Tuesday, December 31, 2024

That's a wrap for 2024, and Swedish Christmas


Well, here we are at the end of 2024. 

Wife and I have had a good year in many ways. We are still in relatively good health for our ages as I await knee replacement surgery and we both notice we tire a bit more easily. But all things considered, not bad. 

We were lucky enough to take some nice trips this year, which I recounted here. 

But as with any year, there were challenges and sadness, perhaps more than in recent years. We both lost dear friends, which was difficult. The cancer journey for my son-in-law continues, and he will be having more surgery. While there is still no spread beyond the colon, a new tumor was recently detected in that area. 

Right now, he and my daughter and their three children live a normal life, looking from the outside. Their faith and good humor stand them in good stead. But this weighs heavily on them and all of us. We are praying for complete eradication and for them to be able to move on with their lives. 

I will likely retire this coming year, with the date being as yet unknown. This is equal parts exciting and terrifying for me. Lots to process there as I come to the end of my working life. 

I think what you call all of this is life. Ups and downs. Happiness and sadness. Challenging times and less challenging times. Changing seasons and transitions. 

Wishing all of you a happy and prosperous New Year. I hope we will continue to check on each other  here and on your blogs. I appreciate our little community here. 

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Before I sign off for the year, I want to report on this year's international Christmas Eve, an annual tradition with our family. Full disclosure, as a family we observe Christmas Eve December 26th and Christmas Day December 27th, but that is a minor detail. 

This year's country was Sweden, and we can't seem to remember how we picked it. I think Wife and I decided we should do a Scandinavian country and Sweden it was. Given that there are no Swedish restaurants around, this year's meal was all home cooked and, as usual, Wife did an outstanding job. 

One of the pictures includes the menu. FYI, Wife decided to nix the green beans and added a marinated tomato dish, not on the menu, that was delicious. In fact, all the food was above average and would be good in any setting. 

Decorations had a woodsy theme, and we were able to borrow some props from the Canadian year as well as acquire a few new ones. The table runners and needlepoint hanging came straight from Sweden via Etsy. 

Pictures will tell it better than I can. As usual, drinks and apps were in the entry hall before dinner in the dining room. 








Friday, December 20, 2024

Reading 2024: Fiction

 As promised, here are the fiction books I read this year: 

1.    Beartown by Fredrik Backman

2.    Kindred by Octavia Butler

3.    House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

4.    A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash

5.    The Skin and its Girl by Sarah Cypher

6.    Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

7.    The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache series)

8.    The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club series)

9.    A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

10.    Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

11.    James by Percival Everett

12.    As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

13.    Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

14.    The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club series)


As I mentioned in my post on non-fiction, I read more NF than fiction this year, although it was only one more, so it was about even. 

I liked all of these, but the clear favorite was number 13, Theo of Golden, the story of an elderly gentleman who goes to live in a seemingly random community in Georgia and makes an indelible mark. You are not likely to find this on any reading lists (by all indications, it is self-published), but I think you are likely to find it as compelling, poignant and moving as I did. 

Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5 were all selections from the book club I started attending early in the year, and all books I would not likely have read had it not been for that group. I enjoyed all of them and had the good fortune to visit Edith Wharton's (author of House of Mirth) home, "The Mount," on my trip to New England in October. Unfortunately, as the year progressed, for a number of reasons my book club attendance lapsed, but I hope to go back in January. 

I continued my plodding along in the Inspector Gamache series with The Long Way Home. It was up to the usual standards. I also marked off two more in the Thursday Murder Club series, both of which were excellent. 

Covenant of Water is a close second behind Theo of Golden, by the author of Cutting for Stone. Weighing in at over 700 pages, I use it as my excuse for reading fewer books this year! 

James and Demon Copperhead (another long one) were also page turners worth calling out. My nod to the classics was As I Lay Dying (which I picked up at the recommendation of a friend who is reading through all of Faulkner's works). John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany might not yet qualify as a classic, but it's one I had heard about for years but never gotten around to reading. It was worth the wait. 

A Land More Kind than Home is the second I've read by North Carolina author Wiley Cash, who I discovered last year. I highly recommend.

The TBR stack for 2025 is already high. Several of you who read this blog have made good recommendations over the years, and I hope you will keep them coming. 

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Reading 2024: Non-fiction

As far as quantity of books, I did not have my best year in 2024, coming in at 29. I doubt I will finish another one by year-end, so this is probably a good number. 

Interestingly, non-fiction edged out fiction this year. I must say I read some very good non-fiction books, as follows: 

1.    How to Know a Person by David Brooks

2.    People to be Loved by Preston Sprinkle

3.    American Carnage by Tim Alberta

4.    The Kingdon, the Power and the Glory by Tim Alberta

5.    The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear

6.    Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren

7.    Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar Dillard

8.    Mostly What God Does by Savannah Guthrie

9.    LIV and Let Die by Alan Shipnuck

10.    Hannah's Child by Stanley Haeurwas

11.    Ghosted by Nancy French

12.    Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream by Doris Kearns Goodwin

13.    An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin

14.    A Fine Sight to See by Sophie Hudson

15.    On Call by Anthony Fauci

As you can see, there are a couple of repeat authors, Tim Alberta and Doris Kearns Goodwin. 

The first Alberta book listed (America Carnage) is about the Trump presidency, while the second one (The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory) centers around the unlikely, but very real, partnership of Trump with evangelical Christianity. Both are excellent, although I am probably biased as I agree so strongly with Alberta's point of view on Donald Trump. 

The second book listed by Doris Kearns Goodwin is the joint memoir she began with her late husband, Richard N. Goodwin, and finished following his death. The first is a detailed account of the LBJ presidency and more about his life, from the front row seat the author had by working for him, and post-presidency when he asked her to help write his memoirs. I loved both of these.

I would call out three others: Prayer in the Night, Tish Harrison Warren's (my favorite Anglican priest, who also wrote Liturgy of the Ordinary) lovely homage to the Compline Prayer; Hannah's Child, theologian Stanley Hauerwas's memoir which is at times hilarious but also so deep I had to read certain passages over and over; and On Call, Dr. Anthony Fauci's autobiography which, if I had to pick a favorite from this list, this would probably be it. While most of us came to know him because of COVID, this retrospective on his life covers much, much more. 

I would recommend all of these listed and hope you will find something of interest. 

I will be back soon to close the year with my fiction list.

(In the meantime, Merry Christmas!)





Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. 

I elaborated on this theme in my Substack column, to which many of you subscribe (for which I am grateful), so I'll not say much more about that other than to wish all of you reading this a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you will get to enjoy time with family and/or friends. 

I am mainly stopping by here so I will have at least one entry for the month of November. It is not for lack of material that I have been scarce in this space but, rather, finding -- or making -- the time to write something of interest. 

When I do take time to write more, I want to tell you about an unexpected trip I made a few weeks ago to south Arkansas to attend the funeral of a high school friend. I got to see dear friend Kelly and other friends from long ago, and at times I felt guilty enjoying myself as much as I did when it was for such a sad occasion. 

