Category Archives: Uncategorized

Just short of two weeks from now, the Northern Hemisphere will experience the Winter Solstice. The shortest day, the longest night, the beginning of winter. Drinking mulled wine, making gingerbread, lighting a Yule log, feasting, and several other rituals coincide … Continue reading →

The closest we come to truly experiencing the entire human life cycle requires conscious observation of—or participation in—several crucial moments. The very first involves the moment of conception. A little later, watching the fetus become a visible lump in a … Continue reading →

Today—December 6, 2025—is the 108th anniversary of Finland’s independence. The celebration will include a review of troops and a ceremonial march. Many of the day’s events will be broadcast live on TV1, Radio Suomi, Yle.fi and Yle Areena. The president, … Continue reading →

Among the reasons scientists say water is necessary for life (as we know it) is that water is a solvent. But an article (entitled, Is Water Necessary for Life?) published in the July 2019 issue of Astronomy says this: “There … Continue reading →

Somehow, our society seems to have determined that we must choose between white color careers and blue collar careers. If we choose the former, we are asked to accept that our education should be delivered in college; preferably through a … Continue reading →

Frost on the roof and evergreen trees, visible from the windows of my study, suggests I would be more comfortable staying indoors today—my typical day—than venturing out. But chemotherapy is on the agenda, so I will just have to deal … Continue reading →

I spent most of the last hour poring over an abstruse report on genomic & epigenetic biomarkers measured in a blood sample taken during a visit with my oncologist a few weeks ago. Understanding the significance of the report requires … Continue reading →

I have written a few paragraphs this morning, but their attempted flippancy has fallen flat. I am in no mood to be flip. Only after my PET-scan, scheduled to begin in 90 minutes, might the tensions I feel fall away. … Continue reading →

A few moments ago, I heard a disturbing noise, a loud banging on the wall outside my study. Or, perhaps, in the attic above me. At first, I assumed the sound was the work of a woodpecker attempting to burrow … Continue reading →

Days and nights merge; the only difference between them is the amount of light I see at the windows—or the hours of darkness that hide the sun. Sleep, once the kingdom of the night, increasingly stakes its claim to daylight … Continue reading →

  He’s a walkin’ contraceptive, partly broke and part defective shoutin’ every wrong invective to the cloudy skies back home. ~ A twisted inspirational ~ +++ Anxiety; a sensation akin to fear, but without the accompanying dread—although dread may be … Continue reading →

Gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect. ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau ~ Thanksgiving celebrations are not exclusive to the USA. Several countries around the globe celebrate a holiday dedicated to gratitude, … Continue reading →

Several years ago, shortly after moving to the Village, advice from a veteran bird-watcher added to my knowledge about the human physiology of aging. According to the advisor, changes in the retina and optic nerve diminishes the clarity of vision … Continue reading →

History once told stories about tomorrows that have long since been swallowed by belligerent yesterdays.  Moments in time are woven into instances that evolved into epochs and eras. By closely following the filaments that connect tomorrow with the past, I … Continue reading →

Just over a month has passed since my 72nd birthday. I still find it difficult to believe I have lived that long. And, for the immediately foreseeable future, I will continue to live. Unless, of course, I don’t. That’s the … Continue reading →

“Too much” suggests there is a lesser measure; “enough.” And still another; a measure of inadequacy: “Not enough.” The same can be said for “too many.” But the other end of the spectrum for “too many” has another variable suggesting … Continue reading →

For a short while, we expected we would go to Bentonville to hear Barrack Obama speak on December 1 at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Tickets for members (which we are) were to be available, free, to members as … Continue reading →

My body was built for a temperate climate; a place where daytime temperatures would range between 73°F and 83°F and nighttime lows would drop into the low to mid 60s, giving me reason to wear light sweaters or jackets. My … Continue reading →

Several years ago, I ordered what I expected would be a VHS tape of a television show I had enjoyed a few years earlier. When I got the tape, I discovered that it was formatted for what I learned was … Continue reading →

American crows live 7 to 8 years, on average. I wonder how many of the crows around our house have lived that long? How does one tell the age of a crow? According to Google’s AI, a crow’s age is … Continue reading →

I had a rare burst of energy yesterday afternoon, enough to send me outside with my battery-powered leaf blower, where I cleared the driveway and the street in front of the house, as well as the circle at the end … Continue reading →

  Overnight, the kaleidoscope of early Fall colors in the forest surrounding the house seemed to change. Trees that had been full of yellow and red and bright orange leaves changed into a nearly-uniform palate of brown and muted orange. … Continue reading →

Data encoded onto reel-to-reel magnetic tape and expressed in the form of sound were expected to replace black vinyl discs that performed the same function. Similarly, machinery dependent on more modern magnetic tape recorded video images, then displayed on electronic … Continue reading →

I drank my espresso this morning from a small, colorfully glazed ceramic cup made in a Central American country, a gift from a friend who recently returned from there.  Though I am not—unfortunately—one of them, I admire people who make … Continue reading →

When I lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area (the “Metroplex”), I often wanted—or, perhaps needed—to escape the density and frenzy of urban life.  More than occasionally, I got relief by retreating into the rolling hills and plains of north central … Continue reading →