This past week, I hosted in my home three high school friends for a day. We are approaching our 50th high school graduation anniversary and it was fun reminiscing. We are growing older and now discuss our various ailments, doctor visits, and surgeries. We don’t move as fast as we did in high school …
Ordo Amoris
For the last couple of years, I have been reading Saint Augustine’s City of God (Concerning the City of God against the Pagans, translated by Henry Bettenson, Penguin Books, 1972). The reason it is taking me so long to finish his book is that Augustin’s book is 1091 pages of theological writings. I …
O Canada
When I was in elementary school, my parents took us to visit relatives in Illinois and Pennsylvania. After visiting family, we drove north to Buffalo and visited Niagara Falls, then crossed the Canadian border and visited historical forts and parks. It was my first time in another country. There was …
Burnt Palm Leaves
Ash Wednesday is two days away. Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday (also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday. I have not participated in Mardi Gras festivities as splurging before Lent seems odd. I also didn’t grow up in Louisiana or Latin America where Mardi Gras festivities …
Die With Zero
I am a member of the Chili Relleno Society. Before you jump to conclusions, chili relleno translates from its Spanish roots into English as “stuffed chili.” It is a Mexican dish that was originally made from a green chili pepper stuffed with minced meat and coated with eggs. Today, there are many …
Post-Pandemic Etiquette
We recently traveled to Canada to spend a winter week at our condo. The trip was primarily to check out our place and to attend an informal Condo Council meeting. We had two surprises. First, the weather was far warmer, sunnier, and drier than expected. We took several walks outside and did not need …
Can I buy a vowel?
I have a confession to make; I am a poor speller. This trait has been with me since I began reading. My mother, an English teacher, knew this fact and helped me practice my spelling words. I memorized the assigned weekly spelling words and did well on the tests, then promptly forgot how to spell …
Jimmy
In 1976, I graduated from high school and departed my small south Texas town for Colorado where I attended university. During my high school years, I witnessed the end of the tragic Vietnam war, the Watergate scandal that resulted in the resignation of President Nixon, and rising inflation that …
All I Want for Christmas
We drove southeast to Houston to attend a Houston Symphony performance of the Very Merry Pops. Family members have season tickets and they invited us to join them. We used to regularly attend the Christmas Pops when we lived in Houston, and it is an excellent way to get into the Christmas spirit. …
Church Traditions
This past Sunday was the second Sunday of Advent when Christians light the candle of peace. Sadly, our world is not at peace. Just this past week, after more than a decade of civil war, the Syrian Assad regime was ousted by a rebel army. Their neighbor, Israel, is at war with Hamas, a militant group …