But then, I thought, I hope Joe (our friend who passed away) would want it that way -- for old friends to gather and honor his memory, while enjoying each other's company. I'll tell you more later, but it was a reminder of the importance of relationships, whether they are from long ago or newer ones. 

I will also be back to tell you about the books I have read this year. I have not added them up, but I believe non-fiction might have outnumbered fiction, which would be unusual for me. More to come on that. 

My son-in-law's cancer journey continues. More on that later too, and I would continue to humbly ask for your prayers for him. 

Hope all of you enjoy time with those you love over the next few days. I'll be back soon. 






Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Warm weather, time change and living in the moment

I looked up the definition of "Indian summer" on Wikipedia (with apologies if this is no longer a correct term, and I hope everyone knows I mean no offense) and it says it is "a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in temperature regions of the northern hemisphere."

It goes on to say some sources "describe a true Indian summer as not occurring until after the first frost."

If I go by that last bit of information, what we are experiencing here where I live is not an Indian summer because we have not yet had a frost. But it is definitely warm for late October.  It has also been dry, but we are supposed to get some relief from that in the next few days. 

The days have been nice, for the most part, but we have had some in which it has reached the low 80s. That just seems too warm for this time of year. 

I don' remember much about the weather from year to year. I know we are not usually freezing cold by this time, although I do remember turning on the heat in October. 

The only time we have turned it on this fall is when we got back from vacation a couple weeks ago. I had turned the air off completely, and there had been a cool spell during our absence, so the inside was pretty cool. But other than that, we have not had the heat on, and, in fact, we are still running the air conditioner from time to time, especially upstairs during the day when I am working. By mid-afternoon it can still get rather warm inside. 

The most negative effect of this lingering warm weather is the bugs. There are mosquitos, wasps, ladybugs and "stink bugs" and unfortunately, some of them find their way inside. We need a freeze to get rid of them and we have not yet had one. Hopefully soon. 

Speaking of fall and the accompanying changes, we will change the clocks back to standard time this weekend 

This is upsetting to Wife, as she does not like how it will get dark in the late afternoon. We live on the east end of the central time zone, which means it will be almost dark between 5 and 5:30 p.m. She does not like this at all and always dreads this weekend. 

It does not bother me other than knowing it bothers her, so I try to by sympathetic. When I was younger, I rather relished the return to standard time because it reminded me the weather was getting cooler, which I found pleasing. 

At my age, now I try to live every day "in the moment" and not long for either the way things used to be or how they might be in the future. Time goes by so fast that I know, even if the time change bothered me as it does Wife, before I turn around, it would be time to set clocks ahead again. And, in fact, we are in daylight saving time for more of the year than we are in standard time. 

That's how I am with anticipating retirement, which I find myself thinking about more and more. It will arrive when it is time, and I'll keep plugging along working. 

In the moment. 



Monday, October 21, 2024

Recent travels and wobbly knees

 


Wife and I were fortunate enough to get to spend a week in New England last week. 

It all started when I told her over the summer I would like to take a fall trip, and I would like it to include a state I have not visited. She came up with one scenario that would have included South Dakota and North Dakota, both of which would have been new states; and a New England jaunt that would knock off only one new one, Rhode Island. 

We decided on New England and while I would have loved to mark off two states instead of one, the thought of New England in the fall was attractive. I think we made the right choice. 

We flew into Boston Friday night, October 11th. On Saturday we rented a car and drove to Lenox, Massachusetts, where we stayed until Monday the 14th. There in the heart of the Berkshires, the fall foliage was beautiful, and we enjoyed some scenic drives as well as visits to the Norman Rockwell Museum and "The Mount," which was once the home of author Edith Wharton. 

That was especially enjoyable since my book club read one of her books, "The House of Mirth," this year. I can't wait to share with the group members in December, when we do a recap of the year, that I visited The Mount. 

From the Berkshires it was on to Cape Cod, where we (ourselves and our car) boarded a ferry for Martha's Vineyard where we stayed until Wednesday. We loved exploring the island, walking along the coastline and visiting lighthouses (like the one pictured here). 

From Martha's Vineyard it was on to Newport, Rhode Island and a new state for me. The coastline there is beautiful, as are the old mansions with coastal views. 

It was a great trip and once I again, I am grateful to Wife for making the plans. 

The only negative involved my knees, which have been slowly deteriorating over the last year due to osteoarthritis. Injections have helped tremendously, as have the stationary bike riding and physical therapy I have been doing. 

But the fact is I cannot walk any significant distance anymore. On a trip like this one, ordinarily I would have hiked among the beautiful trees and certainly would have taken a long stroll on the Cliff Walk in Newport that goes along the coastline and in the shadow of the mansions there. I can only make it about a half mile before the discomfort (tightness in my knees) starts. 

To remedy this unfortunate situation, I will have knee replacement surgery early next year. I'll start with my right knee and, if all goes well, eventually have the left one done. 

Not how I would choose to spend my time, but I want to walk normally again. I will endure the short-term pain to accomplish this. I am told by my orthopedic surgeon that I am a good candidate for the surgery and will do even better if I continue the physical therapy exercises and bike riding before the surgery. I certainly plan to do so. 

Right now, I am enjoying the effects of the most recent injections. It does not enable me to walk distances as I would like to do, but it helps a lot and other than the inability to walk very far, I get around just fine. The other time I had it, in May, it lasted about four months. 

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As to the states I have left to visit, they are Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Iowa (be on the lookout, Ed), Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Delaware. I have been all around Delaware but have never step foot inside its borders. I should make it to Washington next year, to go to my last MLB park in Seattle, and maybe I'll make it to Oregon in the same trip. 

I hope to hit the 50th state within the next couple of years. We'll see. 😉

Monday, September 30, 2024

Helene packs a punch

 Wife and I had a rather hectic week last week. 

She was scheduled to leave Wednesday for a girls' beach trip. She was headed down to the Fort Myers/Naples area where friends of ours have a home. The lady of the couple had invited Wife and another friend to visit for a few days. 

Monday morning, Wife hollered from the hallway into my office, asking if I had heard about the hurricane heading toward the Gulf Coast of Florida from the Caribbean. Knowing our oldest and his family (who live near Atlanta) were vacationing on the Florida panhandle for the week, I said yes, and I guess that could affect Daniel's family. 

"Uh, yeah, and remember my trip?" she asked.  

I had had a momentary lapse. 

During the day Tuesday, she received a text from Southwest Airlines saying her flight, which would have gone to Fort Myers, could be delayed or canceled. 

She spoke with her friend in Naples, and they decided to call it. Even if the storm passed them by (as it did), it would likely rain the entire time they would be there (Wednesday through Sunday).  Also, Wife did not relish the idea of flying into all of that. 

As it turned out, the storm did pass by that area for the most part, and Wife's friend reported not as much rain as she thought there might have been. You never know. But I think they made the right decision anyway. 

