Wishing or Needing?

Hello from Millworks Coffee Shop, I am in the Quad Cities on the Iowa/Illinois border both to visit family for Thanksgiving as well as complete a major piece of collecting and managing what has been a fragmented first year of retirement. A moment in a coffee shop brings back so many memories from writing aContinue reading “Wishing or Needing?”

Seasons and Siblings

Hello from a low-key Friday afternoon The metaphor of seasons is well-known, and its use across the genres of art is extensive. Immediately, Vivaldi’s classic Four Seasons, comes to mind, or another Italian, artist, Giuseppe Arcimbold painted four paintings on the seasons given to HRE Maximillian II. Scottish poet, James Thomson composed poems on tueContinue reading “Seasons and Siblings”

A Sacred Form of Strength

Hello from a rather sparse space, Sometimes we find ourselves in situations unexpected, and the reasons are general more than some simple cause/effect sort of dialectic. And as importantly, or maybe more so, it is the consequence of a basic character trait, and even a perceived strength, but something that has been demonstrated or practicedContinue reading “A Sacred Form of Strength”

Understanding a Vow

Hello from the corner of La Malbec, Time continues to march on, and often seemingly more quickly than expected. Over the past few years, and even more recently, attempting to fathom what it means to be a faithful person has become increasingly difficult. Why? While there are a multitude of reasons, the shift in publicContinue reading “Understanding a Vow”

Vertical or Horizontal? Perhaps a look at numbers might reveal something

Hello from the Campus Starbucks, Familiarity can be a double-edged sword, most certainly, but sitting back in Starbucks at the Andruss Library is a good thing. The rearrangement of the traffic flow as well as the tables makes getting some work done much more arduous, but thank goodness for a charged phone. The memories ofContinue reading “Vertical or Horizontal? Perhaps a look at numbers might reveal something”

Understanding the Consequences

Hello from the bus, It’s early morning, and I am sleeping on an air mattress in a sleeping bag (well, not actually sleeping because I’ve started this blog). It is September 11th, a consequential day in American history. It is also a day, where as a gun-owning culture, we are confronted with the shooting ofContinue reading “Understanding the Consequences”

Lonely Wind

Hello from a Starbucks on Clinton Street, It is in downtown Iowa City, where I once wandered as a student in 1982. Hard to believe it was that long ago, but it is the beginning of another academic year and there are students everywhere. I have been managing things as I work toward getting seriousContinue reading “Lonely Wind”

American Gothic and My Iowa Roots

Hello from rural Mallard, It’s about the end of the day, the sun is setting, I can smell livestock from the hog containment facility down the road, and yes, there are flies (scads of them). It was a productive day as I got the weather stripping for the main bus door ordered, and the majorityContinue reading “American Gothic and My Iowa Roots”

Aspiration is Life

Hello from the Main Bus Station in Kraków, This is when this post began, but the lack of synchronization with devices from WordPress seems to have lost it. However, with minimal revision, the post remains relevant. Reflection is a central element of life for me. Recounting, reimagining, reconsidering what has happened, where I have been,Continue reading “Aspiration is Life”

In Media Res

Hello from the diner, It’s been a bit since I stopped in for breakfast, as the BK group has become the morning habit. And yet the diner is where I can find the closest thing to where my comfort breakfast is available. This simple fare of poached eggs and toast are what I still rememberContinue reading “In Media Res”