Our daughter Nicole looked grim as she shared the news. “It slowed, started shaking, and made a roaring sound,” she whispered. “Then it got real quiet.” Nicole’s car—The Green Monster—died in the slow lane of westbound Highway 44 on a hot… Continue Reading
Karin and I concur on most major marital and philosophical issues: politics, personal finances, religion, family-size, professional sports, and sex. We agreed on “twice the norm,” “non-doctrinal,” “don’t keep track,” “left-leaning”, “none,” and “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Ten points if… Continue Reading
My motto in childhood was “If a little bit is good, a lot has to be better.” This was doubly true when it came to talking. Bedtime was at 8 pm, but I had a dodge. I’d dash from my room,… Continue Reading
When the kids were little, Karin instituted a family tradition, Twice around the Table. After dinner, you were required to remain seated, wait your turn, and then share three things. First, you told everyone the worst thing that had happened to you. You could gripe—briefly—about your… Continue Reading
Steve, the senior crime-beat reporter, looked over my shoulder as I wrote. I was putting the finishing touches on a breaking-news story about a neighborhood dispute that ended in gunfire. Steve patted me on the shoulder. “You’ll get more calls… Continue Reading
“Do you want to get up and start your day?” Karin asks. It’s summer vacation, 7:16 am, and I don’t have to arise at any particular time. I think very carefully before saying anything to my wife. “It’s beautiful out there,” she… Continue Reading
Recently, my brother JD dragged me over to his computer with a grin on his face. “Check this out.” He pulled up a web page. “I think you can use this.” I looked at the ad on drugstore.com. It featured a… Continue Reading
I saw it sitting on a corner lot, a little Hobie Cat with a “For Sale” signed tacked to it. Sailing…. What A GREAT IDEA. A simple, elegant sport, fun for the entire family and SO MUCH CHEAPER than wakeboarding! I… Continue Reading
Karin and I once had a small dog named “Honey” who was a faithful viewer of “Days of Our Lives.” Her morning routine was to prowl the house annoying the cats until she heard the soap’s theme song. Then she’d… Continue Reading
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” I Corinthians 7 It’s not often that I’m asked for advice on matters of the heart. But recently, a family member—I’ll call her “Liz”—commented that her boyfriend… Continue Reading
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