In another turn of events, a dear friend of ours in Little Rock passed away Monday.  She had an aneurysm burst and a stroke back in April. She was in our wedding (and Wife in hers), and she and her husband were part of our friend group during our single days and later as young marrieds back in the 80s and early 90s. He died of cancer two years ago. They had four beautiful daughters, roughly intersecting in age with our children. 

Much more to that story but suffice it to say it was and is a tremendous loss for us, and it was important for us to make it to Little Rock for the funeral Friday of last week, which we did. 

It's about a six-hour drive for us, five and a half f traffic is not terrible and we don't stop much, and we started out mid-afternoon Thursday as I finished work. We arrived at our friends' home where we were staying about 9 p.m. We came home Saturday. 

Daniel and his family cut their beach time short Thursday morning as Hurrican Helene was headed their direction. His class reunion was here this past weekend, so all along they had planned to leave the beach and come here for the weekend. Obviously, they came a little early and arrived not long after we had left. 

We were glad for them to stay here while we were gone, and happy to see them here when we got home. Of course, it was especially sweet to get time with those two grands, seven-year-old (in a week) Hank and four-year-old Ruthie. 

My point with all of this is that we were preoccupied during the time the storm was making landfall and making its way inland. With learning of our friend's passing, getting ready to go, driving over to Little Rock, attending the memorial service, visiting friends, driving back Saturday and arriving home to part of our family being here, we did not realize the extent of the damage and devastation until mid-day yesterday when we had time to catch up on current events. It's just unbelievable. 

Here where I live, just south of Nashville, we had substantial rains off and on for about three days and maybe a stray limb here and there from some wind. In other parts of the state, however, there was terrible flooding. Western North Carolina was hit hard, especially the beautiful mountain city of Asheville.  (Blog friend Jeff is in southwest Virginia; hoping Helene missed them.)

With damage affecting at least a half-dozen states, although I am sure it has happened, I don't remember a hurricane in my lifetime having such a wide path, and having effects as far inland as Helene has. 

Hoping things will calm down now. Blessings and peace to those who must deal with the aftermath. 












Monday, September 23, 2024

What's old might be new again

I have witnessed some evolutions in my lifetime. 

Take the telephone, for example. When I was a child, in the house in which I primarily grew up, we had a telephone attached to the wall in the kitchen. There was another one on my parents' bedside table, wired to the wall, and another in the upstairs hall with similar wiring between my brother's and my bedrooms.  

Because the upstairs phone was near the door to my brother's room, he could easily take it into his room and act as if he had his own phone in his own room. But I was quick to remind him he did not. Alas, I could not stretch either the wire from the phone into the wall outlet or the phone cord of the receiver far enough to get it into my room. It annoyed me to no end that he had his "own phone." (And again, he didn't.) 

These were telephones with rotary dials. Eventually there were the "touchtone" phones, which that house never had. When my dad died in 2006, the bedroom and upstairs rotary phones were still there. He had gotten a push-button phone in the kitchen, but it was still "pulse" and not touchtone, meaning even though it had the buttons, it still ran on a pulse system, however that worked. (My dad was anything but progressive, by the way. I am sure he decided it cost too much to upgrade to touchtone.)

I even remember when there was only one telephone company, some version of "Bell," depending on where you lived. And I believe that was, at the time, all part of AT&T. I'm way oversimplifying, but as I recall, the Justice Department broke up the conglomerate phone company via an antitrust lawsuit, which gave way to the various phone companies. 

That was plenty to transpire. But who in their wildest dreams would or could have predicted what eventually happened -- that those phones attached to walls would become obsolete? And that many of us would hold in our hands a telephone that is also a camera, a GPS and a personal computer (among many other things)? 

What I keep waiting for is for the "home phone" or landline to come back into vogue the way vinyl records have. We went from records to eight-track to cassette to digital to . . . what's that? Vinyl? Yep. Full circle. Many musical purists believe vinyl is, well, the purest way to listen to music again. 

And old stereo systems, once pieces of furniture with a turntable and built-in speakers, restored to their original woodgrain and with perhaps some tweaking to those speakers? Those are now collectors' items. 

So, if you have an old wall or desk telephone laying around awaiting disposal, wait a few years to see if it will also return to fashionableness as a retro must-have. You might already be ahead of your time. 


 


Friday, August 30, 2024

Good reading, good writing

I have mentioned in the past an excellent independent bookstore near me called Parnassus. 

It is co-owned by Nashville author Ann Patchett. In addition to having a selection of books that makes readers like yours truly salivate, there are frequent programs and events that feature authors. In the past I have seen and heard John Grisham, David Baldacci, Mitch Albom and Tom Hanks, to name a few. 

Sometimes it is a paid event (such as the one with Tom Hanks) that includes a book, but many times it's free, like the one I attended last night that featured authors William Kent Krueger and Marc Cameron. 

Krueger is a favorite of mine. His "bread and butter" has been the Cork O'Connor mystery series, all set in his home state of Minnesota. But he has also written several standalones, including one of my all-time favorites, Ordinary Grace. He just wrote number twenty in the O'Connor series, which stresses me out because I have only read three and I don't know when I will get to the rest of them. 

As an aside, that's what series books do to me. Because of my mild anal-retentiveness, I will only read them in order. And with so many books on my TBR, I am reluctant to stop everything and catch up on the series. I am about six behind on The No. One Ladies Detective Agency and have only read half of Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series. 

Others include Greg Iles's Penn Cage series; Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti. I have to resign myself to the fact it is not likely I will ever read all of these in my lifetime. 

But I digress. 

Last night, as usual with these programs, was delightful. Krueger is an engaging speaker, and I loved hearing him talk about the evolution of the O'Connor series and how his standalones have come from his heart. 

I had never heard of the other author, Marc Cameron, a former U.S. Marshall who penned the Jack Ryan series that was part of the Clancy universe. He has numerous other works under his belt, including (incorporating the writing maxim, "write what you know") a series about a U.S. Marshall. I could get pretty stressed thinking I need to get started on this too. 

During Q and A, the authors were asked about plot and character development. Both said they have a good idea where the story is going as they write, but also said characters will often reveal themselves to them as the story progresses. 

Fascinating stuff. I left wondering about that novel I have thought for many years lies within me. 

Authors William Kent Krueger (left) and Marc Cameron (right) speaking at Parnassus Bookstore, Nashville


Sunday, August 4, 2024

Some thoughts on the current political environment

I don't write much in this space about politics. I leave that for my Substack pieces, and even there I do it sparingly. 

People get riled up over the subject. I know when I offer an opinion, I run the risk of alienating or offending someone, even though that is not my intention. 

During the years I wrote my local column, there was a reader who just could not deal with my occasional opinions, which almost always differed from his. He called me a jerk. He said I was aligned with Chinese Communists. He told me he could not believe I had the nerve to write the things I wrote. Angry, he was. 

I responded to most of his emails (except when he called me a jerk; I don't believe name-calling is worthy of a response), thanking him for his thoughts and for taking the time to write. 

I think it blew him away that I responded in a polite manner. Over time, he even complimented me on a couple of things. 

