Monthly Archives: May 2001

Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not easy. – Aristotle My … Continue reading →

Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought; our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks. – Samuel Johnson I watched the sun go down after dinner last night while sitting in a comfy chair on … Continue reading →

I went the entire Memorial Day weekend without checking my email. Earlier in the week I read a blurb in Wired about how some companies have instituted email-free Fridays as a way of getting people to focus on other tasks. … Continue reading →

Today is Memorial Day and I’m going down to the services at Bridge Square, the park in the center of Northfield. I’ve always been haunted by the notion of the ultimate sacrifice – dying in a war. I found myself … Continue reading →

There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist. – Mark Twain Five years ago today, one of my sons was in a van full of teens when they were hit by a drunk driver going the wrong way on … Continue reading →

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live. – Flora Whittemore This is a slightly different spin to the more commonly heard phrase, “When one door shuts, another opens.” One of my sons said the … Continue reading →

Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer While on a walk in the woods today, I had this overwhelming sense of responsibility to continue on with Real Joe via whatever means and methods … Continue reading →

A person is usually not attached to anything more than their own suffering. – Anonymous My daughter continues to be not much more than mildly annoyed by her IV treatments, four times a day. We’re both pretty tired. We generally … Continue reading →

Marriage is like a cage; one sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside equally desperate to get out. – Michel de Montaigne One of my sons is bemoaning the fact that several of his high school … Continue reading →

The most ordinary and confused moments of our lives are infused with a spirituality if we know how to look. – Kent Nerburn I’m feeling like a laggard the past couple of days. I don’t know what it is exactly. … Continue reading →

You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now. – Joan Baez My wife Robbie’s dad died yesterday. He had a massive stroke while she was chatting … Continue reading →

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet. – James Oppenheim I drove to the airport yesterday to see my youngest son and his buddy off for their big trip to Alaska for … Continue reading →

We give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. – Sacred Ritual Chant Two of my sons came down for a belated Mother’s Day celebration yesterday. And the one who recently settled a lawsuit over his seat belt injury … Continue reading →

How we see is the determining factor in our lives. It determines how we are, and to some extent, even how life happens to us. So it is much better to be concerned with seeing what is than with getting … Continue reading →

There are two ways of meeting difficulties. You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them. – Phyllis Bottome My daughter came home from the hospital yesterday. She’ll be on an IV drip 4 times a day for … Continue reading →

Life is half spent before one knows what life is. – French Proverb A good friend got married last weekend. It was a fabulous wedding, held outdoors on a picture perfect evening. It’s his second marriage. Neither have children but … Continue reading →

I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity. – Eleanor Roosevelt I drove one of my son’s back to Northfield tonight … Continue reading →

Newsblog: Women likelier than men to face marriage breakup when cancer strikes After reading this piece, I’m so grateful that my marriage has gotten strong in the past few years. Otherwise, I can easily see how I could have been … Continue reading →

All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience. – Henry Miller More work on the radio show script today. I feel like a fish out of water with this medium. But … Continue reading →

He is the best physician who is the most ingenious inspirer of hope. – Samuel Taylor Coleridge My daughter’s back is infected so they had to take out the metal rods from last year’s surgery. She’ll be on an IV … Continue reading →

Weblog: My daughter goes in for back surgery this morning. Her fusion from her Scoliosis surgery last summer has evidently failed. I told her last night, “You don’t seem to be too worried or uptight about going into surgery tomorrow.” … Continue reading →

It is better to read the weather forecast before we pray for rain. – Mark Twain Tornadoes hit the Northfield area yesterday. Lots of damage to houses and farms just outside of town but no one was hurt. The news … Continue reading →

“The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds.” -Will Durant I think everyone has this tendency to some degree. My first round of contacting organizations for online … Continue reading →

“Every day you miss playing or practicing is one day longer it takes to be good.” – Ben Hogan Right. And then I’ll be somebody. While this quote is meant to motivate and inspire, it’s a trap for me when … Continue reading →

I cancelled my message board hosting setup with Web Crossing last week. It’s $50/month I can’t justify right now, especially since I don’t have the time to get the discussion/community going. I plan to try again, once we get the … Continue reading →