Cooking the NYTimes and Other Assorted Retirement Activities

Christian faiths are entering into the Lenten season in preparation for Easter.  The bad before the good, is one way of looking at it.  Another, I believe, is an opportunity for self-reflection as the traditional Lenten activity is to give something up during this period.  I like this article that addresses this issue. When I was a child, growing up in the conservative Catholic faith, I always had the very best of intentions when giving something up for Lent.  As I still do today, I engaged in internal monologues where I'd battle what I had been taught was the pull of Satan when I felt swayed toward violating the promise I had made, like to not eat candy or to go to Mass every day.   Gradually, as I explored my faith and spirituality, I moved away from this view of Lent to one where I see Lent as a place where I dive deeper into what it means to be the hands, feet and voice of Christ in the world ( thank you, Rev. Mary Cole-Duvall, Rev. Jeanie Smith and...

I spent Memorial Day weekend in Iowa with my friend, Jeanie and her family.  My oldest daughter, Molly, and her family were also there.  That meant 8 kiddos, 6 of Jeanie's 8 grands and 2 of my 6,(in total ages 2-8), in constant--and I do mean--constant motion.  The weather cooperated.  Hank only ran out once and actually came trotting back to Jeanie's in short order.  Communal cooking equated to fabulous meals.  I posted on Facebook that I LOVE the Come to the Table service that St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in West Des Moines, where Jeanie is a Deacon, offers on Sunday night at 5 p.m.  Regardless of your religious denomination, if you live in the Des Moines area, be there on Sunday night or be square. On Monday, I drove over with the Smiths to Iowa City where Jeanie's son (and my son from another mother) Tyson and his family live to celebrate Eleanor Smith's 6th birthday.  Still 8 kids, still constant motion, still loads of love. Tyson has n...