Mar 5Member-onlyReally big chocolate cookies are for dreamersWhen I was in high school, the little store on campus sold giant cookies. They seemed about U.F.O. sized and everyone’s favorite choice was the chocolate chip kind because you could see endless amounts of chocolate chips through the plastic wrap that held it all together. The computer lab lady…Cookies3 min readCookies3 min read
Feb 26Member-onlyWhen giving up is hard to doI’m not Catholic, but I like the idea of giving up something for a season. In our society, our way of living, giving up something seems like an extraordinary act of sacrifice. We need to give up things more often. This is the season of giving up things. I think…Lent3 min readLent3 min read
Feb 20Member-onlySenior Cafe and other reasons to gatherA local organization that supports disabled people in my town announced this week that they are hosting a new Senior Café event on most mornings of the week. The flyer said there would be free coffee and even continental breakfast for sale beginning at 7:30 a.m. each day. Under a…Coffee3 min readCoffee3 min read
Feb 12Member-onlyReader letters make life worth writing aboutI like to read emails and letters from readers. People don’t have to write something and send it to someone they really don’t know. Still, many of you do, and it means something to me. Sending someone a note of encouragement, a quick message that shares good feelings, seems like…Letters3 min readLetters3 min read
Feb 6Member-onlyWe need more old fashioned hamburger experiencesMy friend always chuckles when I go to a diner or a whole-in-the-wall, family-owned restaurant and order an Old Fashioned. It’s what I call a traditional, classic burger. You know the kind. Toasted bun, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and some mayo. Oh, and the best part is a patty that looks…Food3 min readFood3 min read
Jan 29Member-onlyA place for coffee and communityFriday mornings are my favorite mornings of the week. Instead of heading straight to the office, I get to hang out at a coffee shop, Blueberry Café, in the historic downtown section of my hometown. It’s a small place that feels like it belongs just right where it is. For…Coffee3 min readCoffee3 min read
Jan 15Member-onlyLet’s build memorials celebrating reconciliationThere are a lot of war memorials in our great country. Statues and plaques with names of soldiers, everyday, ordinary people who picked up arms for a cause and who left everything on battlefields that are now grassy hills just a few blocks from your neighborhood grocery store. When I…Happiness3 min readHappiness3 min read
Jan 8Member-onlyIt’s a new year, but everything feels the sameSitting in a café just south of the US-Mexico line, listening to what sounds like Spanish jazz, it’s 7:45 a.m., the morning is cold, the clouds are low, and familiar faces stand in line for their morning brews. A new year is here. Everything feels the same. I can hear…New Year3 min readNew Year3 min read
Dec 31, 2022Member-onlyVacations bring time for reflection, happy thoughtsThe first day of vacation always feels like you just woke up from a seven-day nap. You get the feeling on that first work-less Monday that you won the lottery, and you don’t know what to do with your millions. …Memories3 min readMemories3 min read
Dec 24, 2022Member-onlyBright lights and nativity scenes tell the story of ChristmasWhen I put up Christmas lights this year, I made sure to use the kind of lights that reminded me of what I saw as a kid, driving down neighborhoods oohing and aahing through the back windows of the family car. You know the kind. Big, multi-colored, egg shaped lights. …Christmas3 min readChristmas3 min read
