The blog
Watching the sunrise from the porch of our new “homeless shelter,” so grateful for little miracles: This place—isolated, spacious, great amenities, a mother-in-law’s addition that just happened to be mother-in-lawless; Generous friends—see above; Skilled craftsmen—met the trim carpenters yesterday; they seem both skilled and fast; An understanding and forgiving soulmate—when my frustration gets mi
Did you know Santa Fe was once part of Texas? Well, almost. In 1836 the new Republic of Texas claimed Santa Fe as part of its western border towns and soon sent a small military party to enforce the claim. This group was easily captured by the Mexican Army, putting an end to all hope…
Did you know Santa Fe is the highest state capitol in the United States? Yep, at 7,000 feet, New Mexico’s capitol sits at the foot of the Sangre de Christo Mountains. Today, I’ll get a chance to climb one of them—the trail to 9,000’ Atalaya begins near St. John’s College on the city’s northeast side.…
Did you know Santa Fe, New Mexico is the 2nd oldest capitol city in the U.S.? Yep, Santa Fe was established by Spanish missionaries in 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Today, the city has the oldest government seat, the oldest church and the oldest house in the U.S. Today, Charlotte…
Saw an online link to summer camps for adults, and being an old camp director, I decided to investigate. There are adult camps on the beach, in the mountains, on rivers and by lakes where one can (pick one) surfboard, canoe, practice archery, kayak, fly-fish, zip-line, raft, mountain-bike, rock-climb or ride a horse. There’s even…
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One in three 20-somethings will move in any given year. But for the average 50-something, the ratio drops to one in 20. So says Sandra Rosenbloom of the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, who predicts that the great majority of retiring baby boomers will stay put in their present home. I think I know why.…
“Inertia,” says Merriam-Webster, is “a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force.” I’m planning to bookmark this for the next time Charlotte complains about how hard it is to rouse me from an afternoon nap. “Inertia, honey;…
Dear Citizens of Amarillo, I apologize for calling you thieves. It started when I went for an early morning bike ride, then moved some stuff to the new house, then showered and got ready for lunch—and, then, discovered it was gone. My wallet—obviously one of you had entered my unlocked front door and taken it.…
Went to church on Father’s Day, then met Chrystelle who returned to her apartment to pick up some clothes. She won’t live there again for some time. A long time. Maybe never. I guess all of us were getting back to normal today. Normal—what is that exactly? Days without tragedy? Where bad things don’t happen…
Willance didn’t make it. Went too long without oxygen. That simple. But there’s nothing simple about grief. What can I say? My heart is broken—grief multiplied by all the broken hearts of those who loved Williance. Of course, as a Christian, the feelings are mixed with hope. Williance came from a community who shared a…
Please pray for my friend Williance. He is from Cameroon and married to Chrystelle, one of my all-time favorite students. This young couple left their home country nearly five years ago—he to France and she to the U.S.—so they could one day make a successful life together. Chrystelle flew to Paris in December of 2014…
Tom Sightings, author of You Only Retire Once, suggests that new retirees take a gap year before settling in a new place or vocation. It’s a practice of many young people who spend a year immediately after high school or college traveling, working, maybe volunteering somewhere (often overseas) to gain experience and perspective for the…