Dear Republicans,

 I am a long-term Federal employee.  I joined the Civil Service more than 25 years ago.  I am happy to have a job in this terrible economy, and I appreciate the benefits such as health insurance and retirement that my job provides.  

Many people don't under… Read full post »

This is a response to Greenheron's open call: 

I've never done an open call, but enjoy them, so here's a go at it.  Is there something that you knew about yourself when you were a child, a bit of authentic self wisdom that you lost, then found again… Read full post »

I just loved Ann’s post about the clothes she wore growing up, as well as Leeandra Nolting’s follow-up.  What a delightful blast from the past – Gunne Sax dresses, Earth shoes, letter jackets, and all.  Reading their colorful, detailed descriptions of the clothing styles I… Read full post »

Highway 12 connects Idaho to Montana through the Bitterroot subrange of the Rocky Mountains, by way of Lolo Pass.  Each weekday, I commute to and from work on a section of Highway 12 that follows the Clearwater River for several miles.  Like many of the other mountain roads in my neck… Read full post »

No, that's not a misspelling.  My New Years's Eve had holes in it, and was silent for the first time in many years.

We live in the country, but not so far out in the country that we are totally isolated.  By that I mean, we can't see any of the… Read full post »

The worst job I ever had was the summer that I worked for the National Park Service at Lake Roosevelt in Washington State.  "I was a Park Ranger."  The title sounds great, doesn't it? It simply reeks of romance, glory, and the great outdoors.  But the actual job? Not so much.… Read full post »