When I started my Substack in October 2022, he was an early subscriber. I couldn't believe it. I was pleased because I thought he and I had made some headway in the area of civil discourse. 

Alas, the first time I offered an opinion on something political (this time a local issue), although he did not send a nasty email (I guess that is some progress), he removed his name from my subscriber list. Obviously, he didn't agree with what I had written and was not open to reading an opinion that opposed his. 

I learned from that experience how important it is to be informed and specifically to be informed from different points of view. In dealing with this guy, I remembered times from years ago when I was too much like him. I wanted to speak my mind, but I did not want to listen. It is not an attractive character trait, and I hope I did not offend people back then. But I probably did. 

So, as this election season begins to get going, I will put myself out there and tell you the following: 

I would describe myself as a right-leaning moderate. Over the years I have probably voted Republican more than Democrat (and my moderation has happened over time), but I am fiercely independent. I am not affiliated with either major political party. I don't look for that to change. 

In 2016 I voted Libertarian. In 2020, regretting my 2016 vote, I voted for Joe Biden. In November, assuming she is the Democratic nominee, I will vote for Kamala Harris. 

Biden and Harris both lean more to the left than I, but for many reasons, I am a Never Trumper.  I have never voted for him, and I never will. 

I believe Joe Biden has done a decent job as president, but I think he made the right decision dropping out of the presidential race. My more right-leaning friends believe the Dems and the media somehow  "covered up" his cognitive decline, but I don't buy that. It was there for all of us to see and, until the infamous debate on June 27th, I think Biden's Democratic brethren still believed he would be the best person to go up against Trump. 

But then the debate happened. Biden had to go. 

Again, Kamala is more progressive than I would prefer. My vote for her, like my vote for Biden in 2020, will not be an enthusiastic one. But by all indications she is a smart, prudent person and, in my view, the more capable of the two presidential candidates. 

You may call me a Pollyanna if you wish, but I still have enough confidence in our system of checks and balances to believe Congress can keep a president in check when he/she tends to get too focused in a particular direction. 

With Tennessee being a predominantly red state, my vote will not make a lot of difference. But I will cast it anyway. 

I do not have a gut feeling about the outcome of the election. I am afraid it will get nastier as we move toward November. 

I think it is going to be close. There just does not appear to be much Trump can do (e.g. encourage insurrection, continue to falsely claim the 2020 election results are bogus, become a convicted felon) to dissuade his followers. I have friends who look past his character flaws and will vote for him because they believe he aligns with their views on the issues. 

Kamala Harris's nomination is interesting from a historical perspective. She likely would never have been the Democratic nominee outside the current circumstance of Biden stepping down and her ascending because of her position as vice president. 

Remember, she offered herself as a candidate in the 2020 primaries, even standing on the debate stage with Biden as an opponent. She was not a strong candidate at that time. 

But with her already being the VP, it made sense to now make her the nominee. 

There are those who believe a more formal nominating process should have taken place. There were some cries for, at the very least, a "mini-primary" or letting it go to the convention for debate. 

In some ways, it seems that would have been a fairer process, but of course the main objective is to defeat Trump. With all the infrastructure in place with the former Biden-Harris ticket, it made sense for her to take it and get the campaign started rather than wait until the convention. 

I have friends from both sides who are fretting over all of this. They worry the world as we know it will not be the same if (choose your candidate) is not elected. One of the candidates even says that. 

But I have been around a long time, and I have witnessed a few presidents come and go. I have told you how I will vote, but when I awake the morning after the election (or, if it's a razor-thin margin, once the votes are finally tabulated), I have it on pretty good authority (based on precedent) the sun will rise in the east and life will go on. 

Believe me, I don't relish another Trump presidency but if that's what happens, it's what happens. I can live through it. 

Happy to discuss this with anyone, so long as we remain calm. 






Thursday, July 25, 2024

They're back


To say the least, I have had my ups and downs with birdfeeders over the years. 

To sum it up, several years ago I gave in to the squirrels. I simply cannot keep birdfeeders because the squirrels take them over before most birds can even get close. 

The only exception has been with my hummingbird feeder. It hangs from a piece of fishing line right outside the picture window in our kitchen, and the squirrels can't touch it. 

I hung this year's version a few weeks ago, and while it took a couple weeks before they found it, the hummingbirds are back. 

Thus far, there has generally been one at a time and we seem to see one of them more often than others. In past years, I observed that, when more than one of them would arrive at the feeder, it was not uncommon for one of them to chase another way. Maybe this guy we're seeing this year has spread the word he is not sharing! 

Whatever the case, I am happy to see the fluttering little guys back, and I hope they will keep coming! 






Sunday, June 30, 2024

Good news

Because I shared in this space about my son-in-law, I wanted to report that his six-hour robotic surgery this past week was successful. The doc reported to my daughter he "got the cancer" and the bag is temporary. 

It was a long day, and there are bumpy days ahead as he recovers. As I write this, he is still in the hospital, and my daughter is staying with him most of the time. We are here in Huntsville staying with our grands, although today (Sunday) some friends are giving us a break. They are three adorable children, but they ARE children and I think God's design of having them when we are young is a good one! 

But all indications are of a good prognosis, and we have every reason to be optimistic. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts, prayers and support. 



Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Something personal

It's hard to believe I started this blog 16 years ago. I am not sure the title I came up with, "Mid-Life Thoughts from Bob," provides an accurate description of the blog owner anymore. 

But given the various quirks of Blogger, I am not going to try and change the name, even though I no longer fit the definition of "mid-life."

I started the blog as an outlet for writing, a longtime passion. A few years later I got a gig writing a weekly (mostly) column for a local publication. That became the main focus for my writing, although I continued my presence here. A couple of years ago, the column ended but I moved that effort to the Substack platform and was fortunate enough to take many of my column readers with me and gain some new ones. 

That is my main focus for writing today, but I still keep this blog. I do so because I made some friends here, and even though I know you only online (except for Kelly, who I have known my entire life and who urged me to start this blog), I feel a connection with the handful of you whose blogs are listed at the right. 

People have come and gone from here through the years. Some have left the blog world, and some have made their blogs invitation only. For the few of you who remain, as I said, I feel a connection and it keeps me writing here and checking in on your blogs. 

Because of that connection, I wanted to share something personal with you today.

As regular readers know, I have three adult children -- two sons and a daughter, with the daughter in the middle. My older son lives just outside Atlanta with his wife and two children; my daughter is in Huntsville, AL with her husband and three children; and my younger son lives in Birmingham, AL with his wife and two-month-old son. We are just south of Nashville, and everyone is within easy driving distance. 

I am a family man to the core, and those folks I just listed, along with my sweet wife, bring me far more joy than I deserve.

That brings me to the personal matter I want to share. Last November, the Monday before Thanksgiving to be precise, my son-in-law in Huntsville was diagnosed with colon cancer. He was 37 at the time, and 38 now. As you can figure out from what I wrote above, he is the father of three (adorable) children. They are 6, 4 and 2 years old. 

