It’s been a weekend filled with fond memories and regrets as I learned Sunday afternoon of my friend Thom’s passing. It’s Thom, not Tom, as he was quick to note when we first met over thirty years ago. It was early in 1981 and we had just moved from Colorado to Grand Rapids, which, as I knew from my model … Continue reading →
My apologies loyal readers as an epic battle Tuesday with some very tenacious wallpaper lulled my brain into continuously looping the Jeopardy Final Answer music; crippling it and leaving it unable to pursue serious pondering. Fortunately my equally determined son, armed with an industrial strength wallpaper steamer and thirty fewer years of excess baggage joined me in battle; and sustained … Continue reading →
As I sat eating breakfast this morning I happened to think back on a conversation with my Dad on Sunday. We were talking about his upcoming skin cancer surgery, transportation plans and how I always thought it was nice to have family present during medical procedures, not just for drop off and pick up chores. I often did that for … Continue reading →
How do you deal with tough times and difficult situations? Are you resilient? Do you bounce back? Do you take things in stride? Do you move forward, past, beyond the event or environment? If you’re anything like me, you’ve never stopped to think about how your mindset as a child and young adult helps you cope with tragedies and loss. … Continue reading →
Yesterday, following a weekend of wind and rain which resulted in a bumper crop of walnuts, it seemed appropriate to rethink my previous decision to just mow over them, wisdom being the better part of valor, and all that. Facing the prospect of a bone jarring, tooth rattling, glasses-cap-hearing protector shaking ride, I grabbed a rake and headed into the … Continue reading →
A few years ago John Ortberg wrote a book titled When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box. The title is an obvious reference to the idea that when we die we don’t get to take anything with us; but there is much more to his book than the title. Right now though, I’m fixating on … Continue reading →
I suspected it would be a busy Tuesday with Terry, and it hasn’t disappointed. Mom-in-law said, “yes” to my breakfast invitation necessitating a bit of extra driving and adding to the schedule of events which already included stops at the attorney’s office, the bank, home to make copies, then the post office and finally lunch and blogging time. Driving the … Continue reading →
I spent a good chunk of this afternoon engaged in the ab-twisting, fat-jiggling, nut-shucking twice-weekly endeavor otherwise known as mowing the lawn. I use those carefully chosen modifiers to describe the experience of driving a lawn tractor over a prolific crop of walnuts provided by our particularly fertile forest, umm…grove, well actually – pair of walnut trees likely approaching 50 … Continue reading →