Marcus Aurelius encourages us to “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.” I read that in Meditations, inscribed on an ancient device that displays information via … More The Quiet Page
As we recoil from the unrelenting drama of world news and weather, we turn now to the renewable resource of wisdom and entertainment provided by the creatures with whom we share this world. We don’t have to look far. Dogs teach us unconditional love. Cats show us how to stay limber. Snakes remind us not … More Playing Possum
We used to call it “winter.” It is a season of extremes and, as far as the weather is concerned, a time of uncertainty. Most of you will read this after the long‑predicted ice storm has passed. This morning it hasn’t happened yet. The lights are on here and the house is warm. It’s a … More Occam’s Butcher Knife
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” There is both comfort and caution in the study of history. Genesis is a good place to begin, and if you widen your scope … More Objects In The Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
The decorations and the memories have been carefully wrapped and put away. The pants are just a bit tighter than they were two weeks ago. Elves did not magically finish the winter chores we set aside for the holidays, and there is still wood to be chopped and water to be carried. As a contrarian, … More The Pendulum Clutch
There’s a particular kind of disappointment in watching a once‑reliable machine die in an undignified collapse of cascading destruction brought on by the failure of a single, fragile part. The irony is sharp when it happens at the peak of our season of conspicuous consumption. My old washing machine didn’t fail on Christmas Day because … More When “Good Enough” Isn’t Good Enough
The years go by too quickly, driven by the ways we dissect time. I believe we might live longer, if not better, by counting moons instead of days. I like my age better divided by seasons instead of seconds, measured instead in the lifespans of loyal dogs and good horses, and the occasional cat. I … More Light For The Longest Nights
I called my brother the other day while he and his wife were sharing a morning cup. The weather outside was frigid, but they were basking in the warm embrace of home and companionship, quietly chatting about this and that. A slice of toast, a comfortable chair, and nothing demanding they get up and get … More The Little Things
The tapping begins just after daybreak and continues intermittently until dusk. It is the sound of Splash, the flat-headed cardinal, attacking his reflection in the window. Splash descends from a long line of head-bangers, though I suspect there is no survival value for male cardinals who dull their beaks against glass. His great-grandfather was the … More Reflections Of The Enemy
Last week I ripped up the stairs to our deck. They were built in 2019 with “premium” pressure-treated pine, coated with stain and maintained on a sunny south-facing wall. They looked fine on the surface, but inside they were black with rot, spongy, the grain splitting like cheap veneer. The deck was built in 1987 … More Men of Oak, Men of Particle Board
Outside The Box 