Becoming Norman . . . Pleased or Chagrined?

Hello on the weekend, It has been an emotional couple weeks, and if you have been reading the blog, you have some sense of why that is, but I think there is more. There are times, and their frequency seems to be increasing at an alarming rate, that I feel like I am simply notContinue reading “Becoming Norman . . . Pleased or Chagrined?”

When is Acceptance Merely That?

Good early to mid-morning, I am on the road, having been up early and getting some school work done before heading back to Bloomsburg, but a stop at Cracker Barrel for an egg sandwich will be on one stop on the 5+ hour drive. I am continually amazed at how life is simultaneously predictable andContinue reading “When is Acceptance Merely That?”

Remembering Two Brilliant Siblings and Fifty Years

Good morning from the Acre, It has been a productive and eventful week, though not always in the way I had planned or expected. We have finished the third week of classes and things are not (nor expected to) slow(ing) down. Students are beginning to settle down and focus a bit better than their initialContinue reading “Remembering Two Brilliant Siblings and Fifty Years”

When Times Were Simpler . . .

Hello on a bitterly cold night, As I lie here in my warm bed and my house is heated to a comfortable temperature, it is impossible for me to get the news headlines and stories out of my consciousness of people throughout the country who stand a real chance of freezing to death because theyContinue reading “When Times Were Simpler . . .”

Making Sense of Immigration as I feel like One

Buongiorno dal mio piccolo caffè mattutino ad Ascoli Piceno, I am back for my morning cappuccino, shot of water, and croissant. It must have rained during the night or earlier this morning, as there were puddles all around and the stones were beyond a little slippery for this aging person. However, as I walked downContinue reading “Making Sense of Immigration as I feel like One”

Prayers Answered

Hello from Costa on ulica Karmelicka, It is always interesting to return to somewhere you have been before. The change in perception that occurs from familiarity is a difficult thing to quantify, and if the return is more than once, understanding the changes that occur go beyond mere perception to emotion. I think of howContinue reading “Prayers Answered”

Walking and Wondering

Good early (sort of) evening My intentions of writing more this month have been hijacked by the end of a semester, managing my health yet again (I know it has daily requirements, but it has created yet another dilemma), and attempting to get ready for some holiday things, which have all gone by the waysideContinue reading “Walking and Wondering”

More than a Dirt Nap

Hello from my office on a Friday afternoon, Between meetings and a couple of other things (including grading), I am considering some things in light of my Bible as Literature course and wanted to write. This past week, my Bible as Literature student have asked interesting and thoughtful questions about life (and beyond), and whileContinue reading “More than a Dirt Nap”

Understanding Giving Thanks

Hello from Fog and Flame, It is the day before Thanksgiving and I am working on a variety of things. I have pretty well completed one of my classes, at least finishing in terms of putting up any information for the remainder of the semester, and yet, I have a number of other things toContinue reading “Understanding Giving Thanks”

Walking in the Other’s Shoes

Good early evening from my office, It is always interesting to see how people respond to the plight of their fellow humans. How is it we can be both the most caring, empathetic of all creation, and simultaneously the most cruel and ruthless? How is it we can teach our children how to respect, actContinue reading “Walking in the Other’s Shoes”