104 years is a long time. Well, maybe not in terms of the sum total of human history, but in terms of one person’s life it is. Less than three weeks after her 104th birthday, my last grandparent—my grandmother on dad’s side—peacefully ended her earthly pilgrimage at her home in Somerset, Kentucky. For several years,…
She had every reason—humanly speaking—to be discouraged…terribly discouraged. I was visiting one of our church ladies in the rehab section of a local nursing home. A few months ago, she had broken her leg—well, “shattered” might be a better term—and there have been a couple of surgeries, days of immobilization, weeks of very painful physical…
One of the many things I’ve always loved about Vermont is the lush, vibrant colors, especially this time of year. By now, of course, the beautiful leaves have given up the battle to stay attached to their life-giving branches, fallen to the ground, and are in various stages of decay. Nevertheless, the stunning colors of…
On a recent visit to our former home state of Vermont, my wife and I decided to hike to the summit of the state’s highest mountain, Mt. Mansfield. Although I knew which trail we were going to take and where the trailhead was, I wanted a little more information—like how long the trail was, how…
It was just a tiny creature, breaking the glassy stillness of the pond on a cool autumn morning. But his foray to the surface sent a ripple effect across the once-calm water. On Friday, September 26, a despondent contract worker at the Aurora, Illinois, air traffic control center sought to take his life by dousing…
In many respects, autumn is my favorite season of the year. The crisp, cool air is a welcome relief to the warm and humid days of August. Most years, the dark green of our Midwestern trees gives way to vibrant red and gold and orange, along with muted burgundy, an occasional pink, and pale yellows and…
A few years ago for Christmas I received a hand-held GPS, and shortly thereafter discovered the hobby of “geocaching.” Have you heard of it? Basically, it’s a sort of high-tech scavenger hunt, usually in search of a hidden “treasure”—the cache. Now a cache can be anything as large as an ammo box, well hidden in…
The morning fog this time of year can be a beautiful thing. While shrouding the landscape in mist, the hovering cloud can either dull the colors to various shades of gray, or it can be awash with the golden hues cast by the soft light of a rising sun. But fog can be a dangerous…
The other day, a very powerful storm arose suddenly from the west and hit the Sauk Valley with strong, damaging winds and a deluge of rain. The impact of that storm is still evident in the area. Half a tree had fallen on a house in our neighborhood; the roof is tarped, and the fallen…
6:22 a.m. Head down, eyes fixed on the gray concrete path before me, I turned the corner of 6th Ave. and 21st St, heading east again on my 2-mile morning walk. Lifting my head for a moment, just long enough to get my bearings and be sure of a clear road ahead, I was smitten…