In the past three years, Preston-Fall City Road has captured part of my heart and most of my imagination. A few days before Halloween 2021, a horrible phone call confirmed that Max, a 22-year-old beloved Starbucks coworker (and his mother Cami) died instantly when a freak windstorm landed a huge tree on their passing car. Read more about The River, The Road and The Soul[…]
One of the final lengthy conversations I had with #MyAwesomeDad… was about the day he and #MyMom finally moved into the house I grew up in. It was the first of 16 new houses occupied on South 234th Place in Des Moines. I was just six months old, and with two older sisters, our current Read more about The Give and Take in Pastores, Guatemala[…]
In our laundry room downstairs, a discarded teak book shelf holds my causal threads. Of the four shelves, I’d say the top one gets the most action. I’m a regular on E-Bay seeking size 38 Ex-Officio tan shorts. Yes, those same style I’ve been sporting in for a dozen years. “Quality never goes out of Read more about Socks Don’t Have to Match[…]
In 1982, my parents made a trip to Hawaii, post a 25th Wedding Anniversary celebration in our family home. At the time, the best “local” beach accommodation was the Outrigger on Waikiki. Halfway into their week-long stay, which included my little sister Annie, the hotel room phone rang. “Are you expecting something from home” was Read more about Joining Spirits on Airport Beach[…]
When my Dad turned 18, he received a letter from the President of the United States. It looked similar to thousands of others that landed in US mailboxes. This was anything but junk mail. He knew it was coming but hoped his name and address would be lost in the system. He’d already met the Read more about Hawaiian time with #MyAwesomeDad[…]
The combination of excitement and nerves are palpable today. At 58 years old, I’m about to cross a threshold I set for myself in 1988. This redirect of life was a deliberate roadmap to step away from a comfortable role I was nearly born into. Staying would mean continued focus on fulfilling someone else’s vision. Read more about On the Verge[…]
Waikiki Beach was the first tropical sand my toes ever knew. It was a last minute surprise visit to see my vacationing Mom and Dad in 1983. I convinced my roommate Randy that a week in the island sun would be a fantastic getaway. The white push button house phone in the Reef Hotel lobby Read more about Birthday fun in the sun, minus one[…]
My parents had a giant storage space in our garage. Painted aqua marine, it stood about six feet high and ran around eight feet long. It took in lots of seasonal goods and was the resting spot for discarded sports equipment, including most of my out of season hockey gear. Whenever one of us was Read more about A Childhood of Thanksgiving[…]
My Dad and I shared a bench at the end of a dock this weekend. It took us six hours by car to get to that Adirondack two seater crafted by Doug, my uber-talented brother in law. Traveling with my 86 year old Dad through places that represent some of his best childhood moments is Read more about Fountain of Knowledge and Goodness[…]