I can't adequately describe the kick in the gut I felt when our daughter called to give us this news. Sorrow, denial and anger are among the emotions I experienced. How is it fair that this awesome young husband and dad would be struck with a life-threatening disease? 

He was given a good prognosis. The cancer was detected early and had not spread. He soon started radiation and oral chemotherapy, and in early February he began periodic infusion chemotherapy. For the most part, he tolerated all of this well, with his most significant side effect being extreme fatigue the few days following infusion. 

My daughter has been incredible, caring for him and educating herself about his form of cancer and treatments. She is his biggest advocate. And oh yeah, she has maintained her job and taking care of the three children I described above. 

Through the generosity of friends, Wife and I were provided a guest house in Huntsville to use during the infusion weeks so we can be there to help with daily life while our son-in-law rests from the treatments. It's about 12 minutes from their house, so it's easy to get there and also nice to have our own place. 

His last infusion was May 14th. A couple of weeks later, their family headed to the beach for a week for some much-needed R&R, and a break from cancer and cancer talk for that brief period of time. 

He had an MRI and a scope in early June, which showed while the tumor has shrunk, it is still there. He will have colon resection surgery June 27th. Cancer is still confined to the colon and the medical team is confident the surgery will take care of it. 

In the midst of all of this, there have been blessings. I will share more later. 

For now, I would like to humbly ask my little community here for your best thoughts and prayers for the surgery next week and through his recovery time. Wife and I plan to be in Huntsville for about ten days and will make adjustments to that plan if needed. 

I will keep you posted. Thank you. 





Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Out west

Wife and I were home from our quick beach trip about three days before boarding a plane for California for a vacation we had planned before we even knew about the beach wedding. 

Some background is in order. 

As I have previously shared, Older Son and I set out on a quest in 1994, when he was eight years old, to visit every Major League Baseball home venue. This was after our first visit to see the Atlanta Braves play, at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, two ballparks ago for the Braves. 

There are 30 MLB parks and we have been gradually closing in on them, with much joy in the journey. As of last summer, when we visited Los Angeles and saw the Dodgers play at their home field Dodger Stadium, Older Son had made it to 29, lacking only Seattle. I was a little bit behind him, also lacking Seattle but also Oakland and San Francisco, which Older Son visited during a trip to that area a few years back. 

Along the way, Younger Son and my son-in-law started joining the trips. They still have to gain some ground to cover all the parks. 

Anyway, after last summer's visit to L.A., Older Son urged me to somehow knock out Oakland and San Franciso, so he and I could be set up for the grand finale in Seattle this summer. It has been 30 years since we made the first trip -- 30 parks in 30 years if we mark off Seattle's T-Mobile Park this year. 

When I floated the idea of a California trip to Wife, it was not long before she had a weeklong (plus a couple of days) adventure planned that would include, in addition to the baseball games, the wine country, and Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. 

We flew out of Nashville Friday night, May 24th. We arrived in Oakland late and saw the A's play the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon the 25h. The ballpark, Oakland Coliseum, is old and, unlike the classics like Fenway and Wrigley, has not been kept well and very little updating has taken place.

The team has been fighting with the city for years, and after this season they will pack up and move. Their eventual home will be Las Vegas, but they'll have at least two seasons in Sacramento as they await construction of their Vegas home field. But, as the saying goes, they're getting the H out of Dodge! 

It certainly ranks near the bottom for me, but we still had a great time. There is simply never a bad day at a live MLB game. And getting to see Houston play was a big bonus for me. 

From Oakland we drove to just outside Sonoma in the heart of the wine country. We spent the next day, Sunday, enjoying the scenery, visiting wineries and sampling wines from the region. Monday morning, we drove down Highway 1 and across the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco, and that afternoon saw the Giants play the Philadelphia Phillies. 

It was at the San Francisco game, at Oracle Park, that I had my best meal of the trip -- a crab sandwich on buttered sourdough that was, well, to die for! A Coors Light came with the "meal deal." Certainly not my beer of choice, but still a good accompaniment to the delicious sandwich. Later in the day I tried one of the local favorites that was much better. 

The setting of Oracle Park is breathtaking, right on the water, with home runs sometimes making a splash -- both literally and figuratively. 

From San Franciso, it was on to Yosemite. I think we hit it at the perfect time, before the huge summer crowds. Yosemite is one of the most visited national parks in the country and while there were certainly plenty of folks there, it was manageable. 

The mountains and rock formations in Yosemite are beautiful, with stunning vistas and waterfalls. We spent a couple of days exploring on our own and went on a guided tour one day, which was well worth it. There were 15 of us on a small bus. All the other people were great, and the guide was informative and personable. 

Two highlights of the day with the guide were watching climbers scale El Capitan, the 3,000 wall of granite that's an icon of the park; and seeing a bear! 

On Friday morning we drove to Sequoia National Park, where the trademark sequoia trees were stunning! We spent the night in nearby Three Rivers. Saturday morning, we drove over to beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea for lunch and drove the famous 17-mile drive along the Pacific Highway 1, which includes the Pebble Beach Golf Links. 

We spent the night in San Jose Saturday night, June 1st, and caught a plane home early Sunday morning the 2nd. 

Another trip, another great time, and MLB #28 and #29 are now in the books. The stage is set for Seattle. 

Oakland baseball

Oracle Park, home of the SF Giants

Looking over the outfield wall at Oracle Park

Welcome to Yosemite

Tenaya Lodge, where we stayed near Yosemite

Bridalveil Falls in Yosemite

Yosemite 

Yosemite

"Tunnel tree" at Sequoia Nat Park: can't go around it, gotta go through it! 

Sherman tree, world's biggest by volume, in Sequoia NP

Pebble Beach









Thursday, May 23, 2024

The beach

 Wife loves the beach. Just about any time of year, if there is an opportunity, she will go. 

I am OK with it, but with lots of qualifications. The two most important: I don't like being hot. I don't like crowds. So, I don't want to go in summer when it is blazing hot, and the crowds are at peak level. 

About two months ago, a good friend from my law school days called and said his daughter would be getting married Monday, May 20th in Seaside, which is on Florida's Gulf Coast in an area called "30-A," so named because it is, in fact a beachfront road called Highway 30-A. Little communities, e.g. Seaside, Grayton, Blue Mountain, Alys Beach, Seagrove, Seacrest and Rosemary, have sprung up along this stretch of beach highway over the past couple of decades or so. 

We have gone there a number of times over the years, both with our family and just the two of us. 

But even in what used to be the offseason, it has become congested and crowded, so it violates my rules on crowds. 

When my buddy called, he said it would be a small wedding, only close friends and family, maybe 50 people at most. I offered him my congratulations. Then he said he had two questions: 

"First, will you come?" 

"Of course I will," I told him. He is one of my best friends and if he wanted me there, I needed to be here. 

"Second, will you play the piano?"

Different answer to this question. It has been a very long time since I have played for any type of public event, and I told him it would be far too stressful for me to do that. He said he would find someone else. 

Wife and I drove to 30-A last Friday, to Seagrove, a couple of miles from Seaside where the wedding would be, with a stop on the way in Birmingham to see our new grandson. (Who is quite perfect, by the way.)

