Norman, my Tie that Binds

June 18, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

Mother used to say I cared more for my animals – over the course of my lifetime a parade of dogs, cats, and horses – than people. That was (and likely still is) true, but the why of it isn’t the point. They connect me to important times and places. Places that matter. Places that […]

Samuel became King, we learned trust

May 26, 2019.Reading time 10 minutes.

I drove to South Dakota several years ago to say goodbye to King before he passed and to meet my dear friend Dusty. That’s another story. – Teri The movie Black Beauty opens with the old horse content, lying in a green field and telling a classic tale of loss, sorrow, and redemption. “I remember […]

Fixing Society: one kid, one adult at a time

May 7, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Matt Shaughnessy is passionate about seeing change come to the Child Protection System because he lived in it most of his life. I’ve been mulling this over since 2004 when I visited San Quentin with my peers in Ag Leadership’s Class 34. While there I learned that attachment issues are common among most of the […]

You’re Not the Boss of Me: Contending for Control in California

May 5, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

Have you seen the news lately? Sacramento is a mess. The whole state is. That’s what former Californians (and everyone else) are fond of saying to each other and anyone else who will listen. I never dreamed I’d leave, I thought I’d go back one day, but no. The dye is cast. And while my […]

Don’t Move: Turning E from Empty to Enough

April 30, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

Boy did I need this. I had a bit of a negative day yesterday. I’ve been discouraged with the slow pace of my knee rehab and that’s colored everything. I’ve been hitting it harder and that’s meant a return to some discomfort. Then yesterday when I got to the gym to ride the bike, the […]

I Never Planned on Dying: I need to fix that

April 23, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m a future-oriented planner in every area but one: my own death. That needs to change. No, I haven’t been told I’m ill, I’ve no thoughts of suicide. But it’s coming. Eventually. I avoid thinking about death as if I am invincible. I am not. Neither are you. We think it will never happen, though […]

My Knee, P&Z, and Conditional Uses

April 5, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Last night was my first in person meeting since total knee replacement surgery last month. Ouch. The doctor said my knee would let me know when I over-do things. It did. In retrospect, I wouldn’t have missed this meeting for anything. Planning and Zoning Commission meetings always remind me how important it is for citizens, […]