Arcania

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 28, 2023

For regular readers

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania

August 28, 2023

2 Min Read

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28August

About six years ago, I started writing (and filming) this blog. I set out with minimal plans, hoping that I could add to the fullness of years that we elders are given by God. Today seems to be a good time to pause, offering some background commentary to those of you who regularly visit my scrivenings. I hope that you’ve found some depth in the short, semi-weekly entries I plop onto your screenMORE...

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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 17, 2023

The wobbling muon

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania, Current Events

August 17, 2023

2 Min Read

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17August

In case you missed the latest news in particle physics, the Argonne National Laboratories in Batavia, Illinois, announced last week that they had once again verified, this time more accurately, the errant behavior of a muon, a sub-atomic particle valuable in understanding the Standard Model of Physics. For the scintilla of a second it flashed into sight, the thing wobbled!  According to theMORE...

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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 10, 2023

Plow horse of a certain age

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania, Lifework, Personal Power, Words

August 10, 2023

2 Min Read

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10August

Lately, my dreams are forming a pattern: I’m back at work again, but have no function. I wander around the building, looking for my office—in one dream variation, it’s now a storeroom. In other versions, I don’t know anyone, and they don’t know me. Most disturbing: Although I’m still employed, I don’t have any work to do! In my post-retirement way of thinking, this qualifies as a nightmare. IMORE...

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July 31, 2023

Semper paratus et al

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania, Personal Power, Words

July 31, 2023

2 Min Read

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31July

(This motto of the United States Coast Guard is an attitude and a promise that might keep us safe at this time in history.) Being prepared is a personal trait—some would say a quirk—that’s been a part of my personality since my teenage years. At the risk of overdoing this thought pattern, I try to be vigilant about matters that may suddenly require attention. What’s semper paratus look like in myMORE...

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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 13, 2023

On reading advice columns

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania, Relationships, Soul Searchings

July 13, 2023

2 Min Read

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13July

In the past, it would have been too easy for me to write this blog from an attitude of snarkiness, schadenfruede or false superiority. The more I read these columns, though, the more I see that they can be instructive, encouraging and even hopeful. See if my observations match some of your thinking…. My daily newspaper reading includes advice columns. The core content of advice-seeking letters:MORE...

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July 6, 2023

Deconstructing marvels

By Bob Sitze

In Arcania

July 6, 2023

2 Min Read

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06July

  This entry illustrates one example of the lifestyle axiom, “There’s wonder in seemingly ordinary things.” Today, the marvel of the compact folding umbrella.  From your own experiences over the years, you may also remember other times when you discovered awesome ordinariness…. I’m amazed how the relatively simple umbrella of my childhood has developed into this sophisticated device. AllMORE...

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