By
Eric Franke
Congratulations to Eric! Thirty-nine of the following original stories were published as Stories from Life, available at www.PublishAmerica.com. (Note: Stories 5, 11, and 13, were not included. Stories above 42 may be included in a second book someday.)
The following Table of Contents was created to match his submissions to this family website. These are the earlier and unedited (for publication) versions. Enjoy!
| 1. A Toast to Freedom | about a trip to West Germany |
| 2. A Box Full of Memories | my arrival to New York in 1948 |
| 3. Swedish Christmas | my memories of Christmas at Grandma's |
| 4. Deep Thoughts | observations made under the old oak tree |
| 5. Driving can be a Nightmare! | my suspicions about driving |
| 6. The Colors of Fall | B and I go on a photography outing |
| 7. Crossing of the North Atlantic | my trip to the U.S.A. 1948 |
| 8. Grilling and Other Manly Chores | female domination? |
| 9. HAPPY RETIREMENT! | a retiree's observations on life |
| 10. Happy Thanksgiving | a young housewife's first turkey dinner |
| 11. Mother's Big Helper | the tribulations of having the first baby |
| 12. The ART of SNORING | about embarrassing moments |
| 13. Memories of an Old Pal - Updated | memories of an old friend |
| 14. Our Early Days of Marriage | B and I begin our married life |
| 15. Where's the soap? | reflections on frugal shopping habits |
| 16. Don't you wonder why? | observations from life |
| 17. About Fresh Fish | a seafood experience in Japan |
| 18. A Time in the Sun | travel memories from Cancun, Mexico |
| 19. My Wild Kingdom | our tenants, the raccoons, win the war |
| 20. Childhood Memories, Part One | my early life in Sweden |
| 21. Childhood Memories, Part Two | my early life in Sweden |
| 22. Childhood Memories, Part Three | my early life in Sweden |
| 23. Springtime Gardening | about activities in the backyard |
| 24. Holy Matrimony | trials and tribulations of newly-weds < |
| 25. A Medical Encounter | a personal surgery experience |
| 26. Journey from the Past | our honeymoon trip to Sweden 1954 |
| 27. Harold and Maude | my questionable ability to judge people |
| 28. Flying is for the Birds | a flight across the Everglades back in the mid 1960's |
| 29. VOYAGE TO THE FAR-EAST | crossing the Pacific on a troop ship |
| 30. MY PET PEEVES | some pet peeves of mine |
| 31. PEOPLE I'VE KNOWN | some individuals that stuck in my mind |
| 32. A Christmas Fantasy | a little Christmas story |
| 33. ANNOYING DRIVERS | adversities connected with driving a car |
| 34. FLIGHT FROM HELL | depressing return trip from Cancun |
| 35. FROM CIVILIAN TO RECRUIT | experiences in the military |
| 36. A Day in the Life of a Retiree | what seniors do during the day |
| 37. More Pet Peeves | more of of life's annoyances |
| 38. About Elevators and Lifts | my experiences with elevators |
| 39. Reflections On Days Gone By | B and I look back over time |
| 40. About the Fourth Dimension | Time is relative |
| 41. Visit to the Dentist | some painful memories |
| 42. HOW TO WRITE A BOOK | why can't everyone write a book? |
| 43. TRAVEL TRAUMA | our experiences during our travel to fun in the sun |
| 44. In Pursuit of the Perfect Egg | about the perfectly prepared egg |
| 45. April in Paris | about a business trip to Europe in 1977 |
| 46. About Selling Your Home | about selling your family home |
| 47. Embarrassing Moments | situations that we wish had never happened |
| 48. Assignment Japan | a memorable assignment during my military days |
| 49. Assignment Korea - New Addition | a story from my military life |
Click here to e-mail Eric your comments now