Gratitude

Our grandson, Calvert, had a great idea for his Boy Scout Eagle Project. His family was living in Germany at the time, and some friends told them about an orphanage in Meknes, Morocco that needed clothing for the 240 children in their care.  Calvert got to work and held a spaghetti dinner fund raiser, which…

It’s an extreme understatement to note that this has been a very unusual year. We’re not sure how the rest of you in the US decided to celebrate (or not celebrate) the Thanksgiving holiday, but we started in October. Yep, over a month early, and the festivities continue with no end in sight! Hey, gratitude…

In December of 1967, I was living in the small city of Bergamo in Northern Italy. It was a beautiful place, located in the foothills of the Alps. The people living in this community were friendly and hospitable to our group of young American boys (19 – 21 years old). We were living in a…

With days turning to weeks, how are you faring during our COVID 19 pandemic? Isolating with our families and from our communities offers both challenges and opportunities. Consider this story about Cal’s experience several years ago:   My first wife, Carol, had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. The doctor told her she probably had…

As adults, we are being bombarded with daily, even hourly news that is rapidly changing the world we live in. As we try to adjust and adapt, no matter how hard we try to set up a new normal in our homes, our children’s routines are being disrupted. Change can be particularly challenging for kids…

  Jed Nield is a man who has earned my respect. He is a rodeo competitor (a team roper), a father of four children, and manager of a 13,000-acre ranch in Idaho. Why is Jed so impressive to me? After all he is not the only person with these attributes, and in fact there are…