We drove through horrendous weather to get there, with both of our phones giving us storm warnings. I thought of pulling over a couple of times, but we pretty much outran it and that was not necessary. 

It rained all day Saturday, so we did a lot of reading and watching the rain fall on the ocean from our beachfront condo. 

Sunday was beautiful, so we spent the entire day on the beach under an umbrella. The weather was perfect -- not too hot and a nice breeze -- so it was a good day for me. 

Wife went back to the beach Monday, but I stayed in and worked. (I managed to do this little trip without taking any time off, thanks to the miracle of modern technology. Even in the car, I could log in via hotspot. Because we are about to go on another longer trip that was scheduled before I knew about this wedding, I did not want to take vacation time if I could help it.) 

The wedding was at 4 p.m. Due to the crowds (and lack of parking places) we had already observed, we took an Uber both ways 

It was lovely, and my friend appreciated my being there. It was good to see him and be with him at this important event. 

Best of all for Wife, she got a beach trip out of it. 

I've done my beachgoing for the year, thank you. 

Sunset

Sunday
Saturday:  washout




Tuesday, May 14, 2024

They're everywhere!

We had been warned that we would see cicadas this year in Middle Tennessee. (Maybe where you live, you call them locusts.)

Well, they have arrived with a vengeance. They are attached to our trees and plants and as you walk outside, you are likely to have to bat them away. They are harmless, but they are annoying. They are also noisy, like crickets, but amplified. And while we generally hear crickets and frogs at dusk or at night, the cicadas serenade us during the day. 

I remember years ago, not long after we moved here and our children were young, we were told to expect the little creatures that periodically pay visits to the unsuspecting. 

Our youngest was terrified, and cried as he anticipated their arrival. 

Apparently, we are getting a double dose this year -- the ones that emerge every 13 years along with the ones that come around every 17 years. 

They are looking for love, if you know what I mean. And I have no idea if the 17-year ones get together with the 13-year ones, or if they stay with their own kind. 

There is plenty of information out there if you are interested. 

I won't bore you with details, but I'll share a glimpse of life in my backyard these days. Look closely and you'll see a few flying around, and listen to the constant hum. 





Saturday, May 11, 2024

Check that

Someday, after I am retired, I will write more about my job and career -- when it is all past tense. I think it's best now to be vague about it. 

No, I don't work for the CIA or anything top secret! But I have colleagues who have apparently put all kinds of information about my/their employer on their social media pages, which sometimes results in warnings to them of compromising the integrity of the brand, logo, etc. We have a "social media policy," so rather than risk running afoul of that, I'll not be calling my employer by name or telling you much about them. And I maintain a certain amount of privacy in the cyberworld anyway, or as much as is possible. 

I am a lawyer and I work in banking. I've worked for banks since 1998 and prior to that, when I practiced law in a firm, I represented banks. How's that for being benign and vague? 

This week I read in a banking publication an interesting piece about the decline of check writing. Those in my age group will remember getting their first checkbooks and learning how to write a check. And we learned how, hopefully, to record check expenditures in a check register and deduct that amount from our balance. And every month when we received our bank statement, we would reconcile it so the amount of money we thought we had was consistent with what the bank said we had. 

If we were running low and/or happened to make an addition or subtraction error and write a check for more money than what we had in our account (or maybe we played "the float" and underestimated the time between writing the check and the check clearing, not that I would know anything about that), the bank would either pay it and charge us an overdraft fee or return the check and perhaps charge us an insufficient funds fee. That could get expensive. 

It's still that way today, for the most part, and I have a fair amount of knowledge of how that all works, but I won't go into those details. Maybe another time. I can tell you, because of electronic check clearing, there is hardly any float anymore, so I would caution you against counting on it. It was never a good idea, anyway. 

Back to the subject at hand. According to the article I read this week, only 9 percent of any types of payments are now made by paper check. 

Each of my offspring were given a checkbook when they came of age and got their own bank accounts, but by the time they were conducting real business, online banking had become the norm. They rarely write checks and since they can verify their bank balance online on an up-to-the minute basis, I am fairly certain they don't go through the exercise of reconciling their bank statements, because they don't have to. 

Wife, who handles all of our financial matters, pretty much conducts herself the same way. 

There may be some out there, but I am unaware of any employers who distribute paychecks to their employees. It is all done by direct deposit. I remember years ago when the law firm where I worked started doing that, and I objected strenuously. I wanted to see that check and walk across the street to the bank and deposit it myself. It's funny to think about now. 

And given that I represented banks, it's ironic I felt that way. And my employer could not have cared less regarding my thoughts on the subject. 

Wife and I still write occasional checks. Just yesterday, the HVAC guys were here to service our units and gave me the option of paying by check or by card. Paying by card would have been easy and I could have accumulated a few airline points. 

But here's the thing. If I had paid them by card, they were going to charge me three percent extra to cover their costs. There are all kinds of fees and charges among the card issuers, electronic rail providers, and the service providers themselves. The service provider, especially a smaller one, wants to recoup that. 

As for me, I will write them a check every day of the week before I tack on three percent to what I am paying. I suspect, however, some of the younger folks would not even have a check on hand and would have no choice but to use a card. 

I assure you the big retailers are recouping their costs for card usage by building it into their prices. Over the years, I have done extensive research regarding who gets what (bank, retailers, electronic rail providers) when a card transaction takes place. All parties concerned push for legislation and regulations to protect their cut. 

Even though check writing has lessened considerably, a big part of bank fraud happens with checks -- checks being stolen out of mailboxes; fraudulent payees and endorsements; washing away the amount written to make it appear to be a larger amount. I wrote a few months ago about fraud being rampant, and I assure you it is, and that there is a whole underworld trying to figure out how to steal directly from you and/or the bank. 

You might be familiar with the personal electronic payment platforms Venmo and Zelle, where you can make easy payments to friends, family and even businesses. My friend who owns a handyman business does virtually all of his billing through Venmo. 

It's certainly convenient. I don't use it myself, but Wife and the rest of my family do. Since Wife handles our banking, it is rare I will make or accept a payment to/from someone, but when I do, I give them Wife's Venmo contact information. 

In our church small group, we sometimes collect money for making group contributions, buying books or sending memorials for someone who has lost a family member. One person can take charge of handling the payment and everyone else can easily pay that person by Venmo. We have one couple, out of six, who still pays by check. 

And of course, believe it or not, you can still pay for things with cash. What a novel concept!





Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Showtime!

As I posted a few weeks ago, I joined a choir in January.

It is a community chorus, sponsored by our county parks and recreation department. We practice Tuesday nights, and we have been working on music to perform in a spring concert that was held this past Sunday afternoon. 

Let me say how much I have enjoyed being a part of this organization. I grew up singing in choirs and ensembles, and even the occasional solo, and did so into my adult life until we moved here in 1997. 

