For years, I thought I wasn’t a hiker. I mock my Marine father for it, for he’s the ecstatic Aussie shepherd who nipped at my heals on forced marches up mountains, and so he killed my love of the hike with his unending enthusiasm and zest. In my more contemplative moments, I remember my exasperation…

I talked recently to one of the youths who frequents my home about a thrashing, wiggling, wild conversation they’d had with a parental figure in which the parent said, basically, I’m so, so, so, so, so, so proud of you and all the Things you’ve accomplished, and, WOW, what a Success you are, except in…

I dunno, I guess I’ve always thought there are Prom People and non-Prommers, you know? Like, I’m not into binaries–I’m very anti-either/or–until you get to the trappings of popularity in our status-focused American culture, and then I’m all, NOPE NO PROM FOR ME THANK YOU because it was never a place I felt like I…

A few weeks ago, at my spring Oregon Respite Retreat, my friend Heidi asked how we were all…you know…surviving in the current political and social climate, and BOY HOWDY do I get that question. In January 2017, DJT took office and our church denomination of many decades kicked us out due to our implacable stance…