their actions.

My story is one example of a case when Karma really bites.

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Family Stories Quora Re-Posts

Karma Police quora

Published January 11, 2025 by

Making A Navy to Civilian Life Transition

On Making A Navy to Civilian Life Transition. Join modern mobile mighty Navy by Library of Congress is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0
Our Modern Mobile Mighty Navy

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Another one of my Quora answers seems to have hit the mark. Given the number of upvotes, and response comments, I thought it was worth sharing on this humble blog.

The question was “Is it true that the longer you stay in the military, especially as an officer, it will be harder to transition to the civilian world when you get out?”

My answer described my difficulties in making my transition from Navy to Civilian life. Spoiler alert: My answer is a resounding “Yes!“

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Family Stories In the Navy Quora Re-Posts

navy life quora Transitions

Published December 10, 2024 by

Who Inspires Me

statue of liberty with winnie in front posing as the statue. Photo taken October 2010
Winnie Under the Statue of Liberty

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Last Christmas my oldest nephew, Terry, gifted me a one-year subscription to “Storyworth.com.” This is a service designed to get people writing about themselves, in response to questions the subscriber selects. Storyworth poses a new question every week, and at the end of the year compiles all answers into a book.

I’ve been pretty good about answering the questions. Some have forced more introspection that I’m used to. Which is probably a good thing. One question that I’ve just finished answering deserves to be posted here, in consideration of the current wave of national xenophobia.

This is my answer to the question of “Who Inspires You?”

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Family Stories

America immigration Inspiration

Published October 17, 2024 by

A Reunion in Seattle

Ron and Winnie Charest at Pikes Market, Seattle, Washington
Ron and Winnie Charest at Pikes Market, Seattle, Washington

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Winnie and I recently returned from a week’s vacation in Seattle, Washington. It was a great week. We had a chance to visit with one of our nephews, explore Seattle and the lovely surrounding parks, and attend another Navy reunion. The reunion was the primary reason for making this trip.

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Family Stories In the Navy

Deep Submersibles Navy Reunion

Published August 10, 2024 by

When A Prostitute Is Better Than A Protestant

The inside of a beautiful Catholic church. Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/empty-cathedral-seats-and-hallway-with-lights-turned-on-208277/
The Hollow Splendor of A Catholic Church

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Recently I answered another Quora question on religion. While the answer dredged up another hurtful memory, it also seemed to resonate with numerous Quora members. So, for the pleasure of my many readers I will report my answer here, with additional bonus commentary.

My answer relates how a Catholic Priest once compared being a prostitute to a Protestant, knowing I was attending his Mass and knowing I was a Lutheran.

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Family Stories Quora Re-Posts

Catholics Protestants quora

Published July 12, 2024 by

Moving To Charlotte

Moving Away From Virginia
Moving Away

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

We’ve moved. Over the past several months Winnie and I have made the complex transition from living in Northern Virginia to living in Charlotte, North Carolina. This transition involved buying a house, selling our house, moving our extensive collection of household goods, and reorganizing my ongoing professional life. Not to mention shifting all our necessary professional support services we developed during the eighteen years we lived in Virginia.

But we now live in Charlotte. In the great scheme of life adventures that’s happened to Winnie and me, this was just another speed bump.

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Family Stories Ron Charest

Charlotte Moving Out North Carolina

Published May 22, 2024 by

Moving On and Letting Go

Stack of empty boxes needed for moving. Photo by SHVETS production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/stack-of-empty-cardboard-boxes-prepared-for-relocation-from-home-7203699/
Lots of Boxes Needed for Moving

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

I’ve always tied physical objects to memories of people and pleasant events. So, the end result is that I collect “stuff.” Lots of “stuff.” Odd small “stuff” like pamphlets, letters, and greeting cards. Then, there’s bigger “stuff” like books, small furnishings, and collectibles.

With my collecting “stuff” quirk, which can easily border on obsessive, moving is hard. One of the things I’m having to do in this latest and last move I plan on making, is letting go.

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Family Stories

Memories moving