Here find the occasional musing into my life, family, writing, or thoughts on the world in general.
Wherefore the Farm? A tribute to Joseph C. Shenk on his 87th birthday.
“Wherefore the farm?” Which, as all my high school Shakespeare students from my past life quickly learned, means not “WHERE…
Picture This! The Collaborative Process of Publishing Children’s Picture Books (Part II)
Our driver shifted into a lower gear as the Toyota Land Cruiser turned onto a gravel road and climbed through…
Happy Birthday, Watch Out, Woosha! (Picture This, Part I)
I year ago I published my first children’s book! In the year since, I’ve read the story in schools and…
A Letter to my Son of his Wedding Day
This is the second time we’ve celebrated a son getting married. I gave a few words at the wedding reception,…
Quick Trip in Chengdu
I’ve never been to China before; in fact, this was my first time anywhere in Asia. However, this was not…
Another Baby Born in China
There were an estimated 8.5 million babies born in China last year, down from 10 million the previous year. At…
Imposter!
In my limited experience, there’s nothing more humiliating than trying to write a book. Like most people, I don’t like…
Home Again: A Brief History
This is a log cabin from the 1850’s. It just looks like a regular farmhouse from the outside, but inside–wow,…
The Peaceful Place
Amani Gardens Inn on Church Road in Westlands, Nairobi, used to be called The Mennonite Guest House. For decades–in fact,…
Goodbye, 2021: Coffee With a Friend. Remembering Birtukan Sinshaw.
A year ago, Bruce and I were about to move from Ethiopia, our home since 2016, to Virginia. In the…
There and Back Again
What’s it like to be home? It’s a frequent question we encounter in conversations with folks, some of whom we…