Category Archives: community

First book out: The Hands-On Life: How to Wake Yourself Up and Save The World.

Posted on March 12, 2018 by

Longtime Cheapskate readers will recognize lots of the ideas and anecdotes here – thank you for being a great and supportive community all these years. I’m launching the book at Dragonfly Books and will be taking it to Content Books … Continue reading →

Posted in community, gardening, self-reliance, the past | Leave a comment

Little bitty Christmas trees.

Posted on December 22, 2017 by

A rerun from 2011 that’s been on my mind. Merry Christmas, y’all. — “I’ve been a pastor for more than 15 years, and I am still amazed at folks in nursing homes, many unable to remember the majority of their … Continue reading →

Posted in community, mystery, seasons, spirit, the South | Leave a comment

Greed, hubris, and cramming-through.

Posted on December 2, 2017 by

Sen. Elizabeth Warren sits at her desk, coffee cup and phone nearby, holding a 500-page chunk of paper — the Republican tax bill — she was given an hour to read before the vote. “So,” she begins, “here it is … Continue reading →

Posted in community, corporations, higher education, money, politics, teaching, women | 2 Comments

The teaching tree.

Posted on November 14, 2017 by

Cross-posted from Luther’s “Ideas and Creations” community blog. Main 218 is my favorite classroom for several reasons: like my campus office and my dining room at home, it has red walls. I’ve added some National Poetry Month posters to the … Continue reading →

Posted in community, higher education, Romanticism, teaching | 1 Comment

Doing justice.

Posted on June 10, 2017 by

Delivered as a guest sermon at First United Methodist Church, June 11, 2017, for Peace and Justice Sunday. Psalm 8: “When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou has established; … Continue reading →

Posted in community, politics, spirit | 2 Comments

The Women’s March: here, there, and everywhere.

Posted on January 24, 2017 by

Saturday, January 21, 2017 It felt good to be out on our little town’s main street with a sign in my hand again, surrounded by my friends and students and – despite the chilly fog – determination and hope. As … Continue reading →

Posted in community, Driftless region, politics, resilience, spirit, women | 6 Comments

Moving the house.

Posted on November 12, 2016 by

On the morning of November 9, 2016, I walked out of my front door into a world I wasn’t sure I’d recognize.  It was the warmest November ever, but with just enough nip to the air to remind us it … Continue reading →

Posted in community, conservation, culture, frac-sand mining, home, politics, resilience, technology | 2 Comments