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I lost my watch this summer. I had just arrived at a Benedictine monastery in Minnesota, where I planned to write as much as I could. At first, I was worried that without my watch I’d miss when they were serving meals and the times of daily prayer. B…
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The transition from summer to the start of the school year brings with it a sense of newness. After a summer of relaxation, work, travel, or a mix of both, most parents are eagerly awaiting the change of pace and excited for the kids to start back to…
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Mornings have a pretty predictable routine for me these days. I wake up with our 4-month-old and enjoy a few quiet moments together before her older brother starts to stir. While she enjoys a bottle, I turn the news on in the background. I move betwe…
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The Smithsonian Institution turns 177 years old today. With its inventory of more than 154 million items in dozens of collections, it has been dubbed “the nation’s attic.” Its roster of 19 museums and 21 libraries lends itself well to the image of a…
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“Where did the summer go!? I can’t believe it’s already August!” Over the last few days, I’ve heard these sentiments (or something similar) several times. There’s something about turning the calendar to August that signals the rapidly approaching end…
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I’m pretty sure that one of the better moves my wife and I made while raising our kids was to prohibit use of the word bored. We committed plenty of parenting mistakes, but banning the word bored was genius. Every time a child felt contempt for how t…
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This summer, I’ve attended several live music shows. Great outdoor weather mixed with an impulse to explore local events here in the Quad Cities has led me to discover the many great local musicians and music venues. The words that come to mind in li…
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Over the last two years, I enjoyed a perfect view of Vander Veer Park from my office window in the 129 House. No matter the time of year, whenever I’ve looked out across the street, I could count on spotting at least one jogger making the approximate…
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I recently spent about five months apartment shopping. With the end date of my lease looming, I could feel the pressure growing about where I would call home. I was prepared to settle for somewhere that was probably overpriced, in a location that was…
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While vacationing in Wisconsin last week, and out on a morning stroll, I spotted a large red tow truck beside a service garage. What caught my eye and prompted me to snap a photo was the advertising decal across its windshield: 23-Hr Towing. I didn’t…
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Despite a good rainstorm early this week, we are experiencing a bit of a drought here in southeastern Iowa. Its impact on the farmers is worrisome and they are grateful for any centimeter of water that falls on the shoots of corn growing. And while o…
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St. Paul is abuzz this week with Vacation Bible School. Upwards of 150 children are responding to the Hero Hotline. Inspired by SuperMeer – hardly a mere cat – and “The Professor,” they are learning to be God’s superheroes for the world. At the heart…