A Fine Line

Guarded Optimism 

November 19, 2023

If history is a teacher, what have we learned?  When the world around us seems to be coming completely unraveled is it courageous or unwise to hold tightly to beliefs that somehow the chaos will be corralled and tamed to a level we always hope it will be? I’m inclined to recall a comment made…

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The Responsible Middle 

October 11, 2023

Several years ago, we started hearing the term “dumpster fire” to describe a situation that is out-of- control. It’s a good thing we have the phrase today because every source of new information, true or not – important or trivial – makes full use of the handy description. From national and international politics to neighborhood…

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The Last Groundhog’s Day

August 13, 2023

We waste our lives by seconds and minutes, not days and years  Up early, like yesterday. Two cups of coffee, black, as always. Time to start the day.  They run together, the days. How did Johnny get so tall? He was an over-charged, darting little squirrel just yesterday. Five, I think. And now he’s what?…

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Radical Change – Saving Small Towns and Businesses from Extinction

July 16, 2023

In the first place, why was the town built here and not somewhere else? There must have been a reason to start it here. Isn’t there also a reason to keep it here? The original reason, or reasons, for the location of a community changes as the needs of its citizens change. Conveniences to the…

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Insufficient Training

June 10, 2023

When was the last time you read a book? The weather report says it’s going to rain – snow – freeze and we are preparing for it. Grab an umbrella, bundle up, stay indoors by the heater. Now learn from the experience. Observation. Just plain paying attention to what is going on around you, then…

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Is This Heaven? 

May 11, 2023

No, It’s Rural Oregon.  It’s okay, you’re not the first one to make that mistake. I wouldn’t live anyplace else.  In an attempt to engage a business Emergency Resuscitation Plan the thought of attracting tourism dollars to small towns is high on the list. Here in Oregon many small towns are challenged to remain viable…

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Pyramids, Concrete Walls, and Excellence

April 9, 2023

A Fine Line by Greg Henderson 50 years before Columbus discovered America – at an incredible altitude of nearly 8,000 feet – Machu Picchu was constructed by unlicensed Peruvians. The stone construction project, with several walls, still stands built without concrete. Over 500 years ago! The concrete blocks that form a privacy wall across my…

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Are We Overworking and Underthinking?

March 8, 2023

Or just underthinking?  Fifty years, maybe 25, is enough to realize a need to replace or repair most everything. The problem is not our plans, it’s the execution of them. New Year resolutions often fail before the end of January. Good resolutions, bad execution.  Advice I received from a coworker in 1968, it came from…

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Going Digital

February 11, 2023

The flies were most annoying. Each of us had our own swarm… “For the shade”, we teased. Aside from a cup of water, a bit of shade where the heat would climb above 110 degrees was the second most precious thing. The Australian Outback in the Nullarbor Plain of South Australia can be treacherously hot. …

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8 Billion and Counting

January 14, 2023

Resolution for the United States and the World in 2023; better leadership. It’s time we all decided to fix the things we’ve broken in our occupation of this planet. And time we stopped leaving the responsibilities of our misdeeds to someone else. All of us are needed. All are responsible. Its time to leave our…

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Our Gift 

December 12, 2022

2022 is worn out.Everything wears out. Its predictable and guaranteed.  Bridges, highways, stoves, lawnmowers, computers, shovels, floors, and cars all eventually need to be repaired or replaced. They just wear out – usually after the warranty has expired.  You and I didn’t expect an entire year to wear out. 2022 is near its end, and…

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The Bloom in the Driveway 

November 10, 2022

The world is falling apart and there is no saving it. That’s what I’m hearing on all the news outlets. And from seemingly every candidate for political office, challenger, and incumbent. And their followers. Cheer up people and try to be nicer.  Let’s not forget the dandelion.  There’s no shortage of bad news, which is…

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