Author Archives: hermitsdoor

About hermitsdoor

Up here in the mountains, we have a saying, "You can't get there from here", which really means "We wouldn't go the trouble to do that". Another concept is that "If you don't know, we ain't telling." For the rest, you'll have to read between the lines.

Poem: Honor

Posted on April 12, 2021 by hermitsdoor

We come to honor our father, (Husband, grandfather),In this memorial. We honor his years of youth,Sewing the harvest of his adult years, Courting and marryingOur mother (grandmother),And pursuing the educationWhich would be the cornerstoneOf our family. We honor his young … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged | 14 Comments

Farm Life: Stimulus

Posted on March 31, 2021 by hermitsdoor

During the past year, we have received various forms of economic stimulus funds. Some of these came in the form of federal bank deposits, and for those of us who work in health care, our paychecks were heftier as we … Continue reading →

Posted in Farm Life | Tagged | 5 Comments

Farm Life: Spring is in the Air, and Winter 2020-21 Fog in August Wrap-Up

Posted on March 28, 2021 by hermitsdoor

Spring, a time of renewal, beginnings, blooms, thawing out. In our part of the Appalachian Mountains, Spring arrived quickly, with 20F’s giving way to 70F’s in a few days. Now frost and sun dance, with days gaining in length. Time … Continue reading →

Posted in Farm Life | Tagged , | 12 Comments

Dept. of Alternative Facts: Empathy, part 7, Comprehend

Posted on March 13, 2021 by hermitsdoor

To comprehend: (v) to listen to, consider, and understand the position of another person If you thought that I was done talking about empathy, forgiveness, and the “Left Behind” movies, indulge me a little longer in order to comprehend what … Continue reading →

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Dept. of Alternative Facts: Empathy, part 6, Mercy

Posted on March 10, 2021 by hermitsdoor

mercy: (n) to show compassion, and offer forgiveness, to someone who has offended or wronged you I started this series on empathy, with an assertion that for God to become human in the person of Jesus, they would experience life … Continue reading →

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Dept. of Alternative Facts: Empathy, part 5, Synergy

Posted on March 6, 2021 by hermitsdoor

synergy: (n) the interaction between two or more factors such that each works more efficiently that the individual parts alone To review, we now have three elements for empathy: emotions, knowledge, and beliefs. While I have split these off for … Continue reading →

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Dept. of Alternative Facts: Empathy, part 4, Belief

Posted on March 3, 2021 by hermitsdoor

belief: (n) a strongly held set of conclusions about some phenomenon which can neither be proven nor refuted based on information; assumptions which provide meaning and purpose to someone Beliefs, faith and values, are our course of meaning, purpose, and … Continue reading →

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Dept. of Alternative Facts: Empathy, part 3, Knowledge

Posted on February 27, 2021 by hermitsdoor

knowledge: (n) acquired information Knowledge is the realm of facts and data. Information. Learning. Researching. Studying. With this knowledge we can develop theories and hypothesis. We can set up experiments. Look at results. Validate or negate conclusions. In the Judeo-Christian … Continue reading →

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Dept. of Alternative Facts: Empathy, part 2, Emotion

Posted on February 24, 2021 by hermitsdoor

emotion: (n) a subjective experience in response to other people or events; feelings; neural activity in the limbic system Emotions are highly personal experiences for which we give words that congregate around ideas of energizing and calming, desirable and undesirable … Continue reading →

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Dept. of Alternative Facts: Empathy, part 1

Posted on February 21, 2021 by hermitsdoor

empathy: (n) the ability to comprehend how someone else feels, knows, and believes about some phenomena Some of my regular readers responded to my recent post about forgiveness (regarding evangelical Christians supporting Trump’s term in office) with puzzlement about how … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , | 8 Comments