The Santa Claus we "know" has been tamed down from the earlier versions. Our Santa is not associated with anything unpleasant. Not true of the earlier version of Santa, St. Nicholas Consider this medieval story about St. Nicholas from a play by Henri Gheon called “The Sausage Maker’s Interlude.” A…
I just returned from visiting my family-in-law on the north shore Long Island. A nearby beach beckoned and I'd like to share two photos of sea gulls taken on consecutive days, both photos taken from the same beach, both looking north into Long Island Sound. Truly, what a difference a…
I spotted this ornamental cabbage poking out of the snow while walking through Manhattan two days ago. Is this a hint of Spring to come or the very end of the summer? Here are a couple of other cool things I saw while strolling through Manhattan. How can you fit…
Are you looking for a really unusual gift idea? I found one at a non-profit Mennonite store in University City, Missouri, Plowsharing Crafts. I spotted this object in the musical instruments section of the store. It looked like an animal's jawbone. The proprietor told me that it was, indeed, "a…
We've had alternating freezing and melting here in St. Louis, producing this pattern on a brink patio in my back yard. The sheets of ice were quite thin, supported by the "girders."