Late on Thursday, the Texas Senate approved a bill that would require public schools throughout the state to prominently display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The legislation now heads to the state House of Representatives. The Republican lawmaker who authored the bill noted that his new legislation comes in direct response to the Supreme…
One advantage of having a spring birthday is that the weather is typically pleasant. The weekend ahead of Jon’s 60th birthday was no exception. Clear skies, mild temperatures, low humidity, and gentle breezes made for beautiful days and brisk evenings. Arriving at camp in the early afternoon, we ate a fast lunch before settling into…
This weekend saw the rare confluence of Easter, Passover, and Ramadan, a time of high holy days for the world’s great religious traditions. Although our observance of the Catholic Triduum is nothing like it was when we were in active ministry, we nonetheless immersed ourselves in some favorite shows to get us in the proper…
April Fools’ Day dates to 1582, with Pope Gregory XIII’s announcement of calendar reforms that would replace the Julian calendar, which incorrectly calculated the average solar year. The new Gregorian calendar moved the new year to January 1, rather than the Julian’s calendar’s spring equinox (around April 1), and people who refused to recognize January…
This weekend, while camping at Loyd Park, we decided to take advantage of a window of opportunity and revisit our plan from last year to take a long trip to Shenandoah National Park and Washington, D.C. In May 2022, with inflation soaring and gas prices at historic highs, we couldn’t justify spending so much money…
When we welcomed Bella into our family nine years ago, she was “pair bonded” with Maya, her companion of several years. The girls caught our attention when they were featured on a segment of our local TV news. Their owner had multiple sclerosis and could no longer care for them, so she surrendered them to…
This weekend, we were surrounded by several large groups of people who had encamped for the maximum time allowed–families with children, pets, friends, and visiting relatives, which meant we had to witness more than our fair share of dysfunction. Their shouted expletives, screeching voices, and excruciating karaoke punctuated an otherwise peaceful experience. We arrived in…
In the northern hemisphere, meteorological spring begins on March 1, with the spring equinox occurring on March 20. That means the first weekend in March can vacillate between winter and spring. Fortunately, we experienced spring-like weather throughout the weekend, with mild temperatures, gentle breezes, and clear skies. We arrived on Friday afternoon and immediately went…
We arrived on Friday afternoon, anticipating a chilly night. After setting up, we realized we had forgotten the charging cable to our Surface Pro, which meant Cliff would have to severely ration his use of the 90 percent of battery power left on the device. So, as Cliff prepared Date Night dinner, Jon raced back…
On this Presidents Day weekend, we had the opportunity to admire our own president being presidential. President Biden made a surprise and historic visit to Kyiv, a show of U.S. support and solidarity with a democratic nation battling for its survival after Russian forces invaded the country nearly a year ago. It was the first…
After the recent winter storm, we’re happy to say that the only reference this weekend to ice and salt had to do with margaritas. We arrived at Loyd Park on Friday afternoon, with Cliff setting up while Jon took a lengthy work-related call from a colleague in Boston. By sundown, the temperature had dropped into…
Last Sunday afternoon, when we decided to stay the week, we had no idea we were about to endure yet another winter storm — one that would result in thousands of canceled flights, hundreds of traffic accidents, dozens of highway closures, at least 10 deaths, and Cloud 9 encased in ice. Although our water supply…
Friday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the day when, 78 years ago, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz, the Nazis’ biggest concentration camp, during the final months of World War II. Established by the United Nations in 2005, the day commemorates the killing of 6 million Jews, two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population, as well as millions of…
Jon tested positive for the COVID virus in mid-December, having avoided the infection for more than two years. His illness, while relatively mild, meant he couldn’t join Cliff in preparing Cloud 9 for an anticipated arctic blast a few days later. Consequently, Cliff performed what we call a “soft winterization,” which involved draining the water…
A respite is defined as “a short period of relief from something difficult,” which is what we experienced this weekend as we returned to Loyd Park. Next weekend’s trip to Illinois will bookend last weekend’s trip home from visiting Jon’s mom, but this time we’ll be packing up her belongings and moving her to an…
Garinns on the Go 