Category: reflections

  • Thoughts on the Homeless Mentally Ill

    Thoughts on the Homeless Mentally Ill

    The homeless man who lives on the sidewalk outside our hotel reminds me of a couple of things. One is Dr. Gerard Clancy, MD who is University of Iowa Health Care Professor of Psychiatry, Professor of Emergency Medicine, and Senior Associate Dean of External Affairs. I remember Gerry, who was in the department of psychiatry…

  • Alcohol is Bad for Old Guys

    Alcohol is Bad for Old Guys

    I took a quick peek at the study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that a few news agencies are reporting on which says alcohol in moderation is bad for older persons. So much for moderation. Actually, the full abstract is: Ortolá R, Sotos-Prieto M, García-Esquinas E, Galán I, Rodríguez-Artalejo F. Alcohol Consumption Patterns…

  • What About Bob?

    What About Bob?

    The homeless guy camped next to the busy street just outside of our hotel is still here. I’m going to call him Bob because it’s awkward to keep calling him “the homeless guy.” I haven’t met Bob yet, but Sena got him some water. She had to give it to the hotel resident who so…

  • Thoughts on Hobos and Homelessness

    Thoughts on Hobos and Homelessness

    We can see the man from our hotel window. We assume he’s homeless. He has a small area where he sits on the curb next to the street.  He does this most of the day. He has a blanket and a few other loose items which sometimes are strewn on the sidewalk or the grass.…

  • Thoughts as Train Cars Visualization in Mindfulness Meditation

    Thoughts as Train Cars Visualization in Mindfulness Meditation

    The Iowa Interstate Railroad train rumbles past our hotel a few times a day and it reminds me of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course I took 10 years ago. One of the exercises the instructor mentioned was the train visualization mindfulness exercise. I don’t know if I remember what our instructor actually said…

  • Making Life in the Hotel Livable

    Making Life in the Hotel Livable

    We’ve been in the hotel a couple of weeks now. We’ll probably be here 2 months until our house is built. Making it livable is about keeping it simple. While we were busy packing and moving out of our old house, we got away from regular habits that helped keep us happier and at least…

  • Big Mo Pod Show- “Goodness is a Practice”

    Big Mo Pod Show- “Goodness is a Practice”

    I’m out of sync with the Big Mo Blues Show and his podcast, mostly because we’re in the middle of this big move and we’re staying in a hotel waiting for this house to be built. I missed his most recent show, but caught the one before that. The podcast title was “Goodness is a…

  • Back to the Clear Creek Trail

    Back to the Clear Creek Trail

    We’re moving back a little closer to Coralville although technically we’ll still be in Iowa City. We always used to walk the Clear Creek Trail. It’ll be good to be back.

  • When Do We Get Out of the Woods?

    When Do We Get Out of the Woods?

    We were out walking the Terry Trueblood Trail the other day. It’s always good to get out of the hotel where we’re staying until our house is built. I get this cooped up feeling and it feels great to escape. While we were on the trail, we saw this huge field of giant, golden prairie…

  • Big Mo Pod Show: “Absorbing Influences”

    Big Mo Pod Show: “Absorbing Influences”

    I listened to the Big Mo Blues Show last Friday night on June 21, 2024 and wouldn’t you know, he was recorded. He wasn’t there live that night but as usual he put on a great show of blues music. And I listened to the Big Mo Pod Show a few days later, and the…