Post 7/2023 Cornwall UK Monday 6 March . . . A memorable moment last week involved looking across Cornwall from coast to coast. We walked to Trencrom Hill from where we could see the Atlantic to the north and St Michael's Mount in the English Channel to the south--a distance of 8.5 miles between Carbis …
Author: John Bender
Hi, my name is John Bender, retired and loving it. I'm writing to help interested people cross bridges to and from the past. Stories from the past can shed light on life in the present and illuminate the future. We've got a lot of living to do. Let's do it!
A week on
Post 6/2023 Saturday February 25 . . . Our first full week in Cornwall included getting around on foot, bus and train. It included shopping for groceries, settling into our flat, taking part in Shrove Tuesday activities at St Anta & All Saints, having a few guests for lunch, and tuning in to favorite tv …
First post from Cornwall
Post 5/2023 Friday 17 February . . . Made it here as planned, despite one hiccup. The one-and-a-half-hour delay in Atlanta meant we arrived at Heathrow a bit late (a strong tailwind helped push us into almost 600mph), but we had just enough time to pick up our train tickets at Paddington for the five-and-a-half-hour …
Cornwall calling 2023
Post 4/2023 Saturday 11 February . . . We're about to hop across the pond to Cornwall UK. Our routine has been to return in winter/spring to counties Cornwall (and Devon) in southwest England. We're returning to Carbis Bay on the north Atlantic coast. We first visited England in 1975. It was part of a …
A canceled worship service
Post 3/2023 Sunday 5 February . . . I was slated to give the sermon (adapted following) today at worship services for residents in Greencroft Healthcare and Evergreen Place Assisted Living. Covid-19 precautions meant the service was canceled in Healthcare, as well as in Assisted Living since the roof of the chapel there needs fixin', …
A birthday, fables, fresh air
Post 2/2023 Sunday 29 January . . . I like fables. Stories that use cleverness and understanding to solve problems, real or imagined. I like the ancient fables of Aesop. The Boy Who Called Wolf, comes to mind. On the flip side, we've got those nasty conspiracy theories to contend with--mindlessness as opposed to the …
Ready, set, pause
Post 1/2023 Thursday 12 January . . . A new year has started. A new personal decade is underway. Anticipation rises anew for reconnection with friends in Cornwall, UK, next month. Amidst all that's new, it's good to pause in gratitude and reflection. We did just that on New Year's Eve with four friends, Willard …
Boxing Day in brief
Post 31/2022 Monday 26 December . . . Job done. Boxing Day 2022. Made marmalade. The project became a possibility last July when we shopped at the British Store in the hamlet of Shakespeare, Ontario. On the shelf I found a can of Robertson’s Ma Made Thin Cut Seville Oranges. Ingredients: "Prepared Seville Bitter Oranges, …
Lip-smacking foods, shared celebrations
Post 30/2022 Saturday 17 December . . . Sixteen million. That's the estimated number of baguettes produced daily in France. The French baguette has gained UNESCO heritage status. It's been added to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage" list. The list includes some 600 other items. A recent BBC story quotes UNESCO chief Audrey Asoulay: "The baguette …
Winter’s underway
Post 29/2022 Monday 21 November . . . Winter showed up on the calendar today. Winter clothes the landscape, paints the sky, stirs the mind. It’s fresh, cold, snowy, although some people wrestle with winter woes. I’m okay with winter, though not enamored with it. If I were a skier, a sledder, a snowshoe aficionado, …
It's About Now 