Category Archives: Idle Ruminations

My stuttering family reunion

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Jim

Last week I spent four days reconnecting with an extended family of 700 people at the annual conference of the National Stuttering Association. This is the world’s largest organization for people who stutter with about 150 local support groups, educational … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a Civil War addict

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Jim

A couple of weeks ago I spent a few hours hiking around the Civil War site of the Battle of Glorieta Pass, which ended an ill-conceived Confederate invasion of New Mexico in 1862. Last year I attended a Civil War … Continue reading →

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Self-driving cars and Darwin

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Jim

Self-driving cars are in the news these days as the technology starts to gel and businesses begin to make strategic investments. It’s certainly an exciting breakthrough. Self-driving cars have the potential to reduce traffic jams and use the road system … Continue reading →

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What democracy looks like

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Jim

Democracy is a fighting word these days. The latest political brawl is over charges that selection of delegates to the Democratic and Republican conventions is undemocratic. Voters in both parties are angry because they believe the Establishment (whoever that is) … Continue reading →

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Bringing the Civil War to life in New Mexico

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Jim

When we saw a couple of women in hoop skirts and sunbonnets walking across the dusty parking lot, we knew we were in the right place: the annual re-enactment of the Civil War Battle of Valverde near Socorro, NM. The … Continue reading →

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New Year’s resolutions at the gym

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Jim

I’m in the habit of going to the gym nearly every day. As the holidays drew to a close I was steeling myself for big New Year’s resolution crowds at my local Planet Fitness in Albuquerque, but so far have … Continue reading →

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Enduring the year-end story

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Jim

Much as I enjoy the holidays, I’m always relieved when they’re over and we can stumble into the new year with renewed optimism. I always look forward to celebrating Christmas with family, and ringing in the new year with friends … Continue reading →

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Pumpkins in the air

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Jim

Pumpkin chunking! Elaborate, home-made machines hurl ripe pumpkins high into the air to smash down hundreds of yards away. What’s not to like? I stumbled across the World Championship Punkin Chunkin on cable TV a few years ago and was … Continue reading →

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Feeding the hummingbirds

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Jim

It’s hummingbird season at my house. The Rio Grande, a few hundred yards from my house, is a bird superhighway with seasonal flyovers of geese and sandhill cranes. Quail and roadrunners trot across my yard every day. But the hummingbirds … Continue reading →

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No tiny house for me

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Jim

I’m fascinated by the tiny-house trend. Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’re probably aware of the growing interest in downsizing one’s home to the size of a food truck. Lilliputian residences are showing up in magazine articles and … Continue reading →

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