Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss equates ‘glow’ with fervor and joy. This morning, I bask in the glow of accomplishment. Twenty-five months after writing the first sentence, I can call my seventh novel complete… “Until the railroad comes in 1863, Amersfoort claims nothing of particular importance other than, perhaps, the Tower of Our Lady, one of …
Category Archives: Body
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In an age where video screens and consumerism hold our children captive, it’s refreshing to see kids actually outdoors, exercising their muscles, their minds, and their spirits, AND engaged in FACE-TO-FACE relationships with other kids, adults and creatures as well. They remind me of my little buddy Conor and his sister Samantha who lived next …
Silence
We inhabit a world of chaos, and in it, silence is a rare commodity. Noise pollution is everywhere. In his book Silence in the Age of Noise, explorer Erling Kagge writes, “…the world’s secrets are hidden inside silence.” I often think of the 46th Psalm, “Be still and know that I am God…” As 2019 …
Waffles
Waffles were a special breakfast when I was a kid. While pancakes were a regular staple raising our kids in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, we didn’t invest in a waffle iron because it was difficult to make enough waffles to feed five kids at one time. As an adult, I rarely ate breakfast until …
Feeling Fit
I feel my best when I engage in regular exercise. Excepting my college years as a varsity athlete – of course in those days at the Air Force Academy one did not have to be a varsity athlete to exercise regularly – I have never been more fit than during the last ten years when …
What Will You Do When It’s Cold?
As Autumn ushers in colder winds from Canada, friends and acquaintances ask me – as I continue my sabbatical in a 10×16 shed with best friend Clarence – “What will you do when it’s cold?” I appreciate their concern and curiosity. Construction on the house is progressing so slowly that I will consider myself fortunate …
Water
I am midway through my ninth week of living minimally ‘off the map.’ Excepting the broken leg from a week ago, it has been an exhilaratingly positive experience on all fronts: spiritually, mentally and physically. I was schooled in the ‘whole man concept’ as a cadet at the Air Force Academy 50 years ago. That …
Lessons from the Forest
Three months ago, I wrote about the lessons the Kinnickinnic River taught me when I kayaked in high, rapid water with my friend Adam. Nature continues to teach me, and once more, the hard, humbling way, but that approach is certain to capture one’s attention… Since moving up to the hill with Clarence, I have …
Lessons from the River
We are blessed with two wonderful, young and vibrant families as neighbors, one on our left, the other on the right. Adam – to my left – acquired a kayak a few days ago and was anxious to log his maiden voyage on the Kinnickinnic and I enthusiastically volunteered to join him. Friday, May 31 …
The Joy of Adventure
There are those activities like fishing for trout that one can devote a morning, an afternoon, even a full day to and never capture as much as a glimpse of the bespeckled fish. That is of no consequence to the devote practitioner who gains as much – if not more – from the activity as …