A crisp and clear morning. Bright and beautiful. The sort of day that fills one with hope and optimism. I imagine a morning with coffee, light banter, reading, playing with the dogs. And, a quick, tender kiss on the lips. Their last. A perfect Saturday morning. She steps away to run some errands, as done … More A Life Without Regrets
It’s always enough just to discover that the cabin hasn’t burned down, or isn’t occupied by another party. Getting there and entering the old shack, which to the best of my knowledge dates to around 1922, is a victory in and of itself. I wrote about this place in my book extensively, and never tire of … More The Pigeon Lives!
The skin on my face was incinerated today. Prior to the photodynamic treatment, a $300 medication was applied to ensure a 10X sunburn. It turns out that an effective treatment for precancerous sun damage is another extreme burn. Burn off all the bad stuff, and the skin should regenerate anew. Needing to avoid contact with … More Skin in the game
The mid-life crisis rolls on. Choppy seas consistently threaten to swamp our little life raft. In and through the turmoil, however, actual progress is being made. Slowly, painfully slowly, we are establishing a sustainable household economy. We desire to produce work of value for our neighbors and community-at-large, and simultaneously feed, clothe, and shelter our … More Momentum
The death of our dog left a pretty big hole. Not even this can of kittens could fill it. Boundaries and limits can actually be pretty wonderful. Our annual income can barely be quantified in the tens of thousands. If various expenses are included, the plural could be removed pretty easily. This is not a … More Bounty in scarcity
I wrote the short piece below for the paper. I had hoped to encourage people, but was surprised at how controversial it became (judging by the comments on a local website). The experience caused me to see why the vast majority of individuals keep to themselves. Once again, Gandalf’s comments seem appropriate: Saruman believes it … More What this country needs most is you
The city needs surrounding rural areas just as a rubber tire requires a metal rim. Neither will truly thrive without the other. Living in the city, as I do, my wellbeing requires a regular inoculation of the country. And by country, I don’t just mean the land, although it certainly includes that. The people who … More Making America Great Again
These paintings were rejected by Shawna years ago. Several date back to 2007, when Shawna decided to begin painting again, after a significant hiatus, during which time we moved across the country twice, bought a home, yada yada yada. They’ve been in our basement collecting dust for years. A hopeless sentimentalist, I’ve rescued them from my … More Introducing the Hall of Rejects!
Our home is on the cusp of entering its 107th year. My family is just the fourth to live here, and this is not uncommon on our street. Numerous folks spend the majority of their lives here, which has made for a tremendously desirable, stable neighborhood. I’m aware of two former notables: a U.S. Senator out … More Woven into the tapestry of an old home
This is the entire accumulation of papers and notes saved from my favorite classes in college and grad school: I’ve never consulted them, but I have stored and moved ’em around for nearly two decades. Is this this the sum of all the knowledge gained from tens of thousands of dollars in higher education? Can … More Whittling down to the essentials
Ed's Big Adventure 