Most of the ornaments on our Christmas tree have a special story or significance. For instance, there is one ornament featuring a scene from the Dutch countryside. It was given to us by our neighbors, Jasper and Katrijn, in the … Continue reading
We spent less than ten dollars for a fifteen-pound turkey this year. We brought the turkey home from the store in the trunk of one of our three cars. We stored it until it was time to thaw in one … Continue reading
We’ve made it to the end of our busiest, sweatiest, most strategic season of the Collegiate ministry year! I’ve been taking some time to reflect and recreate this weekend, and when I saw the above sign in the Cuyahoga Valley … Continue reading
We went back to Richland County for a family reunion this weekend: a low-key, potluck picnic-at-the-pond kind of thing on Sunday afternoon. The reunion itself was fine (though the kids and I couldn’t stay very long because of commitments back … Continue reading
Out in the farmlands of Richland County, there’s a cemetery labeled with a simple wrought-iron sign: “Revolutionary War Cemetery.” As the name suggests, a few well-weathered gravestones go all the way back to the 1700s, when this part of the … Continue reading
We’re thankful for a bit of a thaw this weekend in northeast Ohio. We know better than to get too excited about such a temporary reprieve, but it is awfully nice to get some sun and snowmelt. A week ago, … Continue reading
It’s been said that, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” And as much as I’m inclined to grumble about rain, slush, and cold (or high heat and humidity for that matter), I generally ascribe to this … Continue reading
We brought back the magic of 1977 to celebrate my 40th Birthday this past weekend. There was lots of great food, great disco music, great fashions, and great stories shared by all. But naturally, the best part of the whole evening was my friends and … Continue reading
President’s Day is not typically a great holiday. I mean, the day seems to be nice enough for school-children and government employees (who get the day off), as well as for people who sell cars or furniture (who seem to … Continue reading
Scrape, skritch, scratch, rake. Scrape, skritch, scratch, rake. I drag my bamboo rake along the lawn. I gather the leaves into piles. I gather the piles onto a tarp. I pull the tarp to the front of our property. I … Continue reading
