Maybe only older folk like me can relate to this article, but frankly, I wish I would have taken this more seriously much earlier in life. Seriously, I can't put any of this off any more; now is the time. It’s time for me to really listen. What I’m talking about is the need to... Continue Reading →
Disconcerting is the only word for it. This past Sunday was a fine, relaxing, normal day out here in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Well, not exactly normal. My wife, Marilyn, was away up north visiting the grandkids, so I was alone taking care of the cats, chickens, birds, raccoons, squirrels, and deer. When... Continue Reading →
I suppose there’s some similarity between the photos of this past weekend’s downing of the Chinese Spy Balloon and that of the Challenger disaster. But, of course, there are no true similarities, and so any implied comparison is insensitive and shallow. I suppose there’s a chance this recent incident could be one more precursor to... Continue Reading →
Saint Paul issued special warnings to the Christians at both Rome and Corinth. To the Romans he wrote: For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) To the Corinthians he went into more detail: Now... Continue Reading →
As they do every third year, the Beatitudes sneak up upon us as the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. And everyone, especially my age, has heard or read the Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount not just once but at least a bazilion times. But have we... Continue Reading →
Thirty-seven years ago this weekend, seven astronauts suffered a horrendous death as the space shuttle Challenger exploded in mid-air seventy-three seconds after takeoff. Almost anyone, at least in America, who was alive at that moment has the visual image of that explosion etched in our memories. Where were you when it happened? I was just... Continue Reading →
I’m a grandfather. I didn’t just become one—I’ve been one for eleven years. And I’ve got six wonderful grandchildren. Actually, I should say Marilyn and I are grandparents. Marilyn is the good grandparent, the cuddly one, the one to whom the grandchildren naturally gravitate. I’m the old grouchy guy in the corner. One of the... Continue Reading →
A year or so ago I posted about the visit of a friend, an aging "wanted-to-be" farmer. He and I were relaxing in front of our hearthstone wood stove, when he started to rant. "You know, there was a time when my contentment was being shattered by bitterness. From scratch I had developed our farm... Continue Reading →
Seven years ago, it was a great honor and humble surprise to be asked to speak on of all things Agrarian Distributism. For me to do this square on would truly have been a clear example of the Peter Principal, for being by far the worst farmer who ever lived, and mostly inept in economics,... Continue Reading →
Have you ever received a gift, that wasn’t, well, what you were expecting? Maybe it was a bit of a disappointment. Maybe you had your heart set on something else, or you had in your mind something a bit more appealing? Your taste buds were all set for something really, really sweet, only to discover... Continue Reading →