Today it rained. Around noon everyone was quietly doing their own thing around the house when I suggested to my daughters that we go to the park in spite of the weather. They were excited. “We can play Middle Earth, Daddy!” Said the youngest. So off we went with our puppy to an otherwise empty park where we traversed soggy marshes, slippery boulders, massive dirt mountains, and raging creeks. We fought off orcs and trolls with swords and arrows. We…
A cold spell swooped down on Christmas Eve the year I was eleven. It was north Florida, and every December I could remember up until that point was warm enough to run around outside in shorts. But on this day, we wore Toughskins and wind breakers as we headed away from our neighborhood into the woods in search of mistletoe. I was with my best friend Curtis. Curtis was a year younger, and yet he somehow had a BB gun. Something I’d longed for…
Today’s conference championship games between Duke and Florida State, and Michigan State and Ohio State will reveal to the country why a BCS National Championship game that doesn’t involve an SEC team is illegitimate. FSU might destroy Duke (though it wouldn’t surprise me if the Devils make it a contest), and everyone expects OSU to lose to MSU. But the Buckeyes might pull one out. Who knows? Who cares? Both FSU (#1) and OSU (#2) represent the BCS National…
to what end, all this rushing around and dominating the competition? gold? this is man’s destiny? to hoard gold and be lauded by others with similar mindsets? in america, it seems so. and if you’re not down with this concept, and you spend all day daydreaming about nature and beauty, you’re a freak who is an inch away from leeching off of the system. and you’re lazy. and un-American. there is no room for you amongst the wolves, hippie– go…
As I drew the first sip of coffee to my lips this morning, one of our daughters said, “Look Mom, they’re fighting!” I spun around in my desk chair to spy two squirrels chasing each other on the bare dogwood outside of our living room window. I smiled. Then one of the squirrels mounted the other. “Doh!” I cried as I jumped up and ran over to draw the blinds, spilling coffee as I went. “Avert your eyes, children! Avert…
these are the things I’m most grateful for: a hot shower a full belly friends good health a brave wife freedom from the prison of alcoholism a roof that doesn’t leak the company of animals a relationship with God passion curiosity free will faith *** Jim
