Over the last few years I seen a growing interest in gamification of life. There is part of me that wants to say the whole idea was silly. Who needs their real life to be turned into a video game where you are accumulating points … “Gamification of Life”
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Libby and I used to talk nearly every night. Often for a couple of hours. The topics varied greatly: basic logistical issues, smoothing over relational friction, concerns weighing on our hearts, big ideas, silly dreams. Honestly the topics almost didn’t matter, it was having someone … “Meeting God in the Empty Place – Turning Loneliness to Solitude”
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My father taught me the value of simplicity. He didn’t need to update an item if it was still working. He didn’t need to purchase something to impress others. Dad was suspicious of people who attacked problems with complicated solutions. Complex solutions typically demonstrated that … “Minimalism & Simplicity”
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I like variety. This shows up in in the food I eat, the music I listen to, the books I read. I enjoy when my world expands, to have new and different experiences. I believe there is a lot of good in this, and yet, … “The Value and Cost of Variety”
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I think the very best amplifiers are like wire with gain. That is, they add or take away nothing from the sound quality. They just boast the signal enough to drive the speakers. An amplifier that does this requires the source and speakers to be … “Amplifiers”
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Early this morning Libby went home to be with the Lord. As in life, she was tenacious in her passing. It was peaceful, but she fought to stay with us as long as she could. We already miss her terribly, but are so glad that … “Libby home with the Lord now”
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Gaye, our primary hospice nurse stopped by today, even though it’s her day off. She believes that Libby is in her last hours based breathing patterns and several other indicators. We have been jumping between being unspeakable sad, in a numb disbelief, and brief periods … “Last hours for Libby?”
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Libby’s strength is waning. This is very hard, but we are so grateful that Libby is comfortable and at peace. This is a vast improvement from confusion and restlessness of Tuesday. We can’t begin to than you for your prayers. Libby’s body seems to be … “quiet and peaceful”
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Today Libby had a good morning and early afternoon. She had a sense of peace and wasn’t confused. We really appreciate your prayers. Yesterday was a heartbreaking day. Libby didn’t want to drink anything. Her breathing was very slow. She was confused and unable to … “a brief respite”
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Last night we thought Libby had a couple of weeks. Things seem to be progressing way faster than we expected. We believe that we are counting the time remaining in a small number of days. The hospice nurse observed that they often see with their … “goodbyes coming fast”
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A bit more than a week ago Libby’s brother Andy, my sister Marilyn, and my mother Anne flew into town to visit and likely to say goodbye in person. The following day we have a gathering with around 80 close friends. We didn’t plan a … “beginning of goodbyes”
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Libby and I were introduced to the idea of hospice several years ago by several friends and later learned a bit more from the book Dying Well by Ira Byock. It seemed to both of us that hospice was a great idea. That toward the … “Confirmation that Hospice is Good”
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I love the Big Island. You get a more more diverse experience than any of the other islands. General Hawaii Information Hawaii: Off the Beaten Path by Sean Pager is a bit dated now, but I have found it to be the best single guidebook which … “Hawaii – The Big Island”
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One of my joys has been introducing people to backpacking and wilderness experiences. I have seen some people who just couldn’t adjust. They were too used to climate controlled environments, were scared of wild life, and wanted a modern bathroom. Other “city people” jump right … “Backpacking: Getting Started”
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In my youth I regularly went camping in extreme cold weather (e.g. daytime high 0F at best, howling winds, even colder nights). Most of my recent experience has been has been in more temperate winter conditions, e.g. lows between 0F and 20F, days 10-35F. I … “Outdoors in the Winter”
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My ten year old daughter asked me to help her learn to program. It’s not that she’s interested in computer science, it’s that she knows that programming is required to create games and other things that she has imagined. I investigated a multitude of languages … “Environments for Teaching Kids to Program”
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The following recommendations I have given friends from outside northern California who were planning a vacation here. Northern California Best Places has a lot of other ideas, though it’s a out of date now. These days you can get a “look” at many places through Google … “Visiting Northern California”
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