I grew up in a Scandinavian section of Brooklyn in the 1940s. Many of the local stores’ banners were written in Finnish, as was the local newspaper. Nearby, Swedes, Norwegians, and other European families also contributed their colorful presence, and a variety of languages were spoken. As a young child, I marveled at the diversity Continue Reading
Sage Advice
Disappointment Is Only a New Opportunity in Disguise
Did you ever get the impression that somehow you had to have life all figured out in advance before you began? When I was in high school, I remember taking vocational aptitude tests. My guidance counselor thought I’d make a good house painter when I finished high school. That was in my freshman year. In Continue Reading
Peace of Mind Is Not a Faraway Place
Well, we just zipped past Christmas and New Year’s celebrations—or was that Thanksgiving and all those bargain gifts to buy or not for the holidays? Oh, I almost forgot … resolutions? You know, the promises we tend to make about all the fantastic and wonderful things we’ll do in the New Year? Well, how are Continue Reading
Why Do Three out of Four People Suffer from Stress?
A recent report from the American Institute of Stress reported that 77 percent of Americans experience physical symptoms of stress. See if any of these symptoms are familiar to you: fatigue, headache, and upset stomach, often accompanied by anger, irritability, and nervousness. If any of the following identified causes are being experienced, they can lead Continue Reading
Grace, Perpetual or Perennial?
To be in another’s good grace is to be in good favor in their eyes. Perennial usually means living more than two years. Most relationships rarely survive this perennial limit; this includes both business and romantic involvements. Why and how does this falling out of grace happen? Well, just for a moment consider why dogs have so many Continue Reading
Simplicity, Serenity, and Silence
The woods were deep, and from their inky darkness a tap, tap, tapping echoed. A soft blanket of snow lay covering my tracks. My Jeep was left back on the trail. I was only a mile off the creek road, but looking at the stone-grey clouds covering the distant ridges, I was glad I had Continue Reading
Have We Become Servants to Our Things?
Katrina and I sat in front of the roaring fire while snowflakes flew around. We pondered the appeal of simplicity for a moment. While there isn’t anything of a material nature that we need or that is withheld from our attainment, why simplicity? Why is simplicity so alluring? As the fire crackled, an old memory Continue Reading
Primal Memories
The glow of burning embers in the early morning darkness, when it seems all the world’s asleep, stirs ancient reflections. I toss another piece of wood on the coals and soon the fireplace is ablaze, filling the room with light. I think of how many campfires, wood stoves, and fireplaces have defined my life. The Continue Reading
What’s With the Weather???
** Read to End for LIVE CALL Invitation ** Have you ever noticed what a fuss we humans make about the weather? Yep, I seem to be singing with the choir by addressing the weather in this newsletter. However, it struck me that a lot of us secretly wish for some excitement in our Continue Reading
Zen and the Art of Scratching Chigger Bites
“What the heck are chiggers?” Well, if you’d ever gone berry picking in the rural southeastern United States, you’d need no introduction to this virtually invisible demonic insect. Yes, even being the nature lover that I am, I suppose I’m sounding a tad judgmental. But if you’ve ever experienced chigger bites, you’ll understand why. You Continue Reading
