I pride myself in having the discernment of knowing when to not take shortcuts, those times when doing so would likely end up costing more work or taking more time. Conversely, I also know which shortcuts are actually worthwhile. This applies to travel, repairing things, performing work, and so forth. Although I don’t believe in […]
This Monday will be Memorial Day in the USA. It is a national holiday set aside in memory of military personnel who died while serving their country. As such it should be a solemn day of remembrance, attending parades and visiting the graves of loved ones. Memorial Day is also an appropriate reminder to thank […]
Do You Leave Home or Take it With You? It was 2014 when my wife and I were selling our house. It wasn’t our plan, but things change. We had just finished updating most of it: new roof, furnace, windows, carpet, flooring, kitchen, and bathrooms. It was a three-year effort that methodically moved from one […]
On my post last April, I pondered how any effort to curtail water usage on my part could serve to help those halfway around the world who are thirsty. Alas, there is no direct solution (but I did suggest a course of action). This discussion reminded me of the prodding I heard as a child […]
I remember when my wife and I have lived with our son and daughter-in-law, it’s been a great experience for us and a wonderful time connecting with our kids in a deeper, more meaningful way. After only eight weeks, we’ve gone through three phases: 1. The Honeymoon Phase For the first few weeks, everything went […]
Although April began with the proverbial showers that are reputed to bring May flowers, it has been quite arid the past two weeks. So much so that I have had to resort to watering my lawn. I feel a bit guilty doing so. You see, as I dump hundreds of gallons of pure, clean water on […]
At work I received a shocking press release. In part of it said, “It’s an open secret in healthcare communities: patients lie.” The reasons were many. Some lie because they don’t want to admit unhealthy behaviors to their doctors. For others, by not voicing a concern they subconsciously deny its existence. Still, others make their […]
Lessons From a Kid’s Matinée I’m a bit of a movie buff and most any genre will do. I still remember when my wife and I went to our local theater to watch the children’s movie, The Smurfs 2. It was a matinée no less; we were by far the oldest people there. I enjoyed […]
We just recently celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. Though most view it as a secular holiday, the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day has a religious origin. This has been lost over time, with his work and accomplishments having been long forgotten by most people. After embarking on your favorite St. Patrick’s Day rituals and routines, don […]
Last weekend, most of us in the United States had set our clocks forward one hour for our springtime jump into Daylight Saving Time (DST). We will stay in this mode for seven months, at which time we will “fall” back to “normal time.” This means that every man, woman, and child in the US […]