By Neal Lemery This week has been full of projects, and I’m finding myself moving from one to the other, barely getting some things done and starting something else that needs to…
Category: Neal Lemery
WORDS OF WISDOM: Ready for the “New Year”
By Neal Lemery I’m one to change the calendar. Midwinter never seemed the right time to start off a new year and declare new goals and aspirations. The gray and cool weather…
BOOK REVIEW: The Lies of the Land – Seeing Rural America for What It Is—and Isn’t (2023) by Steven Conn
By Neal Lemery A “piercing, unsentimental” history that boldly challenges the idea of a rural American crisis. (The New Yorker) One of the popular concepts about current American politics and culture is…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Planting for Tomorrow
By Neal Lemery It is the height of “no left turn season” and I find myself waiting and waiting to get onto the highway, or simply drive down the road to my…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Cleaning Out the Gunk
By Neal Lemery The little things in life often teach me the big lessons. Yesterday’s weed eating project came to a halt as my usually trusty string trimmer decided to take a…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Getting My Resilience Up
By Neal Lemery Some days, it is a challenge to meet the demands of the day. The to do list seems to get the best of me. The chore list keeps growing,…
WORDS OF WISDOM & SADNESS: Cutting A Good Life In Half
By Neal Lemery He didn’t quite make it to the median age of men who die from alcoholism in this country. He was only 45, and the average age of men dying…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Cleaning Up After Fathers Day
By Neal Lemery I’m always relieved when Fathers Day is over for the year. For me, it is a mix of emotions and experiences, with memories both sweet and awkward, sometimes excruciatingly…
“Roots: We Been Here” Exhibit Offers Provocative Visit to Tillamook Forest Center
By Neal Lemery A new exhibit at the Tillamook Forest Center on Highway 6 offers a fresh and thoughtful visit to the Tillamook State Forest. The exhibit explores the relationships between the…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Memorial Day is Personal to Me
By Neal Lemery Memorial Day is an awkward holiday for me, celebrated publicly for the three day weekend, the winding down of school and planning for summer fun. Our culture celebrates the…