It was a tough year to be human in 2020. I mentioned this in passing to our cat, Boo, and she looked at me with cold green eyes, blinked, and walked away unfazed by the concerns of her bipedal servant. Oh to be so carefree. Alas, I’m feeling more Jimmy Buffett these days when he…… Continue reading The Winter of Our Unsettled Season
Where all the colors bleed into one
Earlier this year, I joined with my brother and other family members in establishing a foundation called 1256 Movement. I grew up 40 miles north of Black Wall Street, the epicenter of a place that was grand and thriving in 1921. In a couple of days, white mobs reduced Black Wall Street and many homes…… Continue reading Where all the colors bleed into one
Lake Wisconsin
Ribbons of dry tall corn stripe bright green pasture in western Wisconsin Shining blue lakes dot central Wisconsin International Harvester at Ski-Hi Apple orchards Original 1850’s homestead at Ski-Hi orchard at the orchards A lady from Oshkosh took our picture at the orchards Bob Martin exploring the shores of Devil’s Lake Devil’s Lake is a…… Continue reading Lake Wisconsin
River Road
Lake Marituk visible from the backyard through the hickories and pines of Galesville, Wisconsin. Our 1913 Arts and Crafts home in Galesville, WI was built by the Schenck family. I love the entire home, but especially this screened in porch overlooking an emerald backyard with a firepit and view of Lake Marituk. Autumn foliage is…… Continue reading River Road
The Naked Eye
Rain drips from the eaves of our cabin porch near Westcliffe, Colorado, as Led Zeppelin’s The Rain Song plays in my ear pods. It’s 60 degrees and the sky is electric as I gaze at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rising like blue steel in the distance. The mountains whisper as I write, distracting me,…… Continue reading The Naked Eye
Waiting All These Years
I’ve been thinking about Dooney lately. He was 5’10” about 175 lbs…just like me only he was black. I guarded him in practice. He could shoot it and he could get in your face and shut you down. Although he didn’t look tough, a bit paunchy for a high school senior, he was tough as…… Continue reading Waiting All These Years
Saying Goodbye
One of the enduring images of watching his earthly body fade was Mom reading Facebook comments to him. Mom often read to all six of us in the car on vacations, assorted books, Reader’s Digest jokes, the Bible. It was this traveling voice in the car she used as she read hundreds of your comments to Dad in the past few weeks.
On the Road Again
Dad always had a travelin’ jones. He loved maps, highways, vacations, travel. It was an itch that could only be scratched with a road trip. As Dad lay dying, he asked the logistical questions one asks when preparing for a journey. What time is it? Can we drive through for barbeque? Where are my children? …… Continue reading On the Road Again
I Don’t Want to Be a Burden
Last night my Dad told those gathered around him, “I don’t want to be a burden.” This morning, I read from Henry Nouwen’s, Adam’s Peace. “Adam can do nothing. He is completely dependent on others. His gift is purely being with us. Adam’s peace is first of all a peace rooted in being. Being is…… Continue reading I Don’t Want to Be a Burden
April 18, 2020
April 12 My brother Greg mentioned that there are perhaps more moments of children and parents having a catch these days. In my childhood, this would have been my sister or my dad with whom I had a catch. I hit my sister in the shin once with a fastball and she hasn’t tossed a…… Continue reading April 18, 2020
