News

Anyone who has tried to grow vegetables knows how difficult it can be. You can water during a dry spell, but too much rain at the wrong time can ruin a garden for the rest of the season. That is very disappointing for a hobby gardener; no fresh tomatoes, beans, or...

This question usually means one of three things. First, it challenges someone’s knowledge or the quality of their information. In this context, “What do you know” really means, “I doubt you know anything about it; you don’t know what you are talking about.” Second,...

I like staying healthy. I am glad to follow the advice of skilled and wise doctors and public health experts. After hearing the dreadful experiences of Covid patients nobody wants to get it. People of good conscience don’t want to spread it. None of this is news; we...

For 14 years I was chaplain of a volunteer fire department. It was a small town, so although I was not a trained firefighter, I had turnout gear and did what I could do at fires. Mostly I served as Safety Officer on the scene, making sure firefighters put their gear...

When there is a special event like a holiday, family reunion, or birthday, people make sure their home is extra neat and extra clean. Opinions vary regarding what extra clean and extra neat look like, but everyone puts extra effort into cleaning before a special...

Mark Twain once said, “If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.” Sometimes we feel we would rather move. But we love the land, and rivers, and the sea, and we even love the seasons. So… here we stay. Has anyone noticed that the weather...

Some people daydream of spending a summer working as a Lighthouse keeper.  They fondly dream of sea, and sky, and above all, solitude.  Not for them crowds and hustle and bustle.  Leave them alone with music, books, and their own thoughts and they are happy as a clam....

“How wonderful, how beautiful, When brothers and sisters and families get along.” Psalm 133 Many families are finding that they are spending more time together.  With activities cancelled, they are doing less running around and actually sitting down together for...

We are all washing our hands for 20 seconds, about as long as singing the Happy Birthday song twice.  Gotta be something more fun than that, so I began listening to music, looking for something else I could sing for about 20 seconds.  One thing led to another; click...

Everyone has heard of the 1918 Flu pandemic and seen all the pictures.   Just like today, theatres, churches, and schools were all closed.  Just like today people wore masks in public.  Just like today people missed going to their favorite places, and grew tired of...

When someone asked anthropologist Margaret Mead what she considered the first evidence of civilization her answer was surprising.  One might expect she would say tools for food preparation or, hunting, religious artifacts, or creative works.  But she felt that the...

“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; For you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.” Psalm 61.1-3 Ancient Ireland was a dangerous place.  It was...

There is a vast difference between Social Distancing and feeling isolated. Hopefully, most people are avoiding contact with others as much as possible. No need to repeat that here; we have all heard what folks are supposed...