I DO read even the odd parts of the Bible. I’m currently squaring off with the Minor Prophets—you know, Hosea instructed by God to marry a whore, Jonah kicking and screaming all the way to Ninevah, Habakkuk complain, complain, complain… (But see his bottom line...

I used to be a pretty-good gardener. My mound garden looked like this: Last year, my tiny deck garden had 4-ft zinnias.   This year, unable to garden, my perspective has changed dramatically. The mound garden: Note late-blooming goldenrod, swaying majestically....

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...

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...

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 assessed...