Lifestyle

September 4, 2023

Time may be growing shorter

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania, Current Events, Lifestyle, Soul Searchings, Time

September 4, 2023

2 Min Read

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04September

Another birthday’s edging this way, and once again I’ve noticed the small voice inside of me that marks the scope of my life. Unlike when I was younger, I’m not looking at a faraway horizon, an unimaginable ending. (I’m not anticipating my immediate demise, either.) These thoughts are somewhere in-between—more like measuring the present against the backdrop of time writ large. My lifespan as aMORE...

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August 21, 2023

Autumn’s approach

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania, Lifestyle, Lifework

August 21, 2023

2 Min Read

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21August

  The favorite season of my retired years is still Autumn. Why’s that? Maybe because these final days of summer feel like this hemisphere’s climatological invitation to remember. (Although I’m not exactly sure how “remembering” feels alongside “autumn”, let me try to explain….) As Fall approaches, I recall how, during my working years, these would be the days when I strapped back on myMORE...

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August 14, 2023

In praise of leftovers

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania, Lifestyle, Words

August 14, 2023

2 Min Read

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14August

When Chris and I were youngsters, our moms didn’t waste even one scrap of food. Her mom could fashion a meal out of any ingredients. My mother would often eat the leftovers in our fridge for her lunch. Now I understand—our mothers weren’t sacrificing their food choices at all. They knew then what we know now: Leftovers can be a praiseworthy part of any menu. In our home, leftover foodstuffsMORE...

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August 3, 2023

What’s there to love?

By Bob Sitze

In Lifestyle, Personal Power, Time

August 3, 2023

2 Min Read

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03August

Happily so, several older adults in our church have found new love—friendships, marriages—to replace the possible isolation of divorce, a spouse’s death or illness. At a stage in life when it might seem unlikely, love re-emerges as a wonderful part of their lives. I’m glad for them, and also wonder, “What’s there to love?” That question is not necessarily out-of-hand. In today’s hyper-sexualizedMORE...

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July 27, 2023

Spending time with my family photos

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania, Lifestyle, Soul Searchings

July 27, 2023

2 Min Read

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27July

One consistent feature of the homes of older adults I’ve visited seems to be their collection of memorable photos–a gallery of loved ones’ portraits. There’s not much there in the form of action shots or story-starters, so the photos may seem only minimally evocative of memories or emotions. That viewpoint has changed as I’ve gotten older. Now I find myself occasionally lingering over myMORE...

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July 24, 2023

Blessed assurance?

By Bob Sitze

In Current Events, Lifestyle, Soul Searchings, Words

July 24, 2023

2 Min Read

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24July

My father taught me the value of insurance. Over the years, I’ve relied on the blessed assurance that our insurance policies would continue to serve as practical and emotional backstops to most losses we might incur. Now I’m not so sure…. A few weeks ago, several major insurers pulled back from their coverages. In California, it was new home owners policies. In Florida, both auto and home ownersMORE...

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July 20, 2023

Entertainment redux

By Bob Sitze

In Current Events, Lifestyle, Personal Power, Words

July 20, 2023

2 Min Read

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20July

As I write this, entertainment industry workers continue their strike. Threatened by economic and technological changes, they fear that their work may disappear. Legendary entertainment tycoon Barry Diller has warned that these strikes threaten to collapse the entire industry. Those stories may be good reason(s) for us to get ready for the slow changes to *entertainment as we know it. Perhaps weMORE...

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July 10, 2023

Good job, God!

By Bob Sitze

In Current Events, Lifestyle, Pleasure/Pain

July 10, 2023

2 Min Read

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10July

A Backyard Psalm 1When I look at the work of your hands in this place, I marvel and sing “Thanks!” 2You provide homes for your smallest creatures: The rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, voles and birds. The ticks, mosquitoes and ants. Worms, pill bugs, spiders and centipedes find safety, each in their own habitat. 3Living things find the food and water that you provide in abundance. Seeds, greeneryMORE...

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June 19, 2023

Juneteenth observed

By Bob Sitze

In Current Events, Lifestyle, Soul Searchings

June 19, 2023

2 Min Read

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19June

This Federal holiday has emerged as another opportunity to honor some matters about our nation that warrant our remembering. Since any holiday can get co-opted to become another chance to sell something—e.g., traditional Memorial Day mattress sales—I’d like to pre-empt that possibility by offering my personal observations about this special day. What’s there to remember? Obviously, the truth thatMORE...

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May 29, 2023

In memoriam

By Bob Sitze

In Current Events, Lifestyle, Lifework, Relationships

May 29, 2023

2 Min Read

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29May

  Memorial Day comes once a year, but my thanks for members of the military extends further. With the rest of our country’s citizens, I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you who have served in the military, especially those who have paid the costs of your service in small-yet-significant ways. “Thanks for your service” doesn’t seem to say enough, so let me add these few words to express myMORE...

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