Say What?

After today our snow will be nearly gone as our mild winter continues. My phone's WeatherBug app shows us to be well above freezing for daytime high temps for the 10-day outlook. Even the nighttime lows are at or above freezing, all thanks to El Niño . This ocean temperature phenomenon typically results in warmer and dryer than normal conditions for the Upper Midwest, which is exactly what we've been experiencing.  Charlie would've loved this mild weather for our walks together. I'm still missing my little buddy and think about him often.  I was hoping to be seeking out some gravel roads to ride today but I've been sidelined until at least Friday after a procedure yesterday to drain a rather large cyst on my right knee. The cyst developed two weeks ago after pushing myself too hard on my indoor trainer with some climbing challenges I participated in on the Rouvy online platform I use for indoor riding. I should have eased back into training after my Covid infection ...

I was in Mr. Don Chase's World Affairs class in 10th grade at Bloomington Jefferson High School in the '72-'73 school year. I was the quiet one, very seldom adding much to the discussion (like so many other classes of mine). Much of what we talked about held little interest for me at the time, but I do recall a question Mr. Chase posed to the class one day: Does the end justify the means? I can't recall the context for his question, if there was one, but it piqued my interest and it's a question that has stayed with me throughout my adult life—perhaps for a time such as now. I've written in my blog numerous times about my disappointment with Christian conservatives and their cozying up to Trump in a most hypocritical way to advance their political agenda while undermining what I always felt was the main goal of evangelicals: to make disciples of men and advance God's kingdom. From a moral standpoint, it would seem that the end falls very short of justifying ...

Thursday Evening We are grandparents! Clifford Henry Seisler surprised us all when he made his appearance nearly 3 months early on December 11th, weighing in at 2 lbs 13 oz. It was an exciting time but also a concerning time as Rachel's pregnancy was only 28 weeks along. He's been in the NICU and will be there for a little while longer. It won't be until early March before Rachel and Drew can take him home and introduce him to PJ. Medical science is amazing! What will Clifford witness in his life and how will the world change over his lifetime? When he's Tammy's and my age the year will be 2089; not far from the turn of the next century. Tammy and I have mostly stayed close to home since Cliff's arrival. We made the 75-minute drive to see him the day after he was born but then Tammy went back a couple days later and picked up a Covid infection (at the hospital we're assuming) and brought it home to me. She's in the clear now and will be going to see them...