Maybe I’m getting old, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more it strikes me that life’s simple pleasures really are the best. If you’re over age 55, perhaps you remember this one: I’m not so sure I’d rank a helping of pork and beans as one of life’s…
Since I’m technically on vacation, my writing time is quite limited. Nevertheless, on a recent hike we came across a fascinating scene. Until last week, we had never been to Minnesota’s North Shore—that stretch of Lake Superior shoreline stretching from Duluth to Grand Portage. A few weeks ago, I lamented…
Spring, finally, has sprung. Two weeks ago, it seemed as if it’d never get here! The last couple of months have been cooler than normal, and I believe cloudier, too. Tree buds opened late. Flowers have delayed their blooming. Garden planting has been put off. I’ve only mowed the lawn…
Thanksgiving 1998 didn’t happen. At least, not in our home. It almost did, until…. Shelburne, Vermont was our home at the time. I served as the Pastor of the Baptist church located just north of the village, right off Rt. 7. The church held a traditional Thanksgiving Praise Service at…
Ever tried sleeping on a hard-as-a-rock pillow and thought you’d never get to sleep? My better half has never been backpacking before. Done many a day hike with me through the years, but never with a 25 lb. pack on her back. Never setting up a tiny, lightweight tent at…
I recently attended a funeral. Yes. Attended…didn’t officiate. That doesn’t happen very often in my line of work. In fact, in the last twenty years, I’ve probably merely attended fewer than five. Attending gives me a different perspective from “conducting.” When I have the privilege of conducting a funeral, my…
I was there at the time, but I surely don’t remember it. The way my mom tells the story, when I was a baby—not sure exactly how old—I came down with a dangerous case of pneumonia. So bad it was that I spent several days in the hospital in a…
Please note: Last week, I began a brief series of reflections on “Processes.” I’m continuing that series here on Wednesdays. Some friends of ours love Winter. They live in New England, and living in that part of the country, a love for the long, cold, snowy season is definitely a significant help…
I am finally getting to the stage of life where my better half and I have begun talking about the “R” word—you know, “retirement.” Frankly, it’s not on the near horizon, but by squinting a bit we can see it off in the distance. It’s autumn—not only on the calendar,…
For many of us in the upper Midwest, making the annual autumn pilgrimage to an apple orchard has become a favorite family outing. Orchards have caught on to the trend and added quite an array of activities to attract guests—mostly those with young children. I can appreciate that. It’s good…
