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Old Back to Basics Archives

Originally, the Back to Basics Blog contained posts that were written to support individuals who wanted to live a simple life. The topics included roadblocks to that and often challenged popular opinion in order to get deeper conversations started. Sadly, reader comments were lost when the posts were moved from its original platform to this site. Contact me for additional archive questions.

Where is Your Home?

Land conservationists have long spoken about the importance of person's sense of place. Place is more than where we live ...
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Ten Routine Messages I Refuse to Accept

Daily life in America: what's it like for you? When I tune out the noise and answer honestly, I realize ...
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You Gotta’ Read This Book

It's only been a week since I borrowed a copy from my library, and I'm already getting sick of hearing ...
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Tuned In or Tuned Out?

I have written nothing, because what I want to say is just too large, too intense, too heavy. Where do ...
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Stand Up Straight

Just watch a cable television station long enough to catch a few commercial breaks and you'll be wondering how we ...
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United in Independence

The Fourth of July: Our nation’s prime summertime holiday. We may choose to celebrate with a vibrant parade, picnic, or ...
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They’re Here: Spotted Lanternflies Hatching

Last summer I considered myself lucky. I had been spared the experience of living inside a swarm of the latest ...
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Why I Left Facebook

It was time to say “goodbye,” not to a person, but to a place, tool, and strategy. First, I hung ...
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Assault Weapons, Entertainment Violence, and a Culture We Must Change.

I don't believe outlawing guns is the answer. I don't believe arming teachers is the answer. I don't believe any ...
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The Case of the Missing Bat

NOTE: For photos, I suggest you visit the various blue links throughout this post. Beyond the ghosts and goblins (and ...
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The Ruins of Ego

Wouldn't it be great if we could fix America's suffering of chaos and disarray? But how? The venomous president, the ...
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Standing inside what could be.

To some, the place might have seemed like any big old woods. To me, it represented what we have lost, ...
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Why They Marched

I drove to work on the morning of Saturday, January 21, 2017 with a nagging sense that I should be ...
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Cracks in the Sidewalk

More letters keep getting added. Not long ago, there were just three: L, G, and B. Then the Ts demanded ...
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Whatever happened to compassion?

There is a lot to be said for the trepidation felt among the American citizenry right now. This is especially ...
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Fission or fussion? A look at the science of social change.

I’ve been silent, I know. For one thing, I felt this blog would get lost in the election chatter. For ...
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What’s that smell?

Yesterday I cut some hyacinth blooms and brought them inside. Pretty as they looked, my real intention was to enjoy ...
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Another Big Storm

I had to figure out what was bothering me so. Why was it that, if I heard the word “snowstorm” ...
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Would the Real Terrorist Please Step Forward?

With the world under attack as it has been, we're rightly worried about stopping the terrorists. We may have different ...
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Satisfaction

I remember December 26th as one of the worst days of my childhood years. No one sneaks into your living ...
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