Here is another story for my kids….
My family did a lot of skiing at Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon.  I have such great memories of those weekends.  As good Catholics, we could not miss mass on Sunday without committing a mortal sin, so we would all march in to the local parish church for the early service with our “clodhopper” ski boots on and our shabby ski outfits,  ready to hit the slopes right after the 42 minute service.
On Saturday nights, in the old town of Bend, we would go …

Dan Nichols lived two blocks from me. Of course in the SW hills of Portland, Oregon, it wasn’t considered two blocks as much as in two neighborhoods over.   Our life was defined by neighborhoods.  You didn’t know many kids two neighborhoods away,  let alone one.  But Dan transcended neighborhood boundaries.  My life was defined much around my relationship with Dan Nichols.  From 1st grade through 3rd, we went to St Thomas Moore Catholic school together, and moved to public school at Bridlemile at 4th grade.  We did everything together. Summers …

The Revolutionary War was erupting.   After a long siege, George Washington had managed to take Boston from the British in March 1776.   As the British evacuated Boston in 120 ships with over 11,000 people placed on board, several loyalists gathered at the rail of one of the ships and expressed confidence that they would be returning soon in triumph. A prominent Boston merchant, George Erving, turned and said solemnly, “Gentlemen, not one of you will see that place again.”   (1776, David McCullough)
This reminds me of the hope (I should call …