Cogitation 46/223 Friday 15 November 2019 Reader Steve intimated that I might have more to say about our recent 5-week road trip. "There's another installment (or two), right?" Steve said. Sure, I can do that, I'll do it with random photos and captions. To start, though, I'm taking a step back to 2008. That's the …
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!
My cup of travel overflows
Cogitation 45/222 Saturday 9 November 2019 The vastness of forests, mountains, hills, rocks, sky, rivers, lakes and ocean, and migration of butterflies and geese impressed me on our recent 5-week trip east, north, west and south (OH. PA, MA, ME, NB, NS, QC, ON, MI, IN). Five-week, 4,034 mile road trip, mostly in October, took …
OTR Wk 5: Cozy Chalet at Wasaga Beach
Cogitation 44/221 Friday 1 November 2019 On The Road Week 5 in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, focused on family. Could we survive, thrive, in this first almost week-long assemblage? We gathered at a cozy cottage/chalet, prepared tasty meals, turned on the fireplace as needed, told stories, played card games, took walks, did day trips, connected with …
OTR Wk 4: ‘Culinary’ adventures on the road
Cogitation 43/220 Saturday 26 October 2019 How to eat right on the road? It's both a challenge and a pleasure-- with a dash of surprise thrown in. Bites along the way This "big enough for two meals" lemon tart came from an aroma- and eye-rich bakery near our rental apartment in the Hydrostone Neighbourhood of …
Continue reading OTR Wk 4: ‘Culinary’ adventures on the road
OTR Wk 3: Boston to Halifax
Cogitation 42/219 Saturday 19 October 2019 Art aptly captures the human spirit. That's a topic I touch on in photos in this week's "On The Road" account. The major pleasure of this road trip has been time spent with relatives and friends. That's a highlight, a profound privilege, deeply anchored in communicating face-to-face. There'll be …
OTR Wk 2: Boston, Nor’easter, leaf peeping
Getting around can be a challenge in this day and age, given all the four-wheel vehicles on the road. This Penny Whistle bike is in a bike shop in Lansdale. PA. The age of motoring is scarcely more than a hundred years old. Cogitation 41/218 Saturday 12 October 2019 From Boston to Rockport, (MA), to …
On the road, week 1
Butterfly garden in State College, Pennsylvania. Cogitation 40/217 Saturday 5 October 2019 Travel is fun, even when heavy traffic, road construction, adverse weather conditions, and weariness enter the picture. One is grateful for new vistas, safe arrivals, and precious interactions with people. Just like the cream that rose in the bottles of milk from my …
There’s a new day dawning in US politics
We were glad to be part of a surprise birthday party for a great-niece, Melissa. I remember 30 awe-fully well. Cogitation 39.216 Saturday 28 September 2019 There's a new day dawning in the USA where the two main political parties will again be on course to serve the common good. Such is the conclusion I …
A lesson in teamwork atop a high tower
How simple and profound . . . making space in a sandbox to build the community now and for the future. It's part of the fabulous Children's Garden at the Wellfield Botanic Gardens, Elkhart. I can almost recall the sense of joy I had when my parents built a sandbox--and when they took us siblings …
What makes me happy
The squirrels in our yard have a taste for salad, specifically the petals of the Gerbera daisy. The Gerberas are into their third blooming, even as the squirrels are soon to be busy with burying acorns. Happy for that. Cogitation 37/214 Saturday 14 September 2019 There's more than the benefit of exercise that makes me …
It's About Now 