Gather 'round…
"Sometimes when we look out, the world seems so dark. War, violence, hunger, and misery seem to abound. This makes us anxious and helpless. What can I do in my private little corner of life that could have any effect on the march of world events? The usual answer is: nothing. We then decide to... Continue Reading →
“There is an implicit wholeness in the human heart; it is a huge treasure house that we draw on every day. Ultimately it is what anchors and guides us. A simple metaphor for this is a physical wound. When you have a wound in your hand it always heals from the edges; the center is... Continue Reading →
"This being human is a guest houseEvery morning a new arrival...Be grateful for whoever comes,because each has been sentas a guide from beyond."~ Rumi, The Guest House "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."~ Hebrews 13:2 Strangers. Guests.Angels. All the same, and the list isn't yet complete.... Continue Reading →
“In the long, long trip of growing,There are stops along the wayFor thoughts of all the soft thingsAnd a look at yesterday.For a chance to fill our feelingsWith comfort and with ease,And then tell the new tomorrow:‘You can come now when you please.” ~ Fred Rogers After the stomach flu. After Costa Rica. After Christmas.... Continue Reading →
So I found my word. I can’t get around it, and who am I to argue? Fifth Annual Word of the Year. Deep Breath. Rime Ice, a lá the earliest days of 2021 I’ve been thinking about this since well-before 2021 hit, and thinking about what these words mean. Every year I think I have... Continue Reading →
So anyway, back to that Boundary Waters trip… Most notable, with the exception of the mutilated lip, was the marked absence of mosquitoes. I dunno if y’all have spent any time up there, but if you have, at least in the summer, you might note how remarkable that statement is. In point of fact, our... Continue Reading →
I woke up this morning with the drive to write a blog post. And with the time to do it. When does that ever happen? Answer? It happens only in conjunction with the sudden realization that I have nothing to say. It’s all blather. I don't want to recount the early departure of the youngest,... Continue Reading →
OK, OK... I've given in to the word of 2020. It’s not like it’s been honking horns and gonging gongs all around me and I’ve been resistant. It’s not like there aren’t other good candidates. I’m not even sure this is the best one. But it is the one that has been quietly persistent through... Continue Reading →
Up next in the thrilling adventures of the Random Post Generator (Henceforth known as the RPG*), we find ourselves in the puling infancy of kjottinger.com. This time-trip takes us back to October 9, 2014, two weeks into the illustrious blogging career of M'self. Post Numero 5. Of. All. Time. Woah. You can visit young KJ... Continue Reading →
Has anyone noticed? It’s December. December 2nd, if we want to get all technical. This fact is revelatory because I have somehow managed to skip completely over December 1st. In my spanky new journal—The Gratitude Sidekick Journal, if you must know—I have been putting the wrong dates on each entry for days. This morning I... 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 →
A gorgeous jaunt on the North Shore, if a bit short. First, a photo essay: That pretty well sums it up. Except I didn't manage to take any pictures whilst vehemently scrubbing my face Thursday night, when the wind and the cold conspired against my headlight and it exploded to drip battery acid on my... Continue Reading →
Tales From the Nexus 