This Is My Body (Day Ten)

Last updated on: May 11, 2012 at 9:33 pm By Christian Piatt

There’s something very grounding about spending an entire day walking. Obviously you’re more connected, literally, to the earth, but the connection goes deeper than that. Little, if anything, passes by without notice. With enough time, nothing recedes into the background. You have time to actually notice everything. There’s also something physiologically renewing about walking all day. It’s easy for forget that our bodies are made for this purpose. When we walk, everything works the way it’s supposed to. The back-and-forth... Read more

Don’t Think Too Hard; You’ll Kill God (Day Nine)

Last updated on: May 10, 2012 at 11:55 pm By Christian Piatt

Amy and I covered Los Angeles on foot today. This morning we walked from Marina Del Rey to the Santa Monica Pier by way of Venice Beach, stopping for coffee on the pier. After lunch we walked over to a street called Abbot Kinney, which has been rated (by whom, I’m not sure) as the coolest street in America. I’m not entirely sure about that, but if coolness is measured by the number of storefronts with no names and containing... Read more

To the Edge of the Earth (Day Eight)

Last updated on: May 9, 2012 at 7:45 pm By Christian Piatt

We just passed through Death Valley (insert 23rd Psalm joke here) and we’re about 100 miles from the edge of the world, also known as Los Angeles. As my mind wandered while scanning the dunes and scrub brush, I started thinking back to the stories about my dad when he left home. As soon as he was old enough, he headed west with his mind full of images of the California orange groves. Coming from a small town outside of... Read more

Are Atheists Better People Than Christians? (Day Seven)

Last updated on: May 9, 2012 at 12:29 am By Christian Piatt

I came across a couple of interesting articles today, both of which other folks sent to me. I get a number of things forwarded to me, most of which I don’t get a chance to read thoroughly. But since I’m on vacation, I had all kinds of time to sit, read and simmer on them. And to be honest, I took the whole “seventh day” sabbath thing pretty seriously. I didn’t do crap today. You probably don’t want to read... Read more

The Boy With a Broken Heart is Born (Day Six)

Last updated on: May 7, 2012 at 10:23 pm By Christian Piatt

I wrote a story a while back about a family in our church back in Pueblo whose baby was due just after we left town. Early in the pregnancy, doctors diagnosed little Avery with HLHS, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. There was a good chance he’d need surgery in utero or immediately after being born, and there was a formidable chance that he wouldn’t survive the procedure. There was also, of course, a higher than normal risk to Lyndsay, the mother,... Read more

A Hundred Hidden Kisses (Day Five)

Last updated on: May 6, 2012 at 10:20 pm By Christian Piatt

We headed west toward Las Vegas this morning; chasing daylight toward the coast, leaving the kids in the care of grandma and grandpa. I’ll give you one guess to figure out which one of us had a harder time leaving. Personally, I know they’re safe at the farm, and they’ll have a lot more fun there than they would with us, driving a couple thousand miles over the next two weeks. Of course I’ll miss them, but I’ve also been... Read more

Church Sign Epic Fails, Part Eleven

Last updated on: May 6, 2012 at 1:47 pm By Christian Piatt

It’s Sunday, which means it’s time once again to amuse readers and rescue desperate preachers with some less-than-perfect church signage. Church Sign Epic Fails, Part Ten Cherch Sine Epuc Failz: Badd Spellurs Edishun Church Sign Epic Fails, Part Eight Church Sign Epic Fails: Easter Edition Church Sign Epic Fails, Part Six Church sign epic fails, part five Church sign epic fails, part four Church sign epic fails, part three More church sign epic fails Church sign epic fails Read more

Life on the Farm: A Photo Essay (Day Four)

Last updated on: May 5, 2012 at 9:17 pm By Christian Piatt

Amy’s mom, Suzie, and stepfather, Russ, live on a 12-acre apple orchard nestled against the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico. Instead of describing it, I decided to show it.Click on each photo for a larger version. Enjoy. Read more

Clowns, Bad Haircuts and Dreams of Disaster (Day Three)

Last updated on: May 4, 2012 at 5:33 pm By Christian Piatt

“I had a weird dream last night,” Amy said, “that our house in Pueblo was burning down. I called the fire department and instead of firefighters, they sent a whole bunch of clowns on unicycles. “I told them they needed to put out the fire, but they just kept riding around in circles on their stupid unicycles.” “I had a weird dream too,” I said over a cup of strong coffee. “I came into the bathroom and you were using... Read more

Hearts in the Trash (Day Two)

Last updated on: May 3, 2012 at 6:49 pm By Christian Piatt

It turns out that packing all the belongings you need for at least three months into the back of a Prius is a challenge. Of course, being a guy it’s the kind of challenge that makes life worth living. Anyone who has ever been a Tetris junkie can appreciate the exhilaration of fitting forty-seven differently shaped items into a space made for about half the volume. Yes, I had to jump up and down on the back hatch, and several... Read more