The church we became a part of has never had a choir that sings on a regular basis. There were some occasions some years ago in which an impromptu choir or ensemble was formed, but I did not care for the music.  Now there is always a worship team that generally does contemporary music. Perfectly fine, but I have sorely missed hearing a choir sing, and singing in a choir. 

As I wrote in the previous post, I thought about going to another church, one that had a choir, but never did so. 

But in January, the long drought was over when I got to audition for the community chorus and was invited to join their tenor section. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has taken me back to the days of school and church choirs -- the vocal exercises, the harmonies in my ears and even the black folders with a pencil pouch and a pencil! And of course, the end result after working laboriously over the music, segments at a time, following the director's instructions on sounds and harmonies, is the best part. 

And the director has also taken me back. I never once sang in a choir in which the director did not freak out about two weeks before a scheduled performance. This director, true to form, sent a scolding email to all of us two and a half weeks out from the concert, expressing her concern
we did not adequately know the music. 

But her strategy worked, as I believe we peaked at just the right time Sunday. 

We did a total of 11 songs at the concert, mostly traditional -- and some sacred -- choral music, with a couple of pop numbers, including "We are the World" which we ended with! 

The men wore black tuxedoes or suits with pastel bowties, and the ladies wore black dresses or pants with pastel scarves -- a very springy look! 

We break for the summer, then start back up in last August, preparing for another concert in December. I look forward to going back. 



                    



Tuesday, April 30, 2024

What's that you say?




In another acknowledgment of senior citizenship, I got hearing aids last week. 

I remember when I was in college, I did not understand why the writing on white boards in classes looked fuzzy. Also, road signs were blurry, and I could not read them until it was almost too late. 

It finally dawned on me one day that it probably had something to do with my eyesight. A visit to an optometrist confirmed my nearsightedness, and I was fitted for glasses.

Over time my vision has not significantly deteriorated, other than farsightedness that comes with age. About 10 years ago I started wearing progressive lenses (bifocals), so my "readers" are built in. I wore contacts back in my 20s, but eventually grew tired of the maintenance (and less vain about my appearance) and went back to glasses. 

Fun fact: the only time I ever lost a contact lens was the day I got married. With a contact in only one eye, I looked as if I were winking at my bride as she strolled down the aisle to join her life with mine. 

When I learned I needed glasses, I could not get them fast enough. It was a great day when I could stop squinting. I remember being amazed at seeing individual leaves on trees! 

But for whatever reason, when I started having some hearing problems at least five years ago, I resisted hearing aids. One reason was the cost, and knowing health insurance does not cover them. 

But I had some other misgivings. I remember my mother getting them when she was about my age, and she hated them. She was constantly adjusting them because she could never seem to achieve a level between not loud enough and too loud. 

And it's another thing to maintain, taking them off and on every night, being careful not to get them wet, etc. 

But I finally gave in, and much like when I got glasses all those years ago and could suddenly see things I did not know were there, I now hear previously unheard sounds. A few days ago, while driving, I thought something was wrong with my car due to a sound I was hearing. It was a Styrofoam cup vibrating in the cupholder. That is just one example. 

Maintenance is simple. I put them in a charger every night. All the controls are accessible via an app on my phone, and they have Bluetooth technology. Best of all, they are non-intrusive and virtually invisible. 

I hope, just as it has been with my vision, my hearing will not get much worse. But should I need to turn up the volume, I can do so. 

And if there are things I would still rather not hear ("sorry, I couldn't hear that, Honey"), I can also take them out. 





Friday, April 19, 2024

New arrival

Our new grandson entered the world Thursday, April 18th at 7:26 a.m., weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces. Baby, Mom, Dad and grandparents are all doing well.

Since he was born by a scheduled C-section, we awaited his birth in a hospital waiting room with our daughter-in-law’s parents. We knew she was going into the OR at 7 a.m. At 7:45 a.m. we were starting to get a little anxious, when through a window in the waiting room we saw a gurney being rolled into two double doors and taken down a hallway.

A split second after seeing the gurney whish by, we realized it could very well have been – and probably was –the mother of our new grandson! We all four jumped up, but by this time she was long gone.

For about 20 minutes, we debated whether or not that had been her, when finally, Younger Son appeared through the same window and then stepped into the waiting room to confirm the arrival of his new son. All had gone well, he said, and Mom and baby were resting comfortably.

We asked him if that had been his wife rolled into the hallway, and he said he assumed that it had been, but apparently he had been brought through another door, because we had not seen him with her.

It was a couple of hours before we got to see the new little bundle of joy.

This is grand #6 for Wife and me, but his arrival is no less thrilling than the other five.

We are already over the moon – and in love – with this little guy.




Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Fun facts awaiting the birth of grand #6

My youngest, sometimes referred to in this space as "Younger Son" will become a father in a couple of days. 

This will be his first, and our sixth grand. Once it started happening nearly seven years ago, there has been steady growth for our family. 

This one will be a boy, making a total of four grandsons and two granddaughters for Wife and me. 

My side of the family is heavy on boys. My parents had two boys (my late older brother and me). My brother and his wife had three boys, who had a total of five boys. I have two sons and, as of this Thursday, four grandsons. 

So, from my parents' union, there have been 16 boys (my brother, his three boys and their five boys) and three girls (my daughter and two granddaughters). 

Who knows why that happens, whether it's strange happenstance or some scientific reason for the tendency to produce male offspring? 

My newest grandson is breech, and not inclined to turn, so he will arrive by C-section this Thursday morning, April 18th. Wife and I will drive down to Birmingham, where the expectant parents live, tomorrow (the 17th) and be there for the arrival Thursday morning.  

He will have my middle name, which is the middle name of his father (Younger Son), his grandfather (me), his great-grandfather (my father) and his great-great grandfather (my grandfather). I never particularly cared for the name as I was growing up, but it eventually grew on me, and I am honored that Younger Son wants to have it continue. 

The Psalmist wrote "children are a gift of the Lord" and "How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." 

Here is one blessed man who could not be happier to add to the quiver. 

Check back later this week for an update! 



Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Exceeding expectations

Front of Lincoln Presidential Museum

Wax figures in front of Lincoln White House exhibit


My visit to Springfield, Illinois this past weekend exceeded my expectations! 

I expected to enjoy the Lincoln Presidential Museum, but not nearly as much as I did. I also did not expect to enjoy the town of Springfield as much as I did. So, the little weekend jaunt was a success. 

The only slightly unpleasant part was the drive to get there Friday. I left about 3 p.m. I am south of Nashville, and getting around downtown and then north of Nashville was slow, with afternoon traffic being heavy. I think it's even heavier on a Friday. 

Not long after dark fell, it began to rain, and it rained on me the rest of the way. What my maps app told me would take five hours and 45 minutes took about seven hours. The return trip was much easier. The weather was beautiful Sunday, and it took just under six hours. 

The time in Springfield was delightful. The Lincoln Museum is very well done, with just enough artifacts and exhibits to keep me interested, as well as some interactive exhibits and films. 

The museum is divided into three parts: Lincoln's childhood and time up until he was elected president; the White House years; and "treasures" which includes historical artifacts and additional information on the Lincoln family. 

