When surrounded by works of mankind, we can easily impress ourselves—with ourselves. Back in 2019, shortly before COVID hit, Sheila and I make an east coast trek, and the skyscrapers of New York City astounded me. Towering buildings based on solid bedrock. Every square inch seeming used. Honestly, I felt pretty proud to be part of the human race that could craft such a place. But pride…
Read MoreOf Mountains and Molehills
Several years back when we lived in Thousand Oaks, my wife celebrated the upcoming Mother’s Day with a few days away with a girlfriend, I figured to pop a surprise for her return: installing a new faucet for the master bathroom. Several complications soon arose. Previous owners had done some funky modifications to the old house over the years, and one was the drain trap, a strange conglomeration of plastic and brass and mismatched parts. The threads were stripped, and it took four trips to Home Depot to finally get the correct set up. Eventually I had to…
Read MoreI Rest
This wise yet anonymous quote helps me, “Complexity seeks you out. Simplicity must be sought;” I know it’s spot on. The added years merely increase the baggage to carry, in memories, stuff, even friendships to maintain. Our technology gives us tremendous power, but at the cost of having to learn to use the latest innovation or update. Fifty years ago, I knew southern California well, and felt content. Now I’m impacted by…
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image from youramazingplaces.com
Morning Devotions
On a late June morning we fired up the bikes and rode out of Kalispell, Montana, expecting great things at Glacier National Park. Early indications didn’t encourage us. The chill cut deep, even through our leathers and layers of clothing, and we had to endure 30 miles of mostly urban traffic before approaching the park. So far, the shivers from cold and the frustrations from traffic seemed like a typical day. Nothing awesome, just unpleasant conditions. Then we entered Glacier...
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Mountains or Molehills?
While my wife celebrated a few days away with a girlfriend, I figured to pop a surprise on her Mother’s Day return with the installation of a new faucet for the master bathroom. Several complications soon arose. The old house had some funky modifications over the years, and one was the drain trap, a strange conglomeration of plastic and brass and mismatched parts. The threads got stripped, and it took four trips to Home Depot to finally get the correct set up. Eventually I had to replace the entire trap: cutting the outlet pipe, putting in an extension, gluing it into place. That two hour project took nearly an entire day. But the faucet does look nice.
The second complication also came from age. My own.
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