Summer is a time for reruns on television and elsewhere. That’s especially true this summer. In that spirit, I am running a portion of my 2017 Independence Day post, updated for

E Pluribus Unum, (out of many, one) are the words emblazoned on the Great Seal of the United States. It’s a hope, a dream for our country. In an interesting

Jodi Picoult used those three words for the title of her recent novel. They are borrowed from Mother Theresa’s credo: “Do small things with great love.” As I write, many

Around and about the first of March, I decided I would like to try to learn something new every day. My parameters were two-fold: it could not be something that

My grandfather died in the 1918 flu epidemic. He was in his early forties, the father of five children; my father, at 15, being the oldest. It was in early

While walking at Great Meadows Refuge in Concord last Sunday, we noticed dozens of Canada geese had taken over a significant swath of the pond.  Tipping bottoms-up to feed and

I heard this on the radio a few weeks ago and couldn’t resist passing it on to you. It’s a “feel good” story for a time when there is not

The boat came first; a classic wooden sailboat, a 12 ½ ft. gaff-rigged Buzzard’s Bay beauty. We called her “Shearwater”. We had rented several houses in the area over the

Peace. Pax. Shalom. Salaam. Paix. Pace. In any language, such a small word for such an immense and daunting enterprise. “May there be peace in our time” pleads the ancient

The narrow stream was filled with leaves and mud, causing it to back up to the pond where it would often overflow and creep into our backyards, heading dangerously towards

One evening a week or two ago, I was talking with my daughter in Australia.  She was in the middle of her workday, the time difference between Massachusetts and Melbourne

I knew her first as the mother of a little girl who always wore shiny, sparkly red shoes to church.  I noticed what a kick she got out of the