Bar Stools
A couple on Freecycle asked for bar stools and I had three of them. I had two in the attic with cushions that they took and still have one plain wooden one in the basement. I accumulated them over the years by scavenging trash pickup day in the notion I would use them for a man-cave bar or a living-space attic room, and it was harder than I thought to divest myself of them. Even if I set up such spaces, they might...
The “Second Half”
Working up to my 50th birthday, I decided to stop digitizing the rest of my old files -- if anything was that important, I would have done it by now. It's not a lot, just enough to add to the filing cabinet, which uses far less drawers worth of stuff than it used to. Between my father's death and an admittedly arbitrary milestone of age, I think it's time to seriously be myself on a new level. I treated myself to...
My Prejudice of Good Faith
I've come face to face with myself many times this year, realizing my prejudices regarding those things I see in other people. For example, I value contrasting opinions, and so often spend too much time second-guessing what everyone knows in favor of what one person may feel. Not all agreeable counsel is good, of course. but I now realize that some disagreeable advice is just utter nonsense, or even poisonous. The...
Cemetery Tribute
{Sent to my step-family in Arizona to read at the graveside service for my Father} My feelings and admiration for my Father have never been a secret kept from him or anyone. There was never a time when he wasn't my hero, my role model as a human being, a man, and a husband and father to my own family. He knew this, as I don't have regrets of not having told him many times. His prayerful presence has been felt...
Dad, a New Life
It's been over a month, but I still don't know where to start. So many things. So many feelings. My Father passed into Eternity, and my faith and memory of him brings me a peace in this, but it's still hard, so hard. I have to keep reminding myself that Jesus wept, too. Anyone who knew him asserts without doubt that Heaven was made for people like him. And it's a place he's been before. He was dead for a few...
A Whole Year Passes
Have I been THAT busy? I spent most of this time preparing for and dealing with the responsibilities as Master of a Lodge. "I've sold my soul to the company store." But I will write about that elsewhere. I started the Amorphous Publishing Guild -- dba papers, bank account, bought a batch of ISBNs, and found a few people to share the learning experience with. My first book I plan to publish -- well, other than a...
Our Pumpkin Patch
Merry wanted to be married in a pumpkin patch, but we just couldn't pull it off. I wanted a traditional Christian priest, but the Roman Catholic Church doesn't perform outdoor weddings without a dispensation. I called the Episcopal diocese, then Greek Orthodox (where I had friends), Russian orthodox, and possibly a few others, but their twofold answers were all the same: they didn't perform weddings outside; I...
Letchworth
Letchworth I remember as a child old black-and-white movie reels projected on a wall. One of them was footage of a trip taken by my parents and grandparents to Letchworth State Park. I always meant to go ther some time with Merry and finally got the chance. Earlier this year, a reunited friend from high school got married and asked me to be best man. His wife was new to the country and I talked about all the local...
Of Bits and Books
When asked if I prefer books or ebooks, my response was thus given: If I merely want the knowledge, digital is fine. But if I want the EXPERIENCE of reading, the physical media is part of the content. I use digital media to keep up on countless fields, but if it's something that I want to consider part of who I am, part of my journey, it goes in my library (preferably hardcover). Loaning it out is loaning a part of...