Gather 'round…
It’s 9/11. 20 years later. And somehow we’re living through something even MORE awful. Who could have imagined? That’s all I’m going to say about that. It’s September 11th. Which would indicate that we are fully into fall, and fully past summer, and to that I say, “What? Who punched the FF button on my... Continue Reading →
121. Is that too many pictures of one vacation for one blog post? 121? I mean, a full 10 of them are of lichen, and there are at least two snowmen in there. I think it's good, right? Commence photojournalism spree... First of all, ya'll can rest your minds from working out that kid rotation... Continue Reading →
The other night, Wednesday I believe, we were out at Picnic Flow enjoying the waves on the basalt and the dancing moon in the ‘tide’pools. The Flow is this amazing tilt of lavarock, just shoving out into Lake Superior, and a favorite place of ours at Gooseberry Falls. We're especially drawn out there at night,... Continue Reading →
We returned yesterday from our annual week in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. There is always a bit of culture shock as we re-integrate into the civilized world, and this year was no different. I took a walk this morning. On pavement. I was not navigating a boulder-riddled portage trail under the weight of... Continue Reading →
Natalie Goldberg - the same Natalie Goldberg that challenged me to attack the why of my writing life - is nothing, if not full of challenges. If you haven't picked up Writing Down the Bones yet, you should. For a bit I used each 1-2 page essay as a writing prompt, but sometimes I just needed to keep... Continue Reading →
Language. It is intrinsically valuable and, used correctly, purely beautiful. Words have the power to break and the power to heal. My tongue, as James says, ... is a fire... [it] sets on fire the course of history. ~ James 3:6-10 How much more powerful is the written word? Easier to tame, yes, but just... Continue Reading →
... and walking, because that is where I find my silence. Thanks to the many-a-mentioned MOOC and the Monks of New Skete, I've learned some things about myself, and how to finally find some measure of stillness in my life. I got to thinking about that quite a bit a while ago, whilst evaluating my progress, and there was... Continue Reading →
One of the fifth century fathers said that we must establish ourselves firmly inside our skin with nothing protruding outside. At the same time we are full of vivacity, we move fast and are capable of acting quickly. Why? Because we are not reaching after anything, the aim and content of our life in this... Continue Reading →
I'm not sure why exactly it is, but 100% - no kidding, it's an actual statistic - 100% of the camping trips we take to our favorite local park include some allotment of intense illness. We go every Fathers' Day weekend, destined for a quick and dirty trip close by, often to get our camping... Continue Reading →
What a challenge... to be awake. The literal sense of being awake is a difficult enough task at times, but the deeper, the meaningful, the real awake is an even more elusive creature. Every time I go through my little devotional I get stuck at the same page. It challenges me to rise up and be... Continue Reading →
Spring appears to be right around the corner, and I am, to say the least, ready. First off, it has been a pathetic winter in Wisconsin. Official snowfall totals are under 20", and most all of that fell in little dustings, they blew off to some new locale... Boston maybe. There is just not much... Continue Reading →
Tales From the Nexus 