Say What?

This blog post dovetails with my previous entry as I continue to ponder life—my life, in search of answers that likely won't be revealed to me until my time here is done, if then. I've been in a very contemplative place for at least the past two years while I watch helplessly as the years of my life pass by, each one faster than the one that preceded it. Contemplation is one of my superpowers, if only for my benefit. Along with my preoccupation with contemplating my life and all of its twists and turns and lessons, my thoughts are beginning to dwell more and more on life beyond this one and what that might look like. It was so much easier when I took shelter in my Christian faith, not really bothering to seriously consider any other alternative than one where I leave my physical body and pass through a tunnel of white light into the arms of Jesus, to dwell with other believers as we sing songs of praise to God. It was a very simple way of looking at life and death; so much so ...

This blog update is a follow-up to a post I made on Facebook last night. The first paragraph below was what I posted. What I'm about to write is personal but I share it with hopes that it will help others see another side that they may not be appreciative of with respect to those of us who have chosen to leave organized religion or whatever belief system they may have walked away from. I've always been a very spiritual person, seeking after God and in conversation throughout the day with this entity, whatever it may be. If you ever see me out walking and it looks like I'm talking to myself; I'm likely in conversation with God. Some of what I say here in this post may strike some as offensive. That's not my intention but I don't know how to sugarcoat this to make it more acceptable to you. Thank you for hearing me out. A little more than 15 years ago when Rachel turned 16, Tammy, Rachel, and I got Christian fish ankle tattoos to signify our walk with Jesus. I lik...

Tammy is 11 weeks post-op from her hip replacement surgery and is pretty much back to normal. She was given the green light a few days ago to resume her Zumba workouts. I'm super happy for her because I know how important those workouts are for her. She's happy as well. It's been a few years since she had to stop exercising due to hip pain. We braved some near-blizzard conditions two weeks ago to take a mixology class at Norseman Distillery in Minneapolis. It was a gift Tammy had surprised me with one year ago and it was about to expire. I've put so little time into learning what goes into various drinks so this was all new to me. It was a lot of fun—so much so that we're talking about taking Mixology 2 as a follow-up.  We had the most beautiful snowfall earlier this week. Over two days, about 20" (50cm) of tree-clinging snow blanketed the area and because there was very little wind, most of what was clinging to the trees is still hanging on, making a walk th...