This week I took the Conan-the-Barbarian approach to ridding my garden of weeds. I leveled everything by wielding my "grass whip," which is like a battle axe for weeds. Done in a morning. This is a difference from earlier years, when we took several weeks pulling each weed out by hand. But I … [Read more...] about The Conan approach to gardening
Cycling Race Report
Two weeks ago we saw one of the greatest race finishes of the century when a Dutch cyclist named Mathieu Van der Poel came from behind to win the Amstel Gold race in Holland. The storybook scenario inspired a full-page article in the Wall Street Journal. Here's a short summary: Van der Poel's … [Read more...] about Cycling Race Report
Long-term planning in the Spirit
Plan like you'll live a thousand years or as if you might die in a day--that's life in the Spirit. How can these two perspectives go together? It's good to plan for the long term, because as part of the Body of Christ, what you do to build the Kingdom can leave a legacy for many generations. But … [Read more...] about Long-term planning in the Spirit
Easter Energy
What's the source of Easter energy? When Cardinal Keeler said daily Mass in the mornings at the Basilica, he would say that "we are treated to the book of Acts during Easter." This was a "treat" to read in place of the Old Testament readings because we get to see the resurrection power exhibited … [Read more...] about Easter Energy
Grief about a bigger fire
From a distance I thought these were three sacred ministers at a solemn high mass, the reflectors looking like gold ribbon on a dalmatic. We can pray for such a mass to happen here again. The news of Notre Dame Cathedral is hard to absorb, so momentous and tragic a loss it is of one of the … [Read more...] about Grief about a bigger fire
What the asclepius means for you
What is the origin of the universal medical symbol of the snake? Embrace the corollary in Christ. Did you ever wonder what the universal medical symbol means? I'm thinking of the symbol that has one (or two) snakes wrapped around a staff--we see it on most ambulances and on other medical … [Read more...] about What the asclepius means for you