“Jim, I had a big pot of dry beef gravy on the stove and my boss was coming down to see how breakfast was going. I couldn’t get it to…
“Hey, is it weird having chickens in your backyard, just clucking around?” My son Carter shook his head while he thought about how he would answer. “It seems like they…
Marie Curie said that “nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” Well, I have some very serious fears. The quote sounds good to me….
I fell in love in an inflatable boat. The Brandywine River raised me. Undoubtedly. This river that runs through Chester County, PA, and spills out into the Delaware River was…
Sitting alone as the waves beat the shore before me, I had a line in the surf and a slice of sun just peaked up over the horizon. It looked…
“What is in that big box, Dad. Is it a toy!” The rectangular box arrives unmarked and stands about 3 feet tall and two feet wide. It sure looks like…
Mom wasn’t a prepper but you could argue that she was focused on survival. Not from the standpoint of impending doom from a crumbling economy or some other threat. Mom…
Alma De Cuba sat right on Walnut Street right next to Bistro Perrier which was one of the nicest restaurants I had ever eaten at as a young man. I…
If not for our vocational Culinary Arts program I would have failed out of high school and got a GED at best. Who knows the trajectory of my life at…
We are on the cusp of another great exodus from American cities. About 5 years ago there were young people flocking to hinterlands from larger cities and towns in order…
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, Jim.” Dad called. He doesn’t call me unless I am in trouble or something crazy is happening. I figured this was…
The symptoms of starvation are things like withdrawal, apathy, listlessness and increased susceptibility to disease. So when my usually outgoing son, Carter, was crumpled up in our living room chair…
“Tony! Gimme that blue handled one,” I shouted to the knife sharpener. Every week Tony showed up and collected most of our knives in a small wooden box. He took…
The summer night was fresh and boisterous with the frogs leading its symphony. Maybe I should have paid more attention but I was learning about knots. I was not learning…
The first time I did a live podcast I did it on my phone! I shook for most of the conversation because of my nerves. I am sure the sound…
” I think we need to make some windows for our shelter. What do you think?” I spoke to my son Carter. He was young. Probably too young to be…