“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:  Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”  Nothing beside remains round the decay  Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,  The lone and level sands stretch far away.”  Shelley’s poem gives us a stark image of hubris, laid low by the inexorable passage of time. History abounds … More The Heirs of Ozymandias

Politics contaminates anything it touches, and it gropes the truth unashamedly. Truth is always the first casualty of war, and it may be too late for an objective view on this war in Ukraine. For several weeks we’ve been saturated by the usual. War is evil. Look at the carnage. Hate the enemy. Here’s the … More Another Hornets’ Nest

“Holodomor” is a combination of Ukranian words meaning roughly to inflict death by starvation. This is how Ukrainians remember Joseph Stalin, who starved and relocated millions of people in Ukraine during the 1930’s in order to consolidate power. The relationship between the peoples of Russia and Ukraine is complicated, with a history of conflict that … More Unwelcome Irony

Bonnie and Babu, forever known as “The Puppies,” joined our family 13 years ago on Valentine’s Day. Two energetic and dangerously cute little balls of puppy fur were the perfect therapy for the gray and leaden days that followed the passing of my mother, just a week prior. Babu’s story has been told here. Bonnie’s … More Off You Go

Being celebrity illiterate, I’ve never listened to Joe Rogan. I had to look him up on Wikipedia for context on the latest left and right virtue signal playground fight involving Joe and some other celebrities. I prefer to remain more or less culturally illiterate when it comes to celebrity. That, and my general lack of … More Mixed Signals

I was thinking about pruning our blueberries this morning. Whenever I look at that patch, grown to multiples of its original size, I think of my old friend, Merle, who gave me some of the first sprouts. Merle was in his late seventies when we met. He was possessed of a vigor which refused to … More What Box?

We all grieve differently, in our own way and in our own time. The process cannot be forced, or rushed, or altered by good intentions and unsolicited advice given us by well-wishers. In time, the sharp edges of grief are worn smooth, and sadness remains, but where grief cuts, sadness softens instead, and makes pliable … More The Quilt

Anyone who writes can tell you about the invisible wall of writer’s block that can appear between the first sentence of a composition and a deadline. It showed up for me this week like Bill Murray’s clock radio alarm in the movie “Groundhog Day.” Isn’t it true, that since the beginning of the “plague years,” … More The Invisible Wall

It is rare that I get to speak to you so close, and prior to the Christmas holiday. I’ll take this opportunity to wish you all a happy holiday season and thank you for your support and encouragement. Many thanks to my editor, Shawn, for her patience and good humor. Particular thanks to my wife, … More Putting the “X” Back in Christmas

I heard a baby crying in a foreign land this morning, and I’m feeling like a true global citizen. It was an unexpected pleasure. My insurance company, we’ll call them “Hugnem” for the purpose of this discussion, wasn’t getting any of my money. Funny, how a claim can take weeks to process but a “past … More Global Citizen