
Finding Roots in Routine
It feels like Summer is starting to come to an end. Labor Day is past, schools have started back, and we even had a very brief taste of cooler weather to come. Even though I don’t get a summer break (now that I am no longer in school and since I don’t have any kids in school), I find that the pace of my summer still tends to differ from the rest of the year. I work at a non-profit in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood (where there are several universities) and things slow down

Hiking with Brendan's Boots
I love a good walk. Always have. You know – get the legs working, the heart pumping, a little sweat above the upper lip and the whole body feels in rhythm. Take that trek through the woods, alone, and the feeling becomes downright spiritual.During my years as a journalist, walks and hikes were mind-clearing essentials, but my schedule left little time for them. Now that I’m retired, I have no excuse. Not long after I left work, a friend invited me to join his men’s hiking gro