This is not the Appalachian folktale. This is my tale about three trees. In the early 1980s, I lived in the Philippines, where I learned how Christmas trees were shipped to the Pacific for U.S. military members stationed overseas. These trees, cut months earlier and transported thousands of miles, were both expensive and often lackluster. Before transferring from Virginia to Hawaii, I decided to avoid the hassle and expense by purchasing a fake tree from…
2 CommentsCategory: Navy
It must have been during my first year at the Naval Academy. I don’t recall my specific offenses—perhaps I had failed to carry my weight, or maybe I’d dared to speak out. What I do remember was bemoaning the rough treatment of women, especially as it concerned me, to my father. He listened, of course. My father, a proud graduate of the Naval Academy Class of ’42, had been forged in a very different fire.…
1 CommentMany aspects of my Navy training were about preparing for the unexpected—fire drills, uniform inspections, and man overboard drills. Each one is designed to help those training in the Navy to respond quickly and efficiently when things go wrong. Just last week, while sitting along the Severn River, the sound of six short blasts on a ship’s whistle pulled me right back to those drills. The Man Overboard call. It all came flooding back—the urgency,…
1 CommentYears ago, Gary and I became good friends with Navy Neighbors Bob and Kim while stationed in Guam. Bob and Kim were young in their faith journey and were excited to learn about Jesus through God’s Word. We had Bible Studies together, and on Sunday nights after church, we always went to Swensen’s ice cream, where we had what we dubbed a “whosit whatsit” conversation. We talked and asked questions about anything and everything, connecting…
4 CommentsOn our recent family vacation to Williamsburg, we decide to splurge and reserve a table at the famous Kings Arms Tavern. This authentic18th-century tavern came equipped with a waiter with personality. Imagine. His name was George. George was vivacious and talkative. He was selling his wares and pitching his provisions. For our first course, we ordered the peanut soupe. George helpfully guided us that one would suffice the table for the experience. When my son…
Leave a CommentYou are crazy, or so I have been told. People speak outright to me I’m crazy, or I hear them express my actions in reference to themselves. I could never do that, or I don’t know how you do that. My crazy has looked like this: having a large family traveling exorbitant distances to visit a group of people for a short time riding a long-distance Context matters, and the most significant factor in our…
3 Comments