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Last week, I sat with some dear people as they told stories about their 91-year-old dad who had just died. I heard about Harry’s skills in woodworking, appreciation of baseball, the love of his family. I’d known this, but then his kids shared how he…
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At our house, we have a whole drawer in our kitchen designated solely for cords. It seems nearly everything we own needs its own charging cord. There are cell phone cords (of varying lengths and differing degrees to which they still function). Cords…
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It really is a cesspool of germs. An infection site for both the predisposed and the unsuspecting; a high-risk environment for even the most cautious; a source of exponential viral growth. Yes, I am talking about social media. More specifically, I a…
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Fragile. Stretched thin. Buckling. Nearing collapse. On an almost daily basis now, we’re hearing about global supply chains inching ever closer to a breaking point. Those of us outside of industry haven’t spent our lives worrying or thinking about su…
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This past weekend, St. Paul’s 7th graders gathered for their fall Confirmation retreat. In other years, we’ve spent 24 hours up at Camp Shalom, enjoying the woods, cabins, and adventures of this beloved camp just about an hour out of town. But, like…
A slight chill in the morning air recalled for me a recent cartoon. Side by side pictures show the same young woman in a park. In one, she is in a sweater and pants, with a cap on her head, bundled up and huddled on a bench, a baby stroller next to h…
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In the front room of our house there’s a large picture window that faces toward the street. Part of our early morning routine each day is to walk by that window and open the curtains to brighten up the room a bit. For a good portion of the day, sunli…
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Heidi wheeled me into the surgical suite just before noon yesterday. We’d never met before. But whoever goes for the heated blankets when there’s a chilly patient on a gurney is, in my estimation, the cat’s pajamas. That was Heidi. As the surgical pr…
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This summer, I took our kids to the Hurtsville Interpretative Center in Maquoketa, just north of us here in Eastern Iowa. It’s a nature center – full of trails and places to play in tallgrass prairie and wetlands. Our kids looked at flowers, watched…
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Stepping out of my car at home recently, I was struck by the curtain of sound that enveloped me as I walked into the house. The cicadas were alive in our sycamore (its name is “Charles,” because it’s “in charge” of the property). In an otherwise wond…
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This month marks ten years since I moved to the Quad Cities. I remember well those early weeks of exploring the area, finding my way to the closest grocery store or discovering new restaurants. Trying not to get too lost as I slowly became familiar w…
Conner was born several weeks early with respiratory complications that quickly placed him on life support. The lack of oxygen from distressed breathing resulted in irreversible brain damage. Connor had only hours to live. His parents faced the unima…