My 250th Post!

(My last three fortune cookies. I do enjoy star-filled nights. However, whomever I meet through a mutual friend better NOT be the one providing me with a lifetime of cozy nights--my wife wouldn't appreciate it! But, I will be more than happy to accept invaluable advice from a friend. Not that little slips of papers found inside faux cookies mean anything...)     

I did it! In a little over five years, I have written 250 blog posts, the last seven in one week. It helped drafting them early in the morning, then uploading them, after a cursory perusal, at night. Not writing on Sunday may have helped. Or, not. Posting daily will not be a habit any time soon--I just needed to prove to myself that I can write this much in such a short period of time. 

A (Sort of) Book Review (#6)

(Clicking on the image above will take you to an NPR interview with the author.)

Post 5 of 6. Which of these books is not like the other? Well, the one I am going to blog about in this post. Whereas the first three non-fiction works covered social, political, and economic issues affecting the United States over the past twenty years, today's selection delves into religion. Specifically, Christianity and the book of Revelation. Does this foray into theology have anything to do with the other three books? Oh, yes it does. And not by the author's design. At least I do not think so. Read on to find out more. 

A (Sort of) Book Review (#5)

Post 4 of 6. If you are wondering what all this counting is about, you can find an explanation in the first two paragraphs from this post. Today I am reviewing another non-fiction. This one is examining poverty in the United States through individual stories, but also surveys, and studies. While they spotlight a lot of problems, they also offer some solutions, including, at the end of the book, a ten-point action list for individuals to follow. Though a bit more academic than the first two, the writing is easy to follow.

A (Sort of) Book Review (#4)

Post 3 of 6. Another non-fiction book review. And, another author who grew up poor, but this time under the constant threat of an abusive father. I discovered this title in one of Sarah Smarsh's essays, where she discussed a young man who struggled with what he saw and learned at a modern-day oil boomtown in the heart of North Dakota. It was one hell of an experience.

A (Sort of) Book Review (#3)

This is post 2 of 6. It is a kind of book review in which I reveal as much about myself as the book. Okay, I probably talk more about my own thoughts than that of the authors. Sorry. At least I am honest about it. Over the past few months, I have read about four non-fiction books, and it looks like I am dedicating the next four posts to each of them. There was a work of fiction, too, since the New Year. Perhaps I will include that one, too. We shall see. 

Memorial Day Post

I sketched that. The original, I believe,
 was the size of a 3x5 notecard.
Sorry for the poor quality of this image.

This is post 1 of 6. It is short, and to the point. Most of the time, it is better to start out small and quiet, and finish the job, then begin with thunder and bluster, only to peter out, never completing the goal.  

Act 3 Begins...

This was back in August, 2024.
It's time I heed these words.

I wrote today's post around 11 am today, after my weekly grocery run, and wrapped it by 1 pm, just in time for lunch. Since then, I read a hundred pages of a book, drew a bunch of sketches, watched YouTube videos about biblical scholarship, smoked a pork shoulder, and enjoyed forty minutes of direct sun. If, before bed, I manage to spend at least thirty minutes doing one other thing on my daily goals' to-do list, then I will feel profoundly productive.

And that possibility alone has inspired me to set another goal: for the next six days, by the time I go to bed, I will post something on my blog. It may be a bunch of links with explanations, a quick book review (since the new year, I have read several works, one of them actual fiction), perhaps an observation with reflections, or just some old-fashioned middle-aged complaining. If I follow through, then I will have two-hundred-and-fifty blog posts. Whatever it is, it will be something more than what I have been doing. 

So, check back often. 

A Deep Breath (#29)

A fortune cookie from December of last year told me May would be a month of exploration and adventure. In my Google Calendar, I even marked June 1st, 2025 with a question: did something special happen to you last month? This past week, I received these two. Does this mean I am going to meet a life-long friend over a jar of fermented vegetables while stepping outside my comfort zone? There are four more weeks left. Of course, I have to get up out of my house and go do something. Do not worry. I will let you know if anything happens. 

Also, my initial goal was to discuss how I made one of the most delicious ham and cheese sandwiches, courtesy of the tastiest Portuguese roll I have ever discovered in a grocery store, and how eating it stirred the faintest childhood memory of a sandwich and pickle outside a deli in some New England town. I am not certain it ever happened, but I refuse to give it up. However, I have put aside that story for the one below. 

A Prologue to Act 3

Last week, we had the garage doors replaced. Unfortunately, I do not have a before image of the indoor area. The previous doors did not have windows. Having them has made a huge difference.  It brings the room alive, and begs to be utilized. More importantly, the process required me to clear out an area for the installation. That meant throwing stuff out, and rethinking the space. There is an energy, filled with hope and possibilities, that comes from a major change. It can inspire further growth, if you take advantage of it, ride it through to its conclusion. Here is to the future.

The Beginning of Act 3

The Gulf Stream by Winslow Homer
Read more about this painting here.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of this blog. At the time, the Covid pandemic was in its infancy. Too many people died. For those who survived, all were deeply scarred. Unfortunately, too many of them refuse to admit it. Five years later, and the disease's worst side effects have emerged full blown. Willful ignorance and irrational fear run rampant. Current leadership has proven incapable of resisting. Many of them are enabling it. We are in a crisis. However, humanity has faced terrible calamities and catastrophes before, some of them self-imposed, and survived. Therefore, I have hope...

A Deep Breath (#28)

"A lifetime of fulfilling achievements is on the horizon."

On April 5, 2020, six years out from a teaching career that ended poorly, I was volunteering my time as stage manager and prop master at a dance studio, and making new friends. My life was taking shape again. Then Covid upended the world. I had to adapt. So, I uploaded two posts to this blog, and began a new journey. Its five-year anniversary is in two months. In preparation for this special day, I am taking a sabbatical from blogging. During this time, I hope to answer a question hidden among the two-hundred-and-forty entries on this site: how am I going to begin the next twenty-five years of my life?

Meandering Thoughts (#25)

Jake the Cat attempting to hide from the post-holiday doldrums.

Four. More. Years. My current struggle? Figuring out how to resist this madness. And getting on a plane by myself, again. At least I produced a blog post.

Meandering Thoughts (#24)

https://projects.seattletimes.com/mlk/bio.html

Another political post. Someday I will elaborate my thoughts about heroes vs heroism, saints vs saintly deeds. Also, a discussion about "common sense" and why I hate the phrase, is in order. In addition, my view that lawyers and activists have been the greatest defenders of our rights and freedoms, while soldiers have protected our national security and interests, and police have served a different purpose, deserves an explanation. But all that will have to wait. For now, the topic is heroes and saints.

If you want something more professional direct from an historian, here is Heather Cox Richardson's post about heroism. 

On Dreaming (#24)

The Desperate Man by Gustave Courbets

You would think after last week's announcement, I would have been motivated, and produced something profound. That is not how I operate. Not even after all these year. Also, change takes time. Incremental steps. Yet, I need to write something. Since my last dream post was back in August, tonight I will share a few from the last three months of last year.

Apologies for (Another) Long Silence...

My last "long silence" lasted several months". This past one, eight weeks. I received this note in my fortune cookie from Christmas Eve. Now, here I am blogging again. Hey, if a slip of paper is my motivation, so be it. After all, a wildfire can begin with a small spark.