[January 11, 2024] I was sitting on the living room floor with my hand-made kite working away, making modifications to get it to fly correctly; I had failed earlier that day, which was maddening. I was the only one in my small group of new friends who couldn’t get his kite to fly successfully. I was maybe 10… Read More »
[January 8, 2024] It was an amazing shot. With my handmade slingshot and an eagle-eyed aim, I knocked a giant fat squirrel right out of the oak tree. The shot was one in a hundred. From where I stood, I could see the squirrel jumping limb to limb, always on the move, doing what a squirrel does. He… Read More »
[January 6, 2024] Kyle Reyes wrote about the stance law enforcement is currently taking regarding the enforcement of government “mandates.” Mandates are essentially decrees and thus outside the formal legal authority of a government agency. Mandates are not laws. He has permitted me to post his recent comments in full from his LinkedIn account (original article here). His… Read More »
[January 2, 2024] I was not yet two years old when my parents temporarily sent me to live with my grandparents. My brother Philip was just born, healthy and happy, and yet it still would not be easy for my Mom with two small kids at home, so I was sent away. My mother’s mother was smart and… Read More »
[December 31, 2023] As I type this article, my last blog post of the year, my dog Bella is at my feet. She is sleeping there but also in her protective mode, guarding me from any danger lurking and unknown. A few days ago, she returned to the veterinarian’s office for a second emergency visit in a week. … Read More »
[December 30, 2023] Most of us heard about the Bible story of David and Goliath as children. Goliath was a giant who stood 9 feet tall and weighed over 500 pounds. He challenged the Israelites to fight him to determine which nation was superior. Every day for forty days, twice a day, Goliath came down into the valley… Read More »
[December 27, 2023] A statue is not so much about the past as about our future. That is the best way to understand why we build statues. This simple observation does not mean statues are not about our past. But it does mean that we build statues to bargain with the future, to help bring about a better… Read More »
[December 25, 2023] My two-year-old sister Terri spotted the little bird first and called out in the calmest voice, “Mommy, a birdie.” It was a small bird in a small nest, maybe a sparrow or finch, and was hidden within the branches of our new Christmas tree. Now, the bird was flying in a panic inside our living… Read More »
[December 24, 2023] Four years ago, a small group of men – all acquaintances – were discussing “doing something” for their community. One of these men knew and befriended a World War II veteran and his devoted daughter. The veteran was a highly decorated Army medic. After the veteran passed away, his daughter suggested to the group that… Read More »
[December 22, 2023] Alvin York was a farm boy and a tough, unruly, bitter young man. He got drunk, making a fool of himself and his friends as he so often did. One day, as he traveled with his mule to get revenge on a man who had cheated him, Alvin and his mule were struck by lightning.… Read More »