Owls

A family of Great Horned Owls nest near our property. In years past, their deep whoing call resonated through the forest after dark. This season, for the first time, the owls make regular appearances in the trees around my gardens. The winter was mild. Spring came early and lingers. Persistent rain drenched Oregon in May. … More Owls

Graduation

Spring is a time of rebirth, new growth, and graduations. Last week, my family traveled to California and celebrated my oldest son’s graduation from the University of California, Berkeley Law School. This marks another significant event in an odyssey we have all traveled since December of 2002, when he broke his neck in a vehicle … More Graduation

For the Love of Nancy

Last weekend I learned that one of my favorite bloggers and multiple myeloma compadres succumbed to her disease. Nancy, of “Because I Said So” fame signed off her blog three weeks ago after admitting hospice into her life. We had much in common with respect to our cancer. We both received our multiple myeloma diagnosis … More For the Love of Nancy

Anemia

Years ago, I owned a variety of Volkswagen Beetles. With the help of John Muir’s revolutionary book, How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive, I rebuilt and maintained several of the anemic air-cooled engines. I also learned to embrace the author’s most important advice: preventive maintenance. As children came along, I settled down with a career … More Anemia

Remission

What I’ve been reading: The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson Take perfect pacing, add quirky characters, a tablespoon of revenge, and a pinch of profanity, then feast on this top-notch police procedural. Afghanistan by Stephen Tanner All the king’s horses and all the king’s men cannot put Afghanistan together again. Its geography defies conquest and … More Remission

Balance

On Valentine’s Day, my wife and I adopted a neutered adult male cat. I named him Spanky. He’s a brawny Bengal looking tabby. He weighs 16 pounds and is oblivious to his size, believing he is a lap cat when, in reality, he is a two lap cat. We estimate his age at three to … More Balance

Survival Stories

First, some book reviews of 25 words or less: Because They Wanted To by Mary Gaitskill Raw, kinky stories, populated by conflicted heroines engaged in short term urban relationships. Men are welcome; I think. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri These stories are comfortable as old jeans, but there are holes in the pockets through which … More Survival Stories

Cancer in a Small Town

In a small town, the ripples of surprise caused by a cancer diagnosis don’t stop with family and friends. They spread outward through the secondary connections in the community: the merchants, the clubs, and the schools that tie us together socially. The pool in which they reverberate may be small but before the surface smoothes, … More Cancer in a Small Town