All best wishes to you and yours at this season, however you recognize it – and that can get confusing. I just came from the post office, which annually offers a large variety of Christmas and holiday themed stamps, hopefully to treat respectfully the largest number of people in this wonderfully diverse country of ours. […]
A couple of weeks ago, out of the blue, my friend, Clarence, invited me to a mens retreat with him. I said, “sounds interesting, when is it? Where?” It turned out to be the Franciscan Retreat Center in Prior Lake MN, Friday night to Sunday noon, Dec 12-14. Schedules cleared, I signed up for my […]
Today, even more so than most, will be a frantic, “CYA”, day in Washington D.C. when the long expected Senate Committee report on the U.S. and the practice of Torture during the Iraq years is released. My favorite blogger summarizes the chatter as it gathered yesterday here. Everyone will have their own opinion. Mine borrows […]
NOTE: November 25, 2016: The Dec. 7, 2016, post will include a link to this post, and more information relating to the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Directly related post here. PRE-NOTE: I have written often, here, about the death of my Uncle Frank, my Dad’s kid brother, on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, […]
A week ago I did a post on the beginning of Advent. In that post, I recommended the book of reflections entitled “All Saints, Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time” by Robert Ellsberg, hoping to commit myself to its daily messages. So far, so good. Today’s reflection, on St. Nicholas, seems […]
(click to enlarge) Pre-note, side comment, and recommendation: In light of current events it seems almost superfluous to write about a meeting of the Board of the Minnesota Orchestra. There is a great deal happening on the national scene, most recently the non-indictment of the policeman involved in the death of Eric Garner on Staten […]
This will be one of a series which all begin “Thanksgiving?” Thanksgiving for me was at a nursing home in North Dakota, with my last remaining relative from my Mom or Dad’s generation – her brother. His health is such that he’s confined to a wheelchair and is on oxygen, and while he is very […]
Today, at least for Roman Catholics, is the First Sunday of Advent. It will be noticed today at my Church, Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis. As with most everything in our diverse society, there are many definitions of the meaning of this liturgical season, the four Sundays between now and Christmas Day, December 25. Here’s […]
Long-time great friend, Anne, has contributed her always valued perspective to this blog on several occasions. Her thoughts, below, arrived in my mailbox a couple of days ago and are presented with her permission. Her other posts, as well as other links referring to her or her work, can be found here. Thank you, Anne. […]
Beginning last evening there’s been plenty of news about Officer Darren Wilson, un-armed victim Michael Brown and Ferguson MO. There’ll be a great deal more. The news will be as it is. Some thoughts from my little corner…. Yesterday afternoon I met a guy at a local restaurant I frequent. He was a retired police […]