How, I wonder, do you form a whole life? What I mean is, how do you knit your individual bits and pieces into a coherent person? For years I worked in public education (14 as a junior high school principal). That became a central part of my identity. People would introduce me as, “This is Jeff, he is the principal...

I use Goodreads to track the books I want to read. Right now, I have 265 on my list. This list grows substantially faster than I am able to read. The good news is that I will never run out of reading material. The bad news: I am never going to read everything on my perpetually growing list. We often think of clutter...

There is an episode of the popular comedy series, The Office, where Ryan (the intern) sets up a “blog” for Creed Bratton (the eccentric quality assurance manager at Dunder Mifflin, Scranton). Creed, the guy who sprouted mung beans in his desk drawer for a healthy, and awful smelling snack. In an effort to protect...

Does anyone else over-complicate things? I'm not sure what it is, but I've always been fascinated by "systems." They may be my most significant time suck. For instance, maybe, if I come up with the perfect system for getting things done, the tasks will just do themselves. I'll just "fall into" productivity. Oh, and...

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - Unknown (commonly misattributed to John Muir) I've often given thought to wandering off into the forest to live a solitary life. I'm addicted to shows like Life Below Zero and frequently imagine what it would be like to live in isolation -- no...

My impression of today was that it was difficult. Nothing was inherently terrible. I just felt off. Little challenges and frustrations that wore me down over the course of the day. By about noon, I was ready to throw in the towel. I was watching my nephews this afternoon, so I powered through -- played trains and...

Simple is so refreshing. But why is it so challenging? I would be perfectly content wearing Birkenstock sandals, shorts, and a soft t-shirt for the rest of my life (keep in mind that I live in Arizona). But, I have a closet full of clothes. My day could be planned on an index card. An appointment or two each week,...

The past two weekends I've gone camping. To escape the heat. It's March in Arizona, and we have already hit triple digits. These record high temperatures are a new low for us. Yikes. In Phoenix, apparently we now only get two seasons: moderate summer (from November to mid-March) and extreme summer (from the end of...

Pinto Creek - Roosevelt, Arizona A leafy canopy filters rays of sunlight. The shallow stream wends its way through the desert. Cool and clear. Cactus and Poplar. Light and shade. Desert and riparian. Worlds apart. Separated by inches. Streams in the desert. Respite for animals and humans. Relief. Solitude. Beauty.

Reasons I like my iPhone: The camera Music, podcasts, and audio books Quick and consistent communication with friends and family Reasons I DON'T like my iPhone: Social media and news The urge to immediately "search" for something, instead of taking the time to wonder The frequency with which I open it out of boredom...

My family has a history of "handy" men, but I did not inherit this trait. It is a deficiency I am attempting to remedy. Since retiring, I have successfully fixed a toilet, touched up the dryer with appliance paint, installed a rock garden, and built a workbench. I'm not sure why I need a workbench. My wife would...

Caveat #1: I write this post with as much humility as I can possibly express. I am going to utilize an example from personal experience to make a point, not to put myself on a pedestal. I hope the reader will understand that I have a lot of climbing before me to reach "ground level" as a human, let alone any kind of...