Living in Society
Politics mostly social commentary.
-
LAKE MACBRIDE— What working person hasn’t taken a nap in their vehicle? Part time and temporary workers with multiple jobs are unlikely to get enough rest, so why not set the alarm clock and snooze after arriving early for a shift, or during a 30-minute lunch break? At the meat packing plant where I worked… Read more
-
Why do we read fiction? To find books like The Home Place by Carrie La Seur. For most of us the exigencies of an engaged life leave us drained of energy, with diminished capacity to cope with complexities. Working multiple part time jobs, facing economic realities and people problems far scarier than any fiction, each… Read more
-
LAKE MACBRIDE— As I pulled out of the parking garage at the warehouse, my mobile phone rang. It was the orchard calling to say the family event was cancelled due to the rain storm so I wouldn’t be working. Unhesitatingly, I redirected the car, considering what to do with newly found time. The first option… Read more
-
LAKE MACBRIDE— Yesterday began with two and a half hours of volunteer work at the CSA. The labor in our barter arrangement has already been provided so I’m free to volunteer for general farm chores like working onions. Once the seedling operation moved outside, the germination house was used to cure onions on the long… Read more
-
LAKE MACBRIDE— Labor Day means a work day in Big Grove, and that’s fine with me. Today began by finishing and filing two articles for the newspaper. After a session of garden work, and making juice from some apples I picked two days ago, I’ll work a shift at the orchard. Then, the CSA share… Read more
-
LAKE MACBRIDE— The season turned— to sweet corn, celery, pepper and aronia berries— before we knew it. Now it’s a game of keeping up with the fall harvest, making some delicious meals with the fruits of labor, industry, genetics and climate. Sweet corn is a favorite, and my spouse spent the better part of Sunday… Read more
-
LAKE MACBRIDE— It is one thing to make a list of books to read during summer—quite another to actually read them. As I enjoy The Great Gatsby, the ultimate novel of summer, for the umpteenth time, the lists made previously seem to slip away, and it is surprisingly easy to let go. Surrounded by books… Read more
-
LAKE MACBRIDE— Long term, long distance bicyclists will notice my bike is resting on the derailleur. A big no-no, which has now been corrected. Live and learn and roll on. Having made three round trips to my favorite spot on the lake trail, it is easy to feel progress. Slowly locating tools of the trade… Read more
Journey Home 