CRASH! The lid to the sugar dish exploded on contact with the floor, scattering shards of glass in every direction. Anger flashed briefly in my eyes but was quickly replaced by embarrassment. What was now debris had once been part of a beautiful set of China handed...
Although this post deals with a nasty injury, for the sake of squeamish readers, I promise to avoid graphic details. My last post, "The Playful Pursuit of Passions" detailed my recent fascination with woodworking, but anyone who knows me well is aware that this isn't...
After posting a blog entry on January 17 of last year, Making Waves went suddenly and unexpectedly silent. It was a very strange feeling since a hundred blog entries had poured out over the previous 2 1/2 years. Never knowing what the next subject might be, I had...
2021 is already fading into the mist of remembrance, conjuring the same mixed emotions as the years that preceded it. As the highlight reel flickers in my mind, it resurrects memories of the events of the past 365 days. There are moments that I wished would last...
This past year I spent a lot of time getting to know my grandfather, James William McAfee. The first several months of the year were spent studying letters he wrote, details of his military missions, and particulars of his short life. After publishing both volumes of...
Last week, Kim was fortunate enough to be included in the early rollout of COVID vaccinations. She got the first of two injections on a Friday and although her arm was a bit sore the next day, she had no real side effects. In theory, that got her immunity up to 50%....
I want a Reset for 2021 in a big way. My fantasies of finding a happy path through the new year have already taken a beating. Before the first week of 2021 came to an end, we were faced with a single-day record of 291,000 COVID cases, a more contagious strain of the...
At our house, we don't set New Year's Resolutions. Does anyone enjoy making lists of chores you didn't want to do last year but begrudgingly acknowledge that you ought to do in the next one? Not this guy. I don't want a list on the fridge that tells me to eat right or...
Every year, I try to pause and reflect on the year we are leaving behind. The goal is to say goodbye to the ones who left us, let go of the burdens that should not move forward, and reflect on the events that should reshape us. 2020 was filled with disasters on an...
Last week, Erin and Josh moved out of the one-bedroom apartment they had been in since their wedding. As newlyweds should, they spent most of the last year focused on each other. Now they are looking for extra space to accommodate their expanding lives. Their new...
I am a Facebook guy. I enjoy a comfy chair and spending time scrolling through screen after screen looking for things that capture my attention. It makes me part of a cozy community of 2.7 billion people worldwide who visit the site/app each month. For all of its...
This past week, one of the kids got sick. Over the next day or two, all of us had a touch of whatever bug it was. The low-grade fever, headaches, and other mild symptoms wouldn't have gotten much interest in another time, but this is the winter of COVID. While we...