The other day I read of a woman lamenting in this time of troubled economy that she hadn’t given a Christmas gift in five years.  This was a hard thing for her. Some of us easily relate.  Feeling the squeeze twice that many years ago, I walked through my home wondering what I had to give my grandchildren for their birthdays.  I realized it was time to pass on...

In my retirement years I’ve gathered some experience guiding children and youth on hikes.  Most often we’ve been in the mountains and almost always there have been challenges for the hikers wherever we’ve hiked.  Hiking often gives opportunities for life experiences — those experiences that influence us for many years.  A happy hiker finds...