To Rise, to Stand, and to Live
Lingering at the breakfast table, an hour or two of chores already completed, my grandfather folded away the newspaper before turning to smile at the small, barefoot disturbance running into his...
View ArticleUpward, then Onward
Madonna of the Trail ~ Council Grove, Kansas Confused, frightened, or hungry for attention, children quickly learn the value of the single word, “Up!” Whether shouted as a demand or whispered as a...
View ArticleGiving Thanks for “Yes”
One of my amusements during the holiday season is people-watching. Where crowds, lines, and captive children are the norm, amusement abounds. During a pre-Thanksgiving swing through a local grocery, I...
View ArticleSongs of the Season ~ O, Tumbleweed!
O, Christmas Tree If the words ‘toolpusher’, ‘roughneck,’ ‘monkeyboard,’ or ‘mud man’ aren’t familiar, you might not recognize the aging bit of oil field equipment in the photo as a Christmas tree....
View ArticleLiving Through the Dry Days
“It’s the dust,” the old man said. “I can’t stand the damned dust.” And he couldn’t. Moving through the house, he dusted reflexively, compulsively: the dampened cloth swinging and swiping in defiance...
View ArticleBlackberry Rain
Occasional showers have fallen in parts of Texas, but desiccated pastures, thinning herds, drying playas, and empty stock ponds make clear the continuing need for rain. Hidden behind such public signs...
View ArticleWhen Old Rules Meet New Situations
It seems the receptionist stepped out for a moment It’s an old joke, but in certain circles it still gets a laugh: “What’s the difference between a boatyard and a bar?” “In a bar, someone might be...
View ArticleReclaiming the Gift of Wonder
My visit from Santa ~ 1952 Looking down from the second-story window of our spare bedroom, the family collection of shovels, sleds, salt bags, and skates filled the front porch: limned at night by the...
View ArticleTongued With Fire ~ A Solstice Remembrance
South View of Salisbury Cathedral from the Cloisters ~ J.M.W. Turner Even in our more secular age, a faint scent of chaos wafts through the last days before Christmas. “I love Christmas,” says the...
View ArticleCapturing Christmas
Of all the gifts I enjoyed each Christmas, new books were among the best. Over the years, they changed: childhood’s Little Golden Books turning into The Bobbsey Twins, and then into Cherry Ames. In...
View ArticleGrandma’s New Year’s Toss
Because they never owned a car and never learned to drive, someone made a special effort to bring Grandma and Grandpa – my father’s parents – to the celebration of my third birthday. Generally, we...
View ArticleApocalypse Maybe
Even as the Day of Judgment drew nigh, my neighbor laughed as she unloaded twenty pounds of dog food from her car. “I’m always looking for a reason to put off doing laundry or going to the grocery...
View ArticleHistory, Back on Tracks
Union Pacific Engines No. 4014 and 844 exit Weber Canyon, headed to Ogden, Utah (Bob Kise) Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, will travel...
View ArticleSetting a New Course
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Musically speaking, the 1960s were a mixed bag. Tucked between the sweet sentimentalities of the ’50s and the tumultuous creativity of the 70’s, the decade included everything...
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