I love this time of year. Everything is as green as can be, and my flowers are starting to bloom.  There are many types of gardeners, and my sisters Laurie and Mary are what I … more

Every lockdown drill.  Every stay in place announcement.  Every emergency phone call.  You text your child, “I love you.”  You wonder, will this be the … more

Jim Patterson has a podcast and writes with the Kiplinger Letter about high gas prices.   Jim notes that “It is increasingly painful to fill up your gas tank.”   Is there … more

So here we are, again.  Mass shootings have become a regular occurrence in American life.  But even we, inured to bad news, are grief-stricken by the news of yet another school shooting … more

Kept hearing reports recently about the baby formula shortage and in talking with a relative who recently had a baby I was surprised to hear her tell me that she could not get her baby formula. … more

I used to root around in my car for coins when I knew I had to buy something small at the grocery store and didn't have any cash on hand. Now I simply apologize for pulling out a credit card … more

Patrick Scriven is a seminary educated lay person working professionally serving the Pacific Northwest conference of the United Methodist Church as director of Communications and Young People’s … more

The prom photos flooded social media this weekend — some taken by me, others by the teens’ own parents. Quickly, I realized that there were faces that I didn’t recognize, and I … more