https://youtu.be/TKUWvF8lcKI My father could use a little mercy now The fruits of his labor fall and rot slowly on the ground His work is almost over it won't be long, he won't be around I love my father, he could use some mercy now My brother could use a little…
The Pledge of Allegiance is a mystery to me, promising fealty to a piece of cloth — and “to the republic for which it stands” — what does that mean?
This is the reason I first subscribed to Cooks Illustrated. Chris Kimball's editor's note was always the first thing I read. And because of wanting access to his story telling, I became a better cook.
Reading note. As a responsible omnivore, I need to know where my food comes from and understand and respect the needs of the fellow creatures whose deaths make my life possible. The chickens that gave us eggs and went into the freezer were treated with care and concern; they had…
I caught Leon Hales latest in my feed reader last week and thought he had a lot of good points. After spending a quarter of a century posting columns from the porch of his place in Winedale, Leon Hale has come to some conclusions about the joys of a second home…
If it seems like I've vanished from the face of the world here lately, it's mostly because I have. At least the face of this world. I've been spending my time for the last two weeks lost in the world created by Stieg Larsson. It seems I finally made the mistake of…
A couple of weeks ago, I walked along a spring creek in the upper Madison Valley, just south of the town of Ennis, Mont. As my guide, Jeff Laszlo, explained, the creek is one of the unnamed tributaries of the Madison River, fed by innumerable springs along the valley’s rich…
Many years ago (way back in the decadent '80's) as I began to move into middle management I discovered Tom Peter's In Search Of Excellence. I took the book to heart. I strove to make my clients experience as Excellent, with a capitol E, as I could. I think we…
In the afternoon of summer, sounds come through the window: a tractor muttering to itself as it pivots at the corner of the hay field, stalled for a moment as the green row feeds into the baler. On some days I listen to Garrison on the radio, some days he…
I haven't vanished from the face of the earth...I haven't taken ill from the heat and lack of rain...I haven't been shipped off for failing to amuse my wife (though I'm sure see is thinking about it)...What I am doing is exploring the idiosyncrasies of a new theme for WordPress…
Growing up, we spent many summer days visiting my grandparents house in Orchard, Texas. Every evening, after supper was over and cleaned up, we would all grab a folding lawn chair off the back porch and set them up in a rough circle on the east side of the house.…
But the real re-reading I mean is the savory re-reading, the books I have to be careful not to re-read too often so I can read them again with pleasure.
Saturday was another 90° day here in SE Texas...The past week has seen upper 80's every day. The weather prognosticators are trying to tease with hints of a "strong" cool front coming our way. I have even heard whispers of highs in the upper 70's...Personally, I think they are smoking…
Image via Wikipedia Back in my youth I discovered The Mother Earth News. It was probably sometime around 1971 that I first came across the magazine. I am sure I first found it at the old Space City News in downtown Houston where I spent a lot of time each…
It's hard to believe the impact one man's songs can have on a nation and a world...Thanks for living a life that can be an example to us all... Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago Where have all…
Blueberry, by Diane Lockward Deep-blue hue of the body, silvery bloom on its skin. Undersized runt of a fruit, like something that failed to thrive, dented top a fontanel. Lopsided globe. A temperate zone. Tiny paradox, tart and sweet, homely but elegant afloat in sugar and cream, baked in a…
You never know where you will stumble upon a word, a phrase, a few paragraphs that paint a picture in your mind so vivid you would swear you were there... I made my getaway. This dark and wannabe-smokey hideaway was nearly empty. The cushy chairs and couches were without asses.…
From his vantage point in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, the author elevates the simple and local in a way that will bring a smile, a raised eyebrow, or nod of affirmation. This unique view of the world will be appreciated by fellow biology watchers, grandparents, rural dwellers or wannabes and by those simply seeking a pleasant place to ponder a few minutes before bedtime.
Leon Hale's weekly column is up at the Houston Chronicle...This section in the middle caught my mind's eye and reminded me of my year living with my Grandparents back in the early 70's. When sprummer comes to the country, what arrives along with it is a lot of work to…
Looking on the weather wunderground, I see that Fred is still feeding the woodstove and wearing the multiple layers of clothes he was lamenting in his essay. While I am enjoying the open door and the porch rocker, Fred is still dreaming his summer weather dreams.
Wandering down my Google Reader list today led me to Seth Godin's Blog and his muse on Newspapers...Go check it out... I worry about the quality of a democracy when the the state government or the local government can do what it wants without intelligent coverage. I worry about the…
The MSM is full these days of stories of the demise of the MSM. Having argued continuously for limits in the ownership of news organizations I feel that a lot of these failings can be laid at the feet of the consolidators. As in most of the rest of the…
Leon Hale's weekly column this morning reached back to before my birth...But, he touched a chord even so. The final lines though really rang true... I guess what got me going on television is that just lately we installed a new set in the old country house at Winedale. One…
Up early to check on the status of Edouard...Looks like a miss for my house...Heading inland already on the Louisiana border. Should miss the majority of the Houston area, rain and moderate winds only. Sherry has headed for work already...Television on, radar on the monitor... Happy Birthday Wendell Berry It's…
The Pleasurable Choice Is the Ethical Choice I like to say that I'm not an an optimist, but I am a person of hope. That is to say, I cultivate the virtue of hope in myself. Hope takes account of the enormity and darkness of challenges and problems, and yet…
The Podcast I listened to yesterday that really caught my interest was this one... Tiny Texas Cafe Fills Up After Barbecue Award : NPR All Things Considered, July 18, 2008 · Barbecue is religion in Texas. Every five years, Texas Monthly goes on a quest for the Holy Grail —…
The Rural Life - Editorial - Summer’s Night - Editorial - NYTimes.com The last couple of nights I’ve stood at the edge of the pasture watching the fireflies. They rise from the grass, flickering higher and higher until one of them turns into the blinking lights of a jet flying…
I saw the notice in my email first thing and as I worked my way down the list I was trying to formulate a post. Then I read John Scalzi's...If you are or were a Carlin fan go read John's short tribute. Whatever » RIP, George Carlin He was my…
And the conservative will discount the numbers because of the source...But come on, can't we expect a little bit of research from the speech writers? Fact check John McCain: Another of my disagreements with Senator Obama concerns the estate tax, which he proposes to increase to a top rate of…
I've been reading Leon Hale as long as I've been reading anything other than the funny pages in the Houston Newspaper...Occasionally I link to his blog or the weekly column he has almost retired to. This post hooked me and reeled me in... What would you have done? Did you…