I came away an even bigger fan than I was of Lincoln and his presidency. His genius was in making his enemies his allies, as Doris Kearns Goodwin described in her excellent book Team of Rivals, which I read a few years ago. I don't doubt that politics was nasty and polarizing then, as it is today, but I believe our current presidential candidates could take some lessons in civility from our 16th president. 

I spent the morning at the museum, taking my time and reading almost every word-narrative that went with the exhibits. I also spent some time talking to volunteers who were placed strategically throughout the building. It was a rather slow day there (which I loved, because I did not have to navigate through crowds), so they were eager to talk and share interesting information. 

I had looked up places I might have lunch, and found a great local brewpub. I went in, saw one stool available at the bar and took it. I ordered one of the local beers and told the bartender I would shortly order food. 

Being introverted by nature, I am not one to always strike up conversations with strangers. But the guy sitting next to me on my right looked to be about my age, so I took a breath and asked him if he lived in Springfield. Turns out he was born and raised there. He told me he was an architect and was working a few hours on this Saturday, so decided to come over to this establishment for lunch. A very interesting conversation ensued, and I am so glad I spoke to him. 

He gave me all types of information on what I should see the rest of my time in Springfield, and being an architect, had an abundance of knowledge of buildings in the area. He was tremendously interesting to talk to, and I consider it a great stroke of luck to be able to talk about a place that was new to me, over beers with a local. The lunch -- a turkey burger with potato salad -- was great, too. 

I spent the afternoon going to Lincoln's home and the surrounding area, which is a national park. I went to the visitors' center, saw another film and walked around the neighborhood. 

From there I went to the state capitol, which my new friend from lunch had told me was must-see. Like so many buildings of its kind, it had a beautiful dome and I walked up three flights, just below the dome's top, to look up and down. I was too late for a tour that day, but enjoyed what I could see for myself. 

From there it was to Lincoln's tomb, where he, his wife and three of his sons are buried. 

It would not be inaccurate, with me as the only traveler, to say a good time was had by all! 


Thursday, March 7, 2024

Traveling solo

Anyone who stops by here with any regularity knows I enjoy travel. Most of the time, I am accompanied by Wife, who not only is a good planner, but has a keen sense of direction. 

That is not one of my gifts. So, when we are traveling, I depend on her. 

Like so many, we rely on the GPS built into our phones. She also uses the one in her car. My car has one, but I have never used it. 

She and I are, of course, old enough to remember when we depended on maps. We even remember when gas stations had them. 

And I remember, when traveling with my family, how hard they were to refold after they had been unfolded. And as someone mildly anal-retentive, that just didn't work for me. I would fold and refold until it was back to its original configuration. 

We still love to look at maps and atlases. Before we go on a trip in the U.S., we'll look at the atlas to see where we're going. And often, I'll look at it again when we return home to look back at where I went. I'm odd like that. 

I think my affinity for maps is one of the reasons I so enjoyed the book "The Cartographers" last year, even though it has a fantastical element that is usually a turnoff for me. All the maps information piqued my interest.

But I digress. I started his post not to tell you about maps, but what I am doing this weekend. 

Tomorrow afternoon, I will drive to Springfield, Illinois, and Saturday I will visit the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. I have wanted to go for years, and with Wife otherwise occupied this weekend, I decided this would be a good time to do it.  It looks like it will take about 5.5. hours for me to drive there.  

I will be relying on my GPS to get there, and to get around once I arrive. I've glanced at a map, and I'm sure I will look at it again when I return to once again look back at where I went.  

I thought about asking a friend to go with me, but I decided it would not be fair to either the friend or me. I really enjoy museums, and, unlike many folks, I like to take my time and read the narratives that go along with the exhibits. The person going with me might not want to do that, and the both of us could end up frustrated. 

So, this is a solo trip, and I am 100 percent comfortable with that. I will take my time, meandering not only through the museum and library, but the streets of Springfield as well. I plan to walk around the neighborhood where the Lincoln home is located (apparently, the only home he ever owned), a nearby park and anything else I see that looks interesting. I don't know that I will have time to visit the state capitol, but I will at least go by it. 

I will drive home Sunday. It will be a short trip, and I would not want to be gone much longer than a weekend traveling on my own, but I am excited. Look for a report and pictures next week! 


Thursday, February 29, 2024

Eat with Eight

Our church has started a new ministry for we older folks. It's called, simply, "Boomers," borrowing from the term used for the period of life in which we were born. 

That would be the post-World War II "baby boom." "Boomers" has caught on as our label. Sometimes the term is not used in a complimentary way, so I did not necessarily agree with the name given to this initiative. But nobody asked me, and I don't feel that strongly about it, so I'll keep my opinions to myself, except for this one time mentioning it here. 

One of the purposes is to give people in our age group an opportunity to meet other people in our age group. Because our church is what is commonly defined as a mega-church, with several thousand attendees and multiple services on two different campuses, there are many church members we do not know.

So, one of the offerings of the Boomer ministry is "Eat with Eight" dinners. Eight people, composed of couples, singles or both, gather in someone's home, have a meal and get to know each other. In theory, you don't know these people until this meeting. 

We do, in fact, know a lot of folks at church, and we are involved in a small group that meets regularly. But, still, there are many we do not know. 

Wife volunteered to host one of these "Eat with Eight" dinners in our home last Friday night. 

She had been given the names of three other couples who wished to participate. She contacted each of them and gave them assignments of what to bring. 

As I wrote in my last piece here, I am an introvert. I love people, but for whatever reason, they make me tired and sometimes anxious. And in a new situation where I do not know the people, I can become particularly uncomfortable. 

But I also believe God made us for relationships. Although because of my personality I keep events such as this to a minimum, I can rise above my comfort level from time to time.

It helps to prepare myself well. I tell myself there will be a starting and an ending, and I know we also gather for a common purpose. I also take cues from a book I recently read (How to Know a Person by David Brooks) in which the author contends all people, at some level, want to be seen and heard. All of this helps. 

Wife knows me and my personality, so she agreed to take the leadership role. In addition to being in charge of getting everyone here, she had a mental list of conversation topics and kept things going throughout the evening. I think she also had some type of game in mind in the event of a lull, but it turned out she did not need it. 

For us, Eat with Eight became Eat with Six. The husband from one of the couples who was supposed to come got sick, so that couple canceled. 

It ended up being enjoyable, and I did fine. Guests arrived at 6:30. We had appetizers for about 30 minutes, then sat down to dinner. We sat at the table until about 9:30. I finally had to get up and stretch because my legs get stiff after sitting that long. (After all, I'm a Boomer.) 

I was not in any way signaling that people needed to leave, but that kind of gave rise to departures. By the time everyone gathered up their dishes and coats, it was 10 p.m. 

The people were very kind. I was the only one who still has a day job (not retired) and I was also the youngest one. (I did not hate that.) I did not ask for the age information -- they volunteered it. 

I think we are supposed to have a couple more of these, so I will await Wife's further instructions. As long as they are appropriately spaced, I'll be a willing participant.