War of the Vines

INVADER VINES! They’re everywhere, fighting plantfully, each hoping to overpower the others. Virginia creeper—Has a bad reputation for its fast spread and tenacity, ruthlessly pushing aside other plants by stealing their sunlight. Poison ivy—I guess we all know about...

Beauty and the Beast

This is one of my favorite stories, with Beauty breaking the bonds of Ugly. Where does our sense of Beauty and Uglyness come from? We’re attracted to gardens over garbage, harmony over dissonance, fair skin over warts. Most of us are drawn to handsome faces of either...

Spin the Bottle?

Putting up weekly pills isn’t fun, so I listen with earphones to assorted conversations. One featured a Jewish host and a California Baptist pastor who refused to shut down his church during early COVID restrictions. Big trouble ensued, but he and his wife...

How Do You Want to Be Remembered?

“This guy was a worker! He hustled and made a bundle.” “She raised her kids to be Somebodies.” “Born to a poor family, she rose to vice-president in a prestigious company.” “This author writes Best Sellers.” OR “She swept floors and cleaned bathrooms for the glory of...

Heroes in the Making

If you’re married or have been, think back to one or more of the worst “disagreements” you as a couple experienced. Jim and I had some doozies, but in each case, one or the other of us backed down from having to be “right” and got on with the business of getting...

What Is Love?

The dictionary defines love as “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.” Where does love come from? Atheists have trouble with this and describe it as an illusion, the effect of unconscious physical causes or a biological reaction. Sexual...