Check off list for the Fourth: The barbecue is ready. The dogs are ready to grill, The tote is packed for the beach. The sunscreen and hats are loaded. All that remains is to hug a soldier. The soldier is the one to whom you are indebted this Fourth of July. He carried […]
Historical
Birthday Bash
This week I entered a new decade of life. To celebrate I invited several close friends to join me for a Mad Hatter High Tea at the castle on the hill in Eugene, Oregon, otherwise known as the Shelton-McMurphy-Johnson house. My guests came dressed for a party. Many of us wore our favorite hats. […]
Celebrate
In our culture we celebrate numerous events—holidays, parades, political rallies, concerts—in many ways. These occasions take on various forms, dependent upon the theme of the event they are commemorating. St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving are among the most popular. Often participants, as well as onlookers, identify themselves with memorabilia like a hat, a sign, […]
God’s RSVP
I am sending invitations for an event I’ve planned for the end of next month. Each one contains an RSVP because the venue I reserved requires a head count and a guarantee of a minimum number of guests in attendance. As the yays, nays, and maybes trickle in, I am amazed at the complicated, busy […]
The Simple Shamrock
God’s Gift to a pagan people Did you remember to tuck your shamrock in your pocket this morning? Do you know the three-leafed clover was once used to teach the concept of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? If your memory hasn’t been nudged by these clues, it’s St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, March 17, 2019, […]
Without Warning
Last Sunday my family emerged from church to a rainy downpour mixed with a sprinkling of white snowflakes. I’d heard that we might see some snow in the mix Sunday or Monday, but no predictions of anything more serious were made. Rain and snow continued to fall throughout the day like a snow globe continually […]
Monday is . . .
President’s Day? Or is it Presidents’ Day? Presidents Day? Washington and Lincoln Day? In case readers think I can’t decide, I’m only listing the variations I discovered while researching the third Monday in February. According to different sources George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are the most well remembered and most celebrated leaders of our nation. […]
A Taxing Opportunity
February has opened its sleepy eyes and stretched, playing the role of leader as we head through winter to spring. As in flowers, birdsong, and taxes. Taxes? Yes. I’ve been busy gathering my receipts this week, preparing to meet with my tax consultant soon. Though this is not a job I relish, it has to […]
Skin Color
This week our nation will pause and honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights activist who was assassinated in 1968. The day commemorates his birthday and remembers his work trying to move the nation closer to a unified racial front. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I wasn’t exposed to the […]
2019–Friend or Foe
Like many of you, I can’t believe another year is upon us. Within a handful of days, 2019 will utter the first wails of existence. Like a newborn baby in its mother’s arms, the new year arrives with a clean slate full of promise. Whatever events await us will unfold like a toddler learning to […]