The Braley Blog
“Pete’s Daily Connection”
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When Winter Becomes Just A Memory
It happens every year but yet I am still impressed when it does. Every year there seems to be one week, or even a day, when somehow we flip a switch and the warm weather is here. And I usually don’t notice it until a few days after it happens. I’ve told you before how…
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What I Would Say To The Class of 2024
It’s graduation time in New England and since I haven’t done this in awhile I thought I would share my thoughts on what I would say if I was speaking to the graduating class of 2024. I did this a few years ago when I was writing a column for the New Bedford Standard Times.…
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When Did It Become Acceptable To Be So Rude?
It’s everywhere. You can’t escape it. People are rude. And they seem proud of it! When did this become a thing? There were a few different situations this week that caught my eye or occupied space in my brain so I thought I would explore this topic. Some family members have either had issues at…
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Mother’s Day Reminder: Reach Out While You Can
Full disclosure: This is a Mother’s Day piece I wrote two years ago. It came to mind this week when I read a Facebook post from a cousin. Her mom, my aunt, died earlier this year and this is the first Mother’s Day she has experienced without her. My mom has been gone now for…
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The Dangerous Weapon We All Carry
When you think of the word “weapon,” what comes to mind? A handgun? An AR-15? A knife? A bazooka? (Do they still make those?) What if I told you that we all have a dangerous weapon and we have the potential to use it EVERY SINGLE DAY! I read, A LOT, and one of the…
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Saluting All Military Children
Recently I learned that April is the Month of the Military Child and I wanted to write about this before the month ended. The Defense Department reports there are more than 1.6 million military children who face challenges because of their parents’ service. I never really thought about this before but it’s come to light…
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All My Life’s A Circle – Sunday Column
I was reminded yesterday of a song by the late Harry Chapin. It came out in 1979 and it’s called “Circle.” In the song, Harry sings: “All my life’s a circle; Sunrise and sundown; Moon rolls thru the nighttime; Till the daybreak comes around. All my life’s a circle; And I can’t tell you why;…
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My Annual Reminder To Always Have Hope
I think I post a picture of this tree on my socials every year. This is a Weeping Cherry Tree we have in our backyard. It was a gift from a Confirmation class my wife and taught oh…. probably twenty years ago now. Oh and yes, there are lights in the tree. My wife found…
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When Did Burgers Get So HUGE? Sunday Column
We went out to lunch yesterday on my final day in Texas. My daughter and son-in-law took me to a place on South Padre Island called “Padre Island Burger Company.” Now let me first say it was delicious and the atmosphere was great. Picture a Texas burger joint with some good country music playing and…
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Guess Who’s In Texas?
“Raising Grampy” is an occasional series written through the eyes of Pete’s 4-year-old grandson. Liam lives in Corpus Christi, TX with his mommy and daddy. Hi everyone! It’s me, Liam, and guess who came to Texas? Grampy’s here! He said the weather was cold and rainy in Massachu….. Machachu…. at Grammy’s house so he came…