recovery advocacy

gratitude

general musings

Coffee, mornings, and writing

Moments of clarity come to me in the early morning when most people are still sleeping. I feel peaceful, everything is tranquil, and not much is moving. This is the time I sit, and write, and drink lots of good coffee. This blog is my place to be able to share my musings with you—to offer a place for reflection as well as a place to challenge your ideas, collect some resources, and find a sense of community.

I thank you for stopping by, and hope you'll find something here to make you think or maybe just smile. If you have suggestions or comments, please feel free to send your thoughts my way.

CONTACT BILL

email Bill

Allentown, PA, USA

Gratitude Friday 12 26 25 The Final Weekly Gratitude Post for Now

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” ― Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul I have been writing these weekly posts for five years and two months. This end of year post seems like a good stopping point for now. I am going to take a break and no longer post weekly. It has been a rewarding process for me. I practiced writing and learned a great deal along the way. One gets better at anything they practice

Dec 26, 20254 min read

Gratitude Friday 12-19-25 – Standing Still in the Dark

Solstice - derived from the Latin sol ("sun") and sistere ("to stand still") We are in the darkest of days. We will pass through the Winter Solstice on Sunday, Dec 21, 2025, 10:03 AM EST. From here on out each day gets a little brighter until mid-June 2026. Those days will be bright indeed as there is travel for me on that horizon, but I digress. One of my favorite things this time of the year is seeing our home with all the warm glow of light on the mantles and front door

Dec 19, 20254 min read

Gratitude Friday 12 12 2025 Our American Cincinnatus and Establishment of National Norms

As a side note, last Friday was the five-year anniversary of this blog. I have written 261 weekly gratitude blogs. This is roughly equal to 130,000 words. I have more in me but perhaps not weekly. Thinking that at the end of the calendar year, I may break from weekly writing on gratitude and revisit from time to time One of the things I have done with this page is to find history that resonates with me and reflect on it. I have learned a lot in that way. In preparing this p

Dec 12, 20254 min read

GF 12 5 25 - Reprint from December 2021 - Go Forth You, for the Light That Is You

“Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.” ― L.R. Knost This is a reprint from 2025 about a pretty significant week for me. The COVID Isolation had lifted a bit and I was able to spend time with people I respected. On that week five years ago, I was a

Dec 5, 20256 min read

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