Unforeseen Contingencies

Family / Ordinary Life

It was early during the evening hours. Night had not yet descended; it was that time of the year when daylight lingered longer than…

Pandemic Wisdom

Faith / Family / Ordinary Life

So much has been written about the pandemic, much of it wise.  I wondered why add my own? So, here are quotes from others…

Going Home

Faith / Family / Ordinary Life

Going Home We are saddened by the recent death of Denis’ mother. At the same time just when we’d almost lost hope of spring…

Sudden Death

Community / Family / Ordinary Life

Sudden Death Looking back to November of last year with all the cantankerousness and incivility of mid-term elections, on the day we voted we…

Fifty Years of Ordinary

Family / Maturity and Flourishing / Ordinary Life

While we were away in October for our vacation, I expected to review the milestones of Fifty Years of Marriage. Isn’t that what people…

Somewhere Near the End

Faith / Family / Ordinary Life / Spirituality

Earlier this summer we had this rather rash idea of taking Denis’ mother to Cinco de Mayo in West St. Paul. We knew she’d…

A Wedding Homily

Faith / Family / Ordinary Life

These words were spoken at the marriage of Madison & Pamela on August 8, 2009 in Durham, NC. Earlier this week I was speaking…

Spring, please come

Community / Family / Ordinary Life

We live in a climate where the seasons are sharp. There is no mistaking them. Winter freezes everything including our senses; but they waken…

A Gentle Madness

Community / Family / Hospitality / Maturity and Flourishing / Ordinary Life / Work and Rest

“People have always collected things. Whether a vestige of our hunter-gatherer days, a need to forge order amid chaos, or a simple desire to…

The Solace of Asparagus

Creation / Family / Hospitality / Safe Place / Spirituality

[Note: “This article originally appeared on June 19, 2009 in Comment, a publication of CARDUS: www.cardus.ca.”] The first meal I prepared for the man…