Welcome. You will find our current newsletters and Tom's writings, musings and thoughts. Enjoy!
This morning, I watched Mama Duck and her baby ducklings go for an early swim. Mama Duck went this way and that, making sure the ducklings stayed in line. She bobbed up and down. The ducklings did the same. Next, Mama Duck jumped up on land, foraged a bit, moved this way and that, and sat down for a rest. The ducklings did the same. Truly an eventful morning.
Read MoreDid someone turn up the volume? It seems that everywhere I go, music is blaring, people are talking loudly, (not using their inside voices) and there is just so much commotion. The noise is overwhelming!
Ah, but ‘tis the season. . . with Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the rear-view mirror, maybe we can make time for quiet as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
When I was a kid, the metric system was a big deal. I remember learning how the US was going to join the majority of the world by fully adopting the metric system of measurement. As an early adapter, I was all over it. I studied inches-to-centimeter conversions and centimeters to meters and on and on. I can still see, and smell, ditto sheets (remember those?!) with inches on one side and centimeters on the other.
Read MoreDo you ever feel like an impostor? I do. There are days when, as much as I want to appear confident and wise, deep down inside I feel like the six-year-old version of me in dress-up clothes.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an imposter as one who assumes a false identity or title for the purpose of deception. Having just returned from a wonderful weekend at the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, UT, I found it fascinating to watch the actors and actresses “become” their stage characters. For all practical purposes, these performers are, quite simply, imposters. Now, hold on, I do understand that performers take on theatre roles for entertainment and not evil, so calling them imposters is a bit harsh. But it did get me thinking about grace.
I have a new friend. He is an early riser like me. A few months ago, as I was on my way to the kitchen for my first cup of morning joe, Eddie was looking in my back window. Eddie is not a stalker; he is an owlet. When I first saw Eddie, he was covered in downy feathers. These days he is much more owl-like with beautiful markings, expansive wings, and big eyes that look directly at me.
Read MoreWhat would you think about if you only had a few hours left on this earth?
This is not a bucket list question, but rather when you have the realization your time here is rapidly coming to an end and there is nothing left to do, where will your mind go? What thoughts will you have?
Depressing, I know, but still a very valid question.
This past weekend, we celebrated the men and women of the US forces who gave their lives for our county. Thank you. Thank you as well to all of you reading this who have served in the military. Your years of dedication and selfless acts of service are an inspiration. Thank you.
Read MoreWhen was the last time you were so frustrated that you just wanted to throw in the towel? When “whatever” was so bad you were just done with it?
A couple of months ago, my 86-year-old dad and I started putting together wooden puzzles. On the surface wooden puzzles seem to be like traditional jigsaw puzzles. But no, they are a whole different beast. Wooden puzzles don’t typically have identifiable side or end pieces, and you can’t group the pieces together by colors.
Last weekend, I did something unusual for me. I was out of town for Spring break and due to limited choices and seasonal travelers, I booked a 9:30 pm return flight to Phoenix. A 9:30 pm Saturday flight is way out of my norm – I am usually in bed and sound asleep by 8:30 pm.
Guess what? It was the best flying experience I’ve had in years. The airport was nearly empty, I breezed through security, the flight was on time, people were smiling all around me, and the plane was only half full. It was like flying pre-911. Nice!
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, my family would load up the car each summer and take a road trip. Living in Missouri, we might vacation far west to California, southeast to Florida, or maybe just over to the Missouri Ozarks. Regardless, it took a lot of planning to fit all six of us plus our little chihuahua, Sniffles, our luggage, and the necessary summer adventure gear. It was a BIG deal. The anticipation was huge. We could not wait to get started. Yet, once the trip began, we quickly grew bored and cranky. The endless car hours were grueling. To pass the time, we would play games. One of my favorites was a version of “I Spy” - finding yellow (or green or pink or…) cars and keeping score to see who could find the most. Was it coincidental that when we turned our attention to yellow cars, there seemed to be so many more? Maybe. Or maybe we just were paying attention.
Read MoreI don’t know if this is the same for you, but it sure seems like there are a bunch of looming headlines in our 24/7/365 news cycle about faith, church, and spirituality. A case in point was a Fox News headline dated January 9, 2023, “Third of Americans have quit church as attendance fails to recover pre-pandemic numbers.” Articles about declining church attendance, the rise of those who have no religious affiliation, pastor burnouts, and the closing of churches throughout the United States fill my inbox.
Read MoreAs we usher in 2023, I hope you and your family had a blessed Christmas and holiday season. 2022 was quite a year! For many, work, school, and travel returned to a pre-pandemic pace, and yet, I think we can all agree most things are far from ideal.
A few days ago, I came across this handwritten note in one of Tom’s journals:
“God allows us to live in this day, this minute with an ever-present sense of the future reality that this moment is inescapably linked to God’s plan – His future rest for me!”
Ready or not, the Christmas season has begun. The leftover turkey is gone, Christmas songs fill the air and neighborhoods are lighting up with holiday decorations.
‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la . . .
But wait, before we get into all the hustle and bustle, let’s talk about Advent.
Last week I needed cash. Not money in the bank, but cash - a few twenties, tens, and fives. Clearly, this wasn’t a big deal, right? Just go to the bank and get some cool, hard cash. Well, lo and behold, it wasn’t that easy. In addition to not having cash, I also didn’t have a debit card. My debit card is safely tucked away in some of my stuff in Missouri. Yep, it is 1500 miles away.
Read MoreDid you, along with more than 4 billion others around the world, watch Queen Elizabeth’s funeral? I did. I was enthralled by the pomp, reverence, and majestic yet bittersweet beauty of it all. Queen Elizabeth’s seventy-year reign (70 years and 214 days to be exact) endured ups and downs, scandals and victories, tears, and cheers. Through it all, Queen Elizabeth demonstrated unflappable calmness, love, and genuine care for her people. She served them well.
Read MoreAt the gym the other day, we had to do broad jumps. You know, those frog-like jumps you did in grade school? Here are the instructions the coach gave: Stand with your feet apart and rooted squarely in the ground, bend your knees, squat… then swing your arms while jumping up and forward with as much force as you can.
Read MoreWhat is your default mode? As I wake up, my mind immediately spirals into what is not going right and what I need to do to make everything exactly as I want it to be. Next, I begin mental gymnastics, looking for loopholes and shortcuts that will get my desired results with the least amount of effort. In other words, I quickly fall into the wormhole of MY day, MY life, MY wants, MY “needs.”
It is my default, and it isn’t good.
For the last few weeks, I have been in St. Louis, Missouri, doing little restoration projects as I spend time with family and enjoy the Spring weather and mosquitoes. One such project was to replace the cartridge in a leaky shower. I don’t know if you have ever done this, but it isn’t always easy. Sometimes the cartridge has sediment and corrosion build-up making it stuck and, of course, this was the issue with my faucet. I pulled, I pushed, I wriggled, I tried, and tried again. Admitting partial defeat, I called in reinforcements – my sister. She pulled, pushed, wriggled, and adjusted over and over. We sprayed WD-40, watched YouTube videos, and reviewed tips from online pros. We took turns pulling and encouraging each other. Finally, at the end of an exhausting afternoon, we gave up. Time to call the plumber and pay the big bucks. The plumber had some difficulty, too, but got the job done. He also taught me how to wriggle and replace the next one. Watch out leaky faucets!
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