Do It Twice
Exercise sounds too official sometimes. It shows up wearing new shoes, carrying a clipboard, and acting like everybody has a gym membership, spare time, perfect knees, and a motivational poster taped to the refrigerator. That is not real life for a lot…
Trying To Find Their Way Home
Pull up a chair. This one is being written by your old uncle, the one you rarely speak to, and that may be too bad because you might have missed something. He is a little strange, sure. Around here we call him Disco Grandpa. He has been known to chair…
Brax the Badhealth Slayer and the Branding Goat of Doom
Every now and then, a man sets out to write a simple health article and accidentally opens a portal in the front yard. Out comes the Branding Goat of Doom. He is not subtle and does not whisper. He arrives with labels, slogans, miracle claims, shiny…
Stay Useful: Why Moving Still Matters
There is a funny thing that happens as we age. At some point, movement starts getting treated like an extra. Something for people with matching shoes, gym memberships, expensive water bottles, and enough free time to count their steps like they are…
Grace To You and Peace From God
Last Wednesday, our minister asked if anyone had ever counted how many times Paul opened his letters with the blessing or said, “Grace to you and peace from God.” I had not counted them either. (For the record I count 13.) But the question stuck to me…
Canning, Common Sense, and Not Gambling with Supper
When I first started thinking about why I can food, the easy answers showed up first It is thrifty, and yes, it can save money. It also allows you to put food away when prices are good, the garden is bursting with bounty, or somebody hands you a box of…
Take Care of the Skillet
This morning I looked at my cast iron skillet and smiled. That may sound like too much pleasure over a cooking skillet, but I know some of you understand. A well-kept cast iron skillet has a kind of quiet authority. It does not shine like stainless…
Stay Upright
Walking gets a lot of attention, and it should. Walking is simple, useful, and honest. It tells the body, “We are still participating,” and that is important. You will be surprised what a difference it can make. But walking is not the whole story. Before…
You’re Responsible for Your Feet, Not Everybody Else’s Mouth
There are moments when the room starts drifting in a direction you may not want to follow. It could be gossip, crude talk, or it is anger warming itself over a pile of someone else’s business. Those kinds of conversation can takesa hard turn, and before…
The Meal Is Not A Dare
Folks some of you know that some foods walk into the room wearing costumes. Meat can be the sideways gunslinger. It is not always the villain, but it does need watching. Too much swagger, too often, and suddenly the plate starts looking like